Hey don, I'm from Canada too. I have bought a great deal by ordering from American dealers and have it shipped to US border towns then go down and pick it up. I'm guessing that you live too far from the border to make this feasible.
Audiogon is a great place to buy at, and their is a similar site in Canada, it's called canuckaudiomart.com. I've sold and bought many items there over the years.
I think that the European option is risky for you. Are you aware that Adcom is still in business. I bought the 555 amp from them last year. They are based in Arizona and ship anywhere in the world. Check out Adcom.com or Adcom-USA.com. to make your $3000 budget you'd want to limit to about $2000 US, and shipping may be free. But you may get a GST or other tax charge when the item shows up at your door. It should all be under a total of $3000 Cdn.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Audiogon is a great place to buy at, and their is a similar site in Canada, it's called canuckaudiomart.com. I've sold and bought many items there over the years.
I think that the European option is risky for you. Are you aware that Adcom is still in business. I bought the 555 amp from them last year. They are based in Arizona and ship anywhere in the world. Check out Adcom.com or Adcom-USA.com. to make your $3000 budget you'd want to limit to about $2000 US, and shipping may be free. But you may get a GST or other tax charge when the item shows up at your door. It should all be under a total of $3000 Cdn.
Good luck with whatever you decide.