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.
What to expect if I import an amp and preamp from a Japan seller via US eBay
I can’t afford the cost of the amp and preamp I’d like to buy. I’ve discovered I can pay just less than half what I’d pay at a dealer in the US. But I haven’ t done this before. I’m aware that I won’t have a guarantee and that I’ll need a step down transformer. I willing to take the risk of no guarantee. But I don’t know what to expect when my box hits CUSTOMS. What can I expect? What are my responsibilities? How much is it likely to cost me?, I’ll be paying $7000 for the amp and the preamp..