The Prime was below the Basic in the Theta lineup, which from bottom to top went Cobalt, Prime, Basic, and Gen V. From what I understand, the Pro Basic IIIa is a big step up from the Prime IIa, and essentially pretty similar to the balanced version of the Gen Va with the exception of the latter's discrete output topology (having IC op-amps instead, but actually utilizing a more costly Burr-Brown chipset in the DAC, for some reason, than does the higher-priced model!), but in a smaller chassis without the internally shielded subcompartmentalized construction. FWIW, most Primes on A'gon seem to go from about $250-$500, and Basics from about $500-$800, depending on iteration and condition. (BTW, in the case of the Basic IIIa, I consider that to be a great bargain for a top-manufacturer product that sold new for about $2,700 just a couple of years ago.) Maybe it would be economical to buy a Basic IIIa used from the US, pay the international shipping, and convert the line voltage setting if possible. You could try contacting Ed at Theta for info about the last item, he's a great guy to deal with concerning their discontinued models.
