I agree looks and sounds very arriettish to me. No picture of the keyboard where it attaches to the faceplate or I could tell for sure. Probably not worth anywhere near $700.
If it is an Excelsior, it is not an Ariette, but definitely a mid-range box, like a Gabbanelli Cajun King. The reed quality and action of the Excelsior are better than the Ariette or any Hohner one-row, for that matter.
However, like the Gabb, it feels like an Italian box. For better or worse, you get what you pay for!
Not that its easy to hear from the recording, but it sounded like many boxes I've tried where the reeds are all standing on edge, rather than having two banks glued down.
Less volume, tinnier sound.
But, like I said, a recording is not a good way to assess that.
well i am no accordion expert...but i do own an Excelsior Acadia...which to my knowledge is the only single row "cajun" accordion that excelsior makes....and having said that..this accordion doesnt look nothing like mine...if it did at one time, then it has been modded completely and i dont even think you could call it a excelsior anymore...also my acadia does not sound like that..it has no tinny sound at all.