I have two 30GB units new in the box for sale. From what I understand, those in Europe cannot order directly from the US. I will sell them for $699 USD each, or both for $1300 USD, plus shipping and insurance. Please let me know if you are interested.

I'm not so sure thats a fair price
it cost you 399 USD to buy so be more realistic.
The run of people wanting them on ebay has dryed up. Check the latest auctions (hardly any have reached there reserve lately). The people in this forum make up the bulk of the people willing to buy this fantastic end of line piece of kit. Why don't we use the powers of supply and demand. If we dont buy the kit untill it gets to a sensible price then we can stop greedy profiteering.
Have I started to rant? Well good.

Who feels the same? and who disagree's.

This should get some livley debate going anyway.

It would have to get down to about $30 for me to buy annother one, so I can't really comment (of corse, I just did.. oops).

I almost included my response in my post to what I knew was coming. My short answer is, America is all about capitalism. It's what makes this country great. If someone tells a lie, or even a half truth, you could easily argue against them, but if someone offers a product at *any* price, then the laws of supply and demand will dictate what happens. It's not my fault that SonicBlue decided to screw the empeg guys and scrap the product. If it were up to me, the product would stay in active development and the price would have come down from the ethereal >$1k range to something closer to $300-$600. But, since it didn't happen that way, those of us in the US just happen to be able to buy these awesome boxes for a steal. It's also not my fault that there is no European source for these units at the same price we can get them for here. I could also point to the many beautiful cars in Europe with demand a healthy premium to import (Nissan Skyline is the first one that comes to mind).
I agree that ebay has been flooded with product; this is why I didn't put an auction for them. When the supply thins in a month or so, i think you'll see the prices go up. Here's my bottom line - after tax and shipping, I paid $450 each. A profit of, at most, $250, represents a markup of about 55%. I think that's pretty reasonable by most standards.
Anyway, i'll get off my soapbox. I respect your opinion and would be glad to listen to any other points you have.

I'd make a huge long argument on the many points of capitalism that are in fact f'ing up this country as opposed to being what "makes it great"... but i'll spare my fingers. Anyone who believes greed is what makes this country great has no clue what goes on in government, bigco. boardrooms, or anywhere else for that matter... not that i claim to know anywhere near the truth.

Selling a few empegs at a marked up price actually has nothing to do with it, it was just your statement about capitalism making this a great country that caught my eye. Opportunism could be argued either way i guess.

BUT, more to the point... the estore still has them in stock for $399.

EDIT: of course ... two seconds after posting that... this thread pops up. *inserts foot*

could someone comment on our European friends being able (or not) to buy these from SonicBlue? i've seen more than one post recommending that they ask 'a friend' in the US to order one for them...

I have got enoght of this,the rio car player is a great invention BUT for 700$ plus shipping to Germany I can buy 2000-3000 CDRs I can listen to on my pioneer high end car cd-tuner/changer.10gb?20gb?30gb?60gb?3000*700MB = 2050GB.So enjoy your rios,I`ll continue buying CDRs.

Well, AFAIK no one's forcing you at gunpoint to be here.

If I hung out at the Unoffical empeg BBS I'd expect to hear a lot about empegs / Rio cars - but that's probably just me...

/Michael

Spoken true from someone who "doesn't get it" =]

How do you grade him?

I give him a weak "2" on the 0-10 troll scale

/Michael

Spoken true from someone who "doesn't get it" =]

But in his defense... it really is pretty hard to "get it" until you have actually had a couple hours hands-on experience with the player.

When I bought mine, it was more from taking at face value the proselytizing of people on this bulletin board, nearly all of whom are smarter than I am, than it was from any deep understanding of what the empeg player was really all about.

How many of us have ever actually convinced someone to buy an empeg player without actually physically demonstrating the product to the prospective purchaser?

tanstaafl.

How many of us have ever actually convinced someone to buy an empeg player without actually physically demonstrating the product to the prospective purchaser?

Hugo did a pretty good job of convincing me with no personal showing of a complete product. Then again I began ripping my CDs to MP3 back when a P166 chip was the fastest chip around. So I have always "gotten it" when it comes to seeing the ideal of not needing any physical media to have my music. The empeg was just the first mass market device I could find and trust to move the music away from my PC.

I disagree. I wanted, for years before even Hugo's MP3Mobile, a car audio system where I never had to screw with CDs again. When I saw head units that would play mp3s off of CDRs, I was (and remain) totally uninterested. While I might need to play with CDs less, I woud still have to play with them. The minute I noticed that the empeg was available as a finished product, I lusted after one until I managed to get the money to buy one. I have never regretted my decision in any way, nor did I expect to.

Is that why you're hanging out in the "FOR SALE" section of the "EMPEG BBS"? I think not...!

I wanted, for years before even Hugo's MP3Mobile, a car audio system where I never had to screw with CDs again. When I saw head units that would play mp3s off of CDRs, I was (and remain) totally uninterested. While I might need to play with CDs less, I woud still have to play with them. The minute I noticed that the empeg was available as a finished product, I lusted after one until I managed to get the money to buy one. I have never regretted my decision in any way, nor did I expect to.

Yeah, what he said.

The minute I noticed that the empeg was available as a finished product, I lusted after one until I managed to get the money to buy one. I have never regretted my decision in any way, nor did I expect to.

I agree with you 100%. I was in the original Mark I waiting queue within minutes of discovery. But we (the people on this bbs) are the exceptions. Just try to convince your neighbor with the Lincoln Town Car and the "JBL Premium Audio System" or whatever is in it that the empeg is much better than what he has. You can talk until you are blue in the face, but until he can actually play with it himself, you will not get very far.

Oh, there are exceptions (anybody reading this post, for example) but the huge majority of people will never "get it" until they actually try it for themselves.

tanstaafl.

Well, I bought the very first CD based portable MP3 player years ago (the Genica), I have known what is involved in having a CD player, and was never that unhappy with it. I keep my ear to the ground though and remember when the Empeg was just another person putting a computer in their car. They were always too complicated to do myself and to expensive to buy from someone.

What changed my mind was buying an Archos Jukebox as a present for Christmas. After playing with it for a couple of days I was sold that hard drives are the way to go. Several days later I bought an Empeg (at newly discounted prices), and have been enjoying it ever since.

Bottom line, CDs are fine, but having your entire music collection available at a button press is just too cool for words. I randomized one of my playlists a week ago and am still not halfway through it. That is awesome.

I did get it but I am not willing to pay someone 700$ for something I just bought for 349$ incl.shipping to Germany!
For 700$ a rio is something you do not really need but for 1/2 of this price it sure is!
but what`s absolutely ridiculous about the answers I got from some bbs "old hands" for my "trolling" (as you call it) is,that you apparently don`t take criticism of the rio player.
it`s a nice invention,I agree,but settle down a bit,it is not the new-invention of the wheel!!!!!!!

and for those who "trolled" me:enjoy listening to your rios creeping on us-highways with 55mph,i`ll do this very soon using the passing lane of a german autobahn with 140mph.

the fun you have driving 140pmh is something you will never get,my rio player is on the way to germany...

Hey. Who says you can drive 140 in the US? Not that i've tried it or anything wink wink. But the only thing stopping people is vehicular manslaughter charges; ) Plus their always the quarter mile racing stips most stats have that let you use them for a small fee.

-Greg

Just to be clear on the point. There is a difference between expressing a negative opinion and trolling for flames. On this bulletin board, that "line" is drawn in a different place in the sand than at most other bulletin boards.

Generally those who express a negative opinion on this BBS do so very politely. You specifically cross-posted the same flame-bait message to several threads in what appeared to be an unconstructive attempt to anger and incite. Whether that was your intention or not, only you can know. What's important is that everyone else interpreted it that way.

I hope you don't watch those visuals too much at 140mph, things happen much faster at that speed. "The fun you get" could be over really fast! People drive real fast here too, its just not legal.

Hope you enjoy your new player.

The bottom "bottom" line is that this isn't the place to come and try selling an empeg for $699 days after you bought it for $399 (minus additional charges).

I will be honest here. I have ONE 10GB unit that I purchased for a friend (I also purchased a backup for myself and a unit for my brother). My friend ended up not wanting it. I'm going to be holding on to it for a while. I may end up selling it to a friend at a later time, but I may very well put it up on eBay for whatever the market will bear at the time.

But just this past week I also bought two 30GB units. I will be shipping them out to someone on the BBS who lives in Italy and couldn't get supply from the UK store. I'm doing this as a favour to that person. It's a little bit of work for me and some risk, but I'm happy to do it. Of course this isn't something I was willing to do to everyone that came along (I don't have the time or resources to act as a distributor )

If you don't want to get flack for marking something up (by any margin) then just sell on eBay. As I've mentioned earlier, I'm surprised the 10GB units and 60GB units didn't sell out in the first day of the last reductions. Or maybe it was just Digital River's online processing that prevented someone from buying up all the stock.

Bruno

Hi all, I am the guy from Italy as in hybrid8' post.

(BTW: I want two units because one is for my friend Massimo)

I've asked him this big favor because I discovered too late the price reduction. I'm a Neo35 owner for few months and when I see the new incredible price I don't trust to my eyes

Unluckily the International store ran out of stock very soon; I'm in a waiting list for one 10gb when it comes available, but it isn't for sure. Now, since last days of december, I follow this BBS and I understand the great value of the empeg (if I know all these info before, I never bought the neo...), so I can't take the risk to not have one! I asked hybrid8 because I followed his passage from Neo to empeg on the neo BBS and he is the only name I found 'familiar'.

He is a very kindly person, he don't waste time and ordered it for me in no time! I don't talk of this in the BBS before because I don't want other guys pursuing and bothering him to do the same with them...
I can assure that no one (or perhaps a very little percentage) of italians will did the same (without offending anyone, of course), including myself (before). I always know that american people are something "advanced" even in personal relation, and now I feel as an american, like a new guy. It may sound a little exaggerated (perhaps it depends in my poor english ), but you should understand.

Now for bigger safety, I will try to order two 10gb units from carplayer.com: it is 100$ more than the discount price, but I really want one of these incredible toy. In case I'll get all units (two from Hybrid8 and two from carplayer) I will sell the two in surplus for only the costs I will pay (units, taxes and shipping) hopefully to some European guys who have my same problems.

I think this is the spirit of this community, and as I consider me a part of this (even if a newbie!) I will act like this.

Thanks to all, especially to Hybrid8

Bravo to everyone who's out there helping other people out only for their costs.. Too often, I see something unique squandered by those who want to squeeze more money out of the edge they have on a market, and forget about being decent. I see people buying units for people overseas, I see people working on manufacturing translucent buttons, I see people who obviously been here a couple years politely pointing people to the FAQ (and even answering their questions while they're at it) about things they've been asked countless times before. It's nice to know there are decent people out there.

Talked to Digital River this afternoon. The units should ship out tomorrow..

Bruno

I agree....lots of nice of very helpful people here...thanks to all.

eddie

Aren't there parts of Montana that have no speed limit? Or is it that the speeding ticket fine is something low, like $15, payable to the officer at the time you get pulled over? (hmm, that happened to me in Mexico once, and it cost me more than $15 :-[ )

The speeding limit has been put back, but it's still like 85 MPH or something.

payable to the officer at the time you get pulled over

My step-dad often wanted this. "Just let me pay my road tax now and get on with my life..."

After being pulled off to the side of the road for 45 mins, I tend to agree...

Wow, what other places are there in the united states with no speed limit? I'd certainly like to visit. :-D

Calvin