What to expect if I import an amp and preamp from a Japan seller via US eBay

Will take U.S. voltage anyday and would not want to use a step up/down transformer.

The EBay dealer I purchase from, had my Accuphase converted to 120VAC from the Accuphase factory. This dealer reassured me from shipping to delivery, with excellent communication. I believe my cost from FedEx, acting as my agent cost me $55 bucks. The bill was sent in the mail after delivery. Once the item reached customs, you call FedEx and they take over from there. The amp was packed superbly in 4 boxes. The amp was well protected. Once my amp arrived, I removed the top and there was not ANY evidence that the amp had been modded. Plugged it in my 120 and beautiful music came out. I own and PassLabs 250, Mac 253, hegal 390, and non of them are built with attention to detail as my Accuphase. I doubt seriously I would ever have a problem with this amp. Of course anything can happen, but the built quality is impeccable. Getting this amp at almost half price was well worth it to me. That my experience.

Bought a Luxman integrated from Japan. Listening to it now, sounds as wonderful as it should. I bought from Buyee Japan, my second purchase. Only paid about an extra $200 for shipping and import etc. A proper step down will not degrade the sound. The key is to buy one that has lots of head room and designed well. My step down is rated for 1600 watts and I had it pretty loud today and it never got up to pulling 200watts. 

+1 for “you won’t hear the difference w/ a step down transformer,”  assuming you have a transformer rated for the needs of the equipment at hand. If we think about it, every device plugs into the wall and converts the wall voltage to the voltages needed in the audio circuit. No mystery here on how this works.

If there’s a difference, I think it’s much smaller than the difference in Accuphase vs. not Accuphase within your budget. 

To give you a sense of price (few hundred $) from another thread on operating Japanese gear in the US: 

Here’s another suggestion: send it to George and have them convert the unit to 110v, and skip the transformer altogether. I suspect all the hardware is there and it’s merely a matter of using the appropriate taps on the power transformer, but it’s likely George would know and could answer whether this is a viable option over the phone.

Reply to allenf11863

@echolane -- I can understand where you are coming from, and if it is an Accuphase Amp, I find it freaking ridiculous that a person can buy a brand new, in the box, unopened Accuphase E4000 Integrated Amp in Japan for $6,190...but buy it here in the U.S. and it’s $14,000! F**k that. I don’t begrudge a U.S. business owner making a living, but if you are going to deal in a product that has that big of an upcharge, good luck.

I, too, find it freakin ridiculous to have a $7000 disparity in price between the product in Japan and the product in the US.  I don’t really understand why it should be that extreme.  It certainly opens the door for people like me to find a workaround.  I simply cannot afford to buy the product at the US price so the distributor and the vendor would never profit from my sale.  Why should Japan profit from it?  The whole thing is just all wrong.