I love to compare gadget prices online, usually for stuff I can't afford to buy ... a little fantasy is good for the soul.

What I have noticed is how much cheaper Home Theatre gear is in the USA. Both sets of speakers and AV surround sound amplifiers / receivers are often less than half the cost in NZ.

Why is this so?

Here's an example: Yamaha RX-681 7.2 Channel Network AV, currently selling for US$399.95 (NZ$555) at Newegg in the USA. Of course it is configured for US voltage (sadly).

In NZ this same device is currently being retailed in the range of NZ$1400-1500. I assume Newegg is making some profit, so why do we have to pay so much more here? Is this just price gouging  because only a few stores are importing this product?

In Australia the same device is selling for AU$1000-1200 (NZ$1052-1262). Even the Aussies are doing better than us!

I am sorely tempted to buy one from the USA, but I'd have to swap out the power supply/transformer and that would void the warranty.

YouShop charges $100 to ship this package to NZ, then there would be GST added, bringing the total cost to NZ$753. So even importing a single device brings in the RX-681 at near half the price that it is being retailed for in NZ. This does not seem right to me. The NZ retailers are really clipping the ticket here.

I don't know a lot about electronics, but I have been building and repairing PCs for the last 15 years. Here is a big assumption; if one could get hold of a 220V power supply / transformer for the RX-V681, it would probably be a very simple job to pop the US 110V transformer out and install the NZ 220V one. Then all things being equal, the device should work here.

The catch is sourcing the power supply/transformer. I'd be very keen to know if someone else has done this.

I appreciate that retailers struggle to keep in business when competing with online stores, but the prices in NZ for this device (and similar devices) seem excessive. Surely there must be some optimum price point where lower prices mean more sales volume, meaning more profit. Perhaps NZ retailers should think more about sales volume rather than excessive pricing.