Hi Jandre
Which equipment did you have in mind? Sometimes it is possible to make purchases from outside the UK if we make a sufficient case, and you might be surprised (as I was when I started looking!) at what can be bought from distributors here.
So far, the details I have received from enquiries about the models listed above has only yielded an answer from B&K.
I have posted the quotations here because I believe that all companies should publish price lists on their websites. I'm sick of having to fill in forms as if I'm making a purchase to get a quotation, then ending up on a mailing list...
For the 2250 single channel device basic model we were quoted £5992 ex VAT, but they charge extra for initial traceable calibration £458 ex VAT.
The 2260 we were quoted for is a basic model costing £9236 ex VAT, and an initial calibration at £430 ex VAT.
The 2270 costs £7857 ex VAT, and calibration costs £458 ex VAT.
There were options for extra software modules, including FFT at about £1500 ex VAT. I noticed that of the other models I was investigating, some came with this as standard.
Oh, and for each SLM on the order there was a quotation for the calibration sound generator, at a cost of £818 ex VAT for the device and £112 ex VAT for "initial calibration".
One wonders - why is a device fresh from the factory not already "calibrated"?
Neither device exactly needs hours of careful pot-twiddling to justify the cost. I would expect the devices to be checked against a known signal, and mostly these days that is done via a PC with minimal human effort required, even/especially for soak testing.
I won't be fooled over companies holding equipment to ransom in future. It amounts to theft in my book, holding onto equipment someone else owns. Wonder how they'd like to see the plod turn up?
