made in china
- Thread starter peterpiper
- Start date
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Some people like to support UK companies that are making products in the UK. It's not necessarily an 'audiophile' thing.
I certainly have no problem with it, while my current speakers are made in Germany (the possible upcoming second pair might be Australian-made), the main source (SONOS Connect) and DAC/preamp (Matrix Mini-i Pro) are both made in China (Matrix itself being a Chinese company) and I am more than happy with them.
Might be because I have some Chinese ancestry on my father's side.
On the subject of speakers, HiVi Swan build great ones (though their looks might seem familiar...).
I had the opportunity to quickly listen to their X6s in Hong Kong and was quite impressed, price has gone up since then though.
Might be because I have some Chinese ancestry on my father's side.
On the subject of speakers, HiVi Swan build great ones (though their looks might seem familiar...).
I had the opportunity to quickly listen to their X6s in Hong Kong and was quite impressed, price has gone up since then though.
perhaps not just an audiophile thing but a stigma in general. If you are buying any 'luxury' item I want to know its made from good parts and unfortunately if something is made in China it comes with the predisposition of it being poor quality and/or inferior parts, although I'm not saying its not justified:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18155293
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-26058905
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14503724
to name a few. they dont exactly do themselves many favours...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18155293
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-26058905
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14503724
to name a few. they dont exactly do themselves many favours...
I believe that it stems from the 70's and 80's when certain British audio equipment manufacturers found that they could not compete with the new fangled solid state electronics coming out of Japan. They invented and successfully promoted a mystique about British Hi-Fi that still persists today, particularly amongst those men of a 'certain age'. It's obviously nonsense now and highly likely that it was then. There is also still a feeling that anything made in the far east is cheap and low quality, again stemming from the days when "made in Hong Kong" was not what you wanted to see on things you bought.
Actually, many things made in China are indeed of low quality but that does not imply that everything is. They will build to the price point the client dictates and their labour costs and overheads are much lower so theoretically you should get more value for money, even after transport costs are factored in.
Personally I try to always buy British or EU made goods where practical, simply because I want to support British and European industry because that will help to maintain and perhaps create more employment here at home.
Actually, many things made in China are indeed of low quality but that does not imply that everything is. They will build to the price point the client dictates and their labour costs and overheads are much lower so theoretically you should get more value for money, even after transport costs are factored in.
Personally I try to always buy British or EU made goods where practical, simply because I want to support British and European industry because that will help to maintain and perhaps create more employment here at home.
think it's pretty impossible to buy something nowadays that isn't made, or has had parts made in china if it involves any type of circuitary.
Covenanter
Well-known member
If you look back you will find that in the early 20th century "Made in Germany" was a sign of poor quality and in the 1950s "Made in Japan" was the same. Until recently ,with regard to cars "Made in Britain" was also a sign of poor quality.
The Chinese make good stuff and poor stuff.
Chris
The Chinese make good stuff and poor stuff.
Chris
cheeseboy said:
List linked to is of semiconductor fab plants (where chips are made). Sobering reading if you still think the UK has an electronics manufacturing base.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_semiconductor_fabrication_plants
andyjm said:
According to that list, you guys still have a NXP Semiconductors plant in Manchester and a Texas Instruments one in Greencock. :cheer:
China is known for its sweatshops making fake goods of poor quality and/or dangerous. They also produce excellent goods usually using cheap labour. I think the countries lack of regulation tarnishes what would otherwise be a good reputation.
Al ears
Well-known member
I have no issue with it, some of the stuff I have is made in china, itseems even the manufacturerers can feel uneasy about the far eastern association, especially 'audiophile'british makes for example my AE109 say boldly on the back'designed and engineered by acoustic energy,england, but they were made in malaysia!
chebby
Well-known member
When Quad first moved manufacture of their electrostatic speakers to China starting with the ESL-2805 and 2905, the quality, fit and finish of the speakers were universally considered (even by English reviewers) to be clearly superior to previous models which were made in England. And they weren't just a pretty face either because at the time, some reviewers even called the 2905 the best speakers on the planet.
I try not to use hi-fi products made in China because I want to support UK/European companies and also because I want to apply a certain amount of ethical criteria to my purchases. One has to delve a bit though and it is easy to get caught out. A couple of years back I purchased an Arcam BDP100 to find that it was made in China. The fact that the model had well documented stability problems I would not be arrogant enough to lay collectively at the door of Chinese manufacturing! I believe other traditional British companies like Quad also manufacture in China without any loss of reputation.
chebby said:
Was it originaly British?
no issue with that either ,but why are some britsh makes coy over their manufacturing location, if I didnt kmow better i would have though my speakers are thoroughly english, no mention of malaysia on them at all, but the words 'engineered in england' are plain to see on the back, I think the made in malaysa tab peeled off over time
Better enjoy the "Engineereed in England" while you still can, rather than mourn about the "Made in China" part. For now China is only a good copycat rather than an innovator, but one only has to ask Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony to see how quickly a country (in this instance Korea) can rise to the forefront in TV design and manufacture. It may not be that far in the future when "Made in China" is a status symbol rather than a stigma.
Think it is inevitable for developed countries to lose their expertise in handcraft over time. After all, how many parents would be thrilled if their kid declares that when he grows up, he wants to be a carpenter rather than some white collar profession. However, countries like China still have an abundance of people with skills such as woodworking which are great for loudspeaker producers.
Think it is inevitable for developed countries to lose their expertise in handcraft over time. After all, how many parents would be thrilled if their kid declares that when he grows up, he wants to be a carpenter rather than some white collar profession. However, countries like China still have an abundance of people with skills such as woodworking which are great for loudspeaker producers.
what about the raw materials, should it not be 'assembled in china' instead, arent many parts still made in japan anyway such as the semiconducters and capacitors and shipped over, so if it says made in china , it might not neseccarily be chinese made, even the metal covers,? but does it matter, of course not
China is a young industrial force still developing and learnig. Same was with Japan untill they got the hang of it and now they enjoy a positive stereotype about their build quality and craftsmanship.
manicm
Well-known member
David@FrankHarvey said:
And good luck with that - I see only Linn and Naim at the ranch. And it's not necessarily a build quality issue either - B&W 685s - superb, MA BX2 - plainly mediocre (could have been my sample but the fake veneer was off at a corner, and there seemed a tiny dent on one of the woofers - did not affect sound though).
manicm
Well-known member
Vladimir said:
But economics was much simpler then - and costs are rising in China. This could be marketing as much as anything else but Apple are beginning to build more products home at the US now.
In fact in about 5 years I'd wager the Philippines may become the new China.
I remember a segment in Top Gear where Jezza bragged how Asian is now moving production in the UK.
peterpiper said:
That's a good point. With the extent of globalisation now, you'll be hard pressed to find any product that its parts are 100% made in a particular country.
But it would be quite a mouthful to state:
Engineered in England
Electronic Parts mostly Made in Japan (but not the Drivers which are made in China but with wires made in USA)
Assembled in China
Tonestar1
Moderator
I'm pretty sure any foreign manufactured goods are built to a reasonable standard, well as long as the product owners keep cracking the whip. That's not the point. It's the general worker conditions I have a problem with. I'd rather buy a product manufactured in a country that has half decent labour laws and political freedom than buy from a country who's employee rights and general laws are 200 years behind the society I want to live in. It doesn's sit well with me. Kids and/or extremely overworked adults, busting their EDITED for a pittance wages, could be supplying the kit that resides in my living room and it would be difficult to find out if that were true.I hope I dont ignorantly suppport this. It's not just about price or quality. It's about morality. It's pretty hard to not buy from said beasts if you want to but a mobile phone but i will keep trying. Thats why I will positively buy from manufactuers who maintain production in countries who respect workers rights and pay a fair price for the job jone. Britain or Chinese is irrelevent to me, but I seriuosly doubt there are many Chinese manufacturers paying a fair wage to factory employees. I'm sure foxconn would disagree but the term a fair wage means very different things between west and east.
Tonestar1 said:
I totally agree with what you are saying. However, chances are if you own a mobile phone or tablet, you've unknowingly been part of the coltan mining operations in the congo
http://www.phonestory.org/#coltanSo, even though both you and I might try to purchase more ethically, at some point in the supply chain, chances are there's some serious shady crap happening
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