I can see OP dilemma over price disparities between US and Japan. When you see similar items from Japan priced 25-30% lower than US counterparts, it’s can be very enticing. But as @jjss49 pointed out, consider all those points before buying from Japan. Not to mention, you will have a tough time reselling the Japanese model in US.
Personally, I will never buy any grey market electronics that requires voltage conversion to operate properly.
Luxman Knockoffs or Counterfeits?
Living in the US, it has been very difficult finding a Luxman on the used market. I see lots of models on ebay selling from Japan. The listings look suspicious to me - different sellers with the exact same photo of the product; sometimes the same photo with one seller naming a different model number than another seller, but using the same photo.
I found one Japanese ebay seller who seems to be legit, Monotokyo, based on seller reviews, but I am hesitant to rely on ebay seller reviews.
Does anyone have information about Luxman knockoffs or counterfeits?