British made Hi-Fi

[admin_exported]

As a Design Engineer I take great pride in supporting British Manufacturing industry (I have an almost completely BRITISH made audio set-up). As a group of people we are responsible for some of the greatest inventions (I believe some incredible figure of 80% of all major inventions in the world have started life inside a British head) and this probably extends into the area of Home Audio Electronics as well.

What would be great Clare....especially in this time of hardship for manufacturers in general....would be an issue of What Hi-fi specifically wrapping itself in a Union Jack (shamelessly so) and promoting British High Fidelity manufacturers...the likes of (in no particular order) Naim Audio, Cyrus Audio, Acoustic Energy, Bowers and Wilkins, Meridian Audio, Michell Engineering (don't you just love that name), Arcam, Linn, Pure, etc, etc....even Sony.....maybe focusing on what particular products from their stable ARE manufactured by British People!

Possibly visit a few manufacturers and do some editorial about the people behind the designs, facilities, etc??

Sure you might annoy the likes of Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Samsung, Toshiba, etc, etc....for one issue, but just think.... if every one of your readership made it a new years resolution to buy at least one component manufactured in good old Blighty.....that would probably ensure the likes of these manufacturers being around to review their products for a bit longer.

As I said....it's shameless promotion..... but go out to Germany, or France, or Italy, or Spain....try to spot a police car not manufactured in each of those particular forces own country (other than the odd token 4x4)!!!!

We as a Manufacturing Nation are almost like no other (with the exception of the USA) in our promotion of imported goods and our lack of support for home grown products.

Possibly when a pound is only worth a Euro and a Dollar...and the cost of imports is reaching the sky.....people will think again?

I don't for one second promote the purchase of rubbish.....but when it's good (as most British designed and built Audio is) SAY IT LOUDLY!!

Here's hoping....and merry Christmas.

Kimbleman

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Kimbleman:maybe focusing on what particular products from their stable ARE manufactured by British People!

That - unfortunately - may be quite a restrictive list...

 

[John Duncan]

Kimbleman:(I believe some incredible figure of 80% of all major inventions in the world have started life inside a British head)

Scottish head actually

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not for one second suggesting it might be a fairly restrictive list..... but as it's pretty obvious the finacial sector ain't gonna get us out of this mess... maybe give manufacturing a chance!

Do you work for Mcdonalds or something equal in its contribution to the national GDP?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Kimbleman:
even Sony

 

[Terryff]

Know why the british car industry died off (apart from the striking)? We started buying Japanese product. Because they made them cheaper and better. British Hi-Fi only needs to do one thing, be better....I even think that discerning buyers would pay a small premium.

Asides my turntable and one amp, all my kit is british, but not because i am patriotic, because it's really good kit. Buying patriotically is really not relevant to Hi-Fi, buying quality and innovation surely is?

Just a point of view. BTW, dont think any of the Cambridge bods would enjoy you calling them Scottish, John. ÿ

 

[chebby]

Kimbleman:Do you work for Mcdonalds or something equal in its contribution to the national GDP?

I think it is offensive to start on people for the nationality of their employers.

 

[John Duncan]

Terryff:

Are you saying there's something wrong with being Scottish?

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm... and the French, Spanish and Italians DIDN'T by rubbish?? I quite agree....some of it was .....but there comes a point when you have to decide....are we or are we not going to continue to be a manufacturing based Nation....and if not....for how long can we continue to be a (grossly) net importer of goods? The Gold reserves are GONE....as are the power generation companies, Ultilities companies, Airports, Rail operators even the football clubs...all sold off to other countries! We CAN'T just continue 'Doing eachothers laundry'..... it doesn't work!

Manufacturing is on the brink of dipping below the 'critical mass'.....support (by way of just buying British made goods) is possibly our last chance of saving it.

 

[John Duncan]

Scottish inventions: television; telephones; penicillin; antiseptics; lawnmowers; microwave ovens; marmalade; computer games; golf

English inventions: Custard

I rest my case......

 

[chebby]

Television as we know it was invented by an Italian. The Baird system was rubbish.

 

[Anonymous]

Kimbleman:<
We as a Manufacturing Nation are almost like no other (with the exception of the USA) in our promotion of imported goods and our lack of support for home grown products.

As a nation built on the exchange of commerce this isn't surprising. We historically have bought items that best fitted our requirements. People seem to forget that the Industrial Revolution and the "workshop of the world" phase was a curious anomaly where we happened to make the best material as well. It has passed and we're once again buying material that offers the best blend of price, functionality and ability.

With regards to your idea for a jingoism issue- how "British" does the equipment need to be? Many of the bits you list aren't built here and of the units that are, a huge number have their board components (and other parts) built in the far east.

Your comments come at an interesting time for me system wise. I have just chopped in my Audio Note Electronics (which were both to some extent built in the UK) for a Accuphase CD player and Leben intergrated amp, both built in Japan. Ignoring for a moment the improvement in sound, the difference in build quality and overall engineering between the components is not small. I would venture that almost nothing built in the UK at their price points would get within a mile of their fit and finish. Both pieces of equipment are built like swiss watches and are simply a joy to use. They aren't necessarily What Hifi core reviewing material but for mags to not make people aware of these units simply because of where they are built is absurd.

I have for the record, retained my British built (although worldwide componented) Living Voices and will be exchaging the the LP12 for a Gyrodec as part of the general attempts to bring the system up to Mrs Hatred levels of acceptable decor.

 

[John Duncan]

chebby:Television as we know it was invented by an Italian. The Baird system was rubbish.

Actually no. German, or Russo-American. But let's not let the facts get in the way of the use of the word 'custard'.

The telephone was invented by an Italian.

 

[Terryff]

You are forgetting of course:

The Computer (Babbage), probably the most important invention since the lightbulb (oops another englishman), the fire extinguisher, the davy lamp, the hovercraft, the jet engine, the lawnmower, lifeboats, meccano, cement, the vaccum cleaner, the world wide web, stainless steel, the slide rule, the sewing machine and the rubber band.

ÿ

Besides Custard is the food of the godsÿ

ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:Scottish inventions: television; telephones; penicillin; antiseptics; lawnmowers; microwave ovens; marmalade; computer games; golf English inventions: Custard I rest my case......

As well as Custard an English man invented the internet which you are using.............

 

[John Duncan]

Terryff:Besides Custard is the food of the gods

Only if it's Ambrosia.

 

[Terryff]

The first lawn mower was invented by English engineerÿEdwin Beard Buddingÿin 1827.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Kimbleman:
As a Design Engineer I take great pride in supporting British Manufacturing industry (I have an almost completely BRITISH made audio set-up). As a group of people we are responsible for some of the greatest inventions (I believe some incredible figure of 80% of all major inventions in the world have started life inside a British head) and this probably extends into the area of Home Audio Electronics as well.

What would be great Clare....especially in this time of hardship for manufacturers in general....would be an issue of What Hi-fi specifically wrapping itself in a Union Jack (shamelessly so) and promoting British High Fidelity manufacturers...the likes of (in no particular order) Naim Audio, Cyrus Audio, Acoustic Energy, Bowers and Wilkins, Meridian Audio, Michell Engineering (don't you just love that name), Arcam, Linn, Pure, etc, etc....even Sony.....maybe focusing on what particular products from their stable ARE manufactured by British People!

Possibly visit a few manufacturers and do some editorial about the people behind the designs, facilities, etc??

Sure you might annoy the likes of Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Samsung, Toshiba, etc, etc....for one issue, but just think.... if every one of your readership made it a new years resolution to buy at least one component manufactured in good old Blighty.....that would probably ensure the likes of these manufacturers being around to review their products for a bit longer.

As I said....it's shameless promotion..... but go out to Germany, or France, or Italy, or Spain....try to spot a police car not manufactured in each of those particular forces own country (other than the odd token 4x4)!!!!

We as a Manufacturing Nation are almost like no other (with the exception of the USA) in our promotion of imported goods and our lack of support for home grown products.

Possibly when a pound is only worth a Euro and a Dollar...and the cost of imports is reaching the sky.....people will think again?

I don't for one second promote the purchase of rubbish.....but when it's good (as most British designed and built Audio is) SAY IT LOUDLY!!

Here's hoping....and merry Christmas.

Kimbleman

While I respect your patriotism, What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision is increasingly a global brand (hence this website), and will continue to feature a mix of products designed and manufactured around the world .

We do feature a lot of home-grown products, and indeed introduce them to overseas markets via our international editions in India, China, South Africa, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, Serbia, France and Spain (plus our UK issues that get sold in the US, Australia, Scandinavia etc).

Many British companies have been able to get or increase distribution deals in these countries due to our coverage of their products, for example.

 

[Terryff]

But returning to the serious issue raised, people will only buy Hi-Fi if it is "better" than the rest or they like it more than the rest, so the onus really rests on the designers and manufacturers, not on the purchasers, really. It's a nice idea to say buy only british, but it would not work if it was sub standard. I do not know the exact economics, but i think the likes of Arcam etc are doing ok and probably, with the pound being so rubbish at the mo, things can only get better.ÿ

 

[John Duncan]

ClareNewsome:Many British companies have been able to get or increase distribution deals in these countries due to our coverage of their products, for example.

Custard sales have also risen as a result.

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely no problem with that mate..... I don't for one second say...'Just buy British'....but possibly the inclusion of 'some' British manufactured Items in your annual shopping basket will do wonders for the economy.

I am a freelance Mechanical Design Engineer....and (with some pride) I work almost exclusively for small British companies quietly designing some World class and World beating machines (Bio-research through to Post print binding equipment). I have to concede that although designed in the UK not all the parts (and even not all the assembly) is necessarily done in the UK, but the Design, intellectual rights, prototyping, Research and development ARE ALL DONE HERE and the PROFITS all contribute towards the coffers of Great Britain PLC.

Many people NOT connected with Engineering in the UK seem to take great pride in knocking the efforts and endevours of our Design and manufacture. I have personally worked on designs for products made here in the UK that the Swiss...bless them....wouldn't even get near!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Terryff:But returning to the serious issue raised, people
will only buy Hi-Fi if it is "better" than the rest or they like it
more than the rest, so the onus really rests on the designers and
manufacturers, not on the purchasers, really. It's a nice idea to say
buy only british, but it would not work if it was sub standard. I do
not know the exact economics, but i think the likes of Arcam etc are
doing ok and probably, with the pound being so rubbish at the mo,
things can only get better.

Ah, but currency changes giveth and taketh away.... For every advantage a British company gets in terms of its kit looking better-value to export markets, it loses out having to buy components in Dollars (which obviously now cost a lot more!)

 

[chebby]

Everyone knows Bill Gates invented binary and the computer and the www and the internet.

Ask any teenager.

Actually a GPO telephone engineer designed and built the first true electronic computer with lots of help and influential technology and ideas from pre-war Polish mathematicians (in the Polish Cipher Bureau) and Alan Turing and John von Neumann and hundreds of other people of many nationalities.

Most modern era inventions are collaborative efforts that span continents and it is petty to try and identify one person of a single nationality and say they were the 'inventor'. (Especially when that someone had to leave the UK to get any hope of backing or resources!)

 

[fatboyslimfast]

JohnDuncan:Terryff:Besides Custard is the food of the gods

Only if it's Ambrosia.

Post of the month John, Go award yourself a hobnob...

 

[Clare Newsome]

Kimbleman:
Absolutely no problem with that mate..... I don't for one second say...'Just buy British'....but possibly the inclusion of 'some' British manufactured Items in your annual shopping basket will do wonders for the economy.

There was good representation of British brands in our Awards, including Rega, Arcam, B&W, the bulk of the cable companies, Tannoy, Monitor Audio, Roksan, Cyrus, Atacama, Partington....