Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

I got my summer bonus and wanna buy a PEK ... but of course the Japanese
distributor has done the usual thing and jacked up the price horribly --
the average "street price" seems to be about $3000.

I've found at least one place on the net (www.soundhouse.co.jp) that
advertises has a lower than usual price (though still more than the
U.S. list price!), located out by Narita, but local store owner says
he's heard they do their own importing, and "there could be problems"
with service.  [But of course he would say that...]

However despite the risks, I'm rather chafing under the Japanese prices
(I _know_ I like the Evolver's sound, and have had great support from
DSI for my mono-evolver), and honestly feel like saying "fuck you" to
the bloated Japanese distributor.

It's not like the high markup is really _necessary_ -- Alesis changed
Japanese distributors a while ago, and the new distributor dropped
prices dramatically -- and furthermore gave much better support!!
The A6 went from "so expensive it's a joke" to being a rather nice deal.

[I wish DSI could switch to the new Alesis distributor!]


Anyway, if anyone is still reading this far, I'm curious:

  1) What are people's experiences with the PEK, as far as robustness is
     concerned?  Is it a tank like the mono evolver?  Any problems?

  2) Is there anyone that has any experience with this store
     (www.soundhouse.co.jp)?  My instincts for detecting shady outfits
     don't work so well here.

  3) Anyone know of any other Japanese retailers with
     better-than-average prices?  The normal high-street stores always
     effectively have _exactly_ the same prices as each other on
     imported gear, and are loathe to discount even a little.

  4) What's DSI's attitude towards imported gear?  In the old days
     everything was direct mail order anyway, so it didn't matter, but
     now days they seem to have a more normal retail thing going...

     Some U.S. retailers have said they're happy to send overseas, but
     I'd like to know the worst-case scenario if my PEK's insides melt 3
     days after delivery or something.


-Miles
-- 
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.