A musician friend of mine says: Yes, prices are usually about 200 USD higher due to import taxes. One option to make Taobao more reliable would be to contact someone who sells his stuff on Taobao and ask where his shop is, and then check it out directly and try to bargain. Another option is to check Baoshan Lu where you can buy cheap electronics of all kinds - they may have it for a better price. Hope that helps!