Importing music gear from Thomann to Australia
Located in Germany, Thomann is Europe's largest music gear retailer. When I suddenly noticed that their prices were surprisingly competitive compared to retailers here in Australia (e.g. Mannys), even with the additional shipping and import fees (which can sometimes be a bit of a black box), I decided to take the plunge. So here's the meat and potatoes, the cost comparison breakdown (all prices are in A$) at the time of placing my order (2026-04-22):
| Item | Thomann | Mannys |
|---|---|---|
| Elektron Digitone II | $1,312.73 | $1,839 |
| Elektron PL-2s | $74.55 | $99 |
| Shipping | $109.33 | $01 |
| Subtotal | $1,496.61 | $1,938 |
| Customs Fees (~5%) + GST (10%) | $245.42 | - |
| Total | $1,742.03 | $1,938 |
That's still $195.97 in savings. The only minor inconvenience was having to call up UPS directly to take care of the import fees (I wasn't able to do it online) when the parcel was eventually held up by customs. And even then it arrived in 6 calendar days (including the 3 days it was held until the import fees were taken care of) which is blazing fast considering gear dispatched from the SoundBay2 WA warehouse to VIC can also take just as long. Otherwise the whole experience (e.g. shopping was a breeze, comms were speedy and effective) was very positive overall. Oh, unfortunately the Digitone came with an EU power cord, but that's easy to remedy.
tldr; Obvious take3 but Thomann is an excellent option to purchase more expensive gear (when the numbers work out, of course) and if you don't mind having to be on top of things a bit more than usual when it comes to delivery. I suppose the only downside would be after sales support, for example warranty and repairs, but I hope to never have to cross that bridge...
Orders over $100 at Mannys qualify for free standard shipping. You can always pay more for express, though.↩
Because this isn't the first time this happens: Recently I purchased a Teenage Engineering PO-33 K.O.! and an accompanying case for $192.24 (with free shipping from Sweden) whereas at Mannys the Pocket Operator alone costs $189.↩