Need opinions! Chinese made B&W vs English made B&W--CM series.

[Jexx]

I've wanted to get a pair of B&W CM1's. However I've run into an interesting situation.

In the past few years production of the CM1's has been transitioned to China. I noticed the labels range from "Made in England" to "Assembled in China" to "Made in China" I have heard the entire range of B&W 600 speakers (all made completely in China) and was not disappointed by the sound or quality of the speakers, so I think perhaps the location of production wouldn't be such a big deal?

I've never heard the Chinese built CM1s and am unsure of the quality or sonic difference between the two. Any opinions on this? I've heard the English made CM1's and have fallen in love.

Opinions on this?

 

[Martinblueboy]

I have a pair of CM1's that I'm about to sell. I've absolutely loved them (that was until I heard a pair of Kef R500's at 3 times the price!). I can't comment at all about the differences between British made and Chinese made. However, I will say that the mine are absolutely immaculately made. They've worked to absolute perfection in the time that I've had them; I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Chinese made pair in the future (in fact I'm not sure that the new Kef's are made in China too). I also listened to a pair of CM8's at the same time as the Kefs and it was a difficult decision in the end which to go for. In short I'm not sure that you'll hear any difference between a British made pair and a Chinese made pair. I wouldn't have any qualms myself in the future. Not sure if that helps at all. But just my "2p worth".

 

[Electro-trader HIFI]

Back in 1972 I visited the Audio show in Olympia and even though I was only 10 the B&W brand made a big impression on me, so much so my Dad bought a pair of DM4s and they are still in use today. I was a huge B&W fan. Also I (with my late friend John Hodkinson of Electro trader HiFi in Colwyn Bay N. Wales) sold many pairs of B&W speakers. I am VERY sadened at this move. The UK speaker industry is the envy of the world, but remember this reputation was built not only by audio designers like Peter Walker, John Bowers and Bill Woodman but also by the dedication of the people who produced these superb products. It is not too much to ask to use the people of this country to continue making them. Shame on you. Has anyone seen the Chinese knock-off copies of the DM801? They are very good indeed and cheap $2000. How would you feel if people started buying those? Stop killing this country, again SHAME ON YOU B&W. And shame on you idiots who just say "I think they sound just as good" they will wont they? they are made of the same materials, but what about the good people here that used to make them hey?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Back in 1972 I visited the Audio show in Olympia and even though I was only 10 the B&W brand made a big impression on me, so much so my Dad bought a pair of DM4s and they are still in use today. I was a huge B&W fan. Also I (with my late friend John Hodkinson of Electro trader HiFi in Colwyn Bay N. Wales) sold many pairs of B&W speakers. I am VERY sadened at this move. The UK speaker industry is the envy of the world, but remember this reputation was built not only by audio designers like Peter Walker, John Bowers and Bill Woodman but also by the dedication of the people who produced these superb products. It is not too much to ask to use the people of this country to continue making them. Shame on you. Has anyone seen the Chinese knock-off copies of the DM801? They are very good indeed and cheap $2000. How would you feel if people started buying those? Stop killing this country, again SHAME ON YOU B&W. And shame on you idiots who just say "I think they sound just as good" they will wont they? they are made of the same materials, but what about the good people here that used to make them hey?

I hardly think you can blame one particular manufacturer for the need to have these products made in China (in their own factories, may I add). It has been a necessity in order to continue to offer value for money. If these Chinese made models were made in the UK, we'd be paying between 50% - 100% more depending on the range. The build quality of some of these ranges is stunning. And you can hardly call someone an idiot for seeing the value for money offered by these models. Are there any British manufacturers offering sub £500 British made loudspeakers in the UK? It's not just British manufacturers doing it either, several European manufacturers do as well.

The Chinese might be copying everything in sight, but they're copying it, then building it themselves, and buying it themselves - helping their own economy! Something this government seems to be utterly clueless as to how to achieve.

It would be great for ALL British manufacturers to bring their manufacturing back home and help our own economy rather than someone else's, but until that is cheap enough, it won't happen.

 

[tino]

I'm sure Chinese manufactured products are well built, value for money and sound good. However each time a manufacturer decides to offshore production like this, it only makes we want to strike them off the list of potential purchases. I wouldn't mind if production facilities in China were for the purpose of serving growing far eastern markets, but to have them made and shipped over 5,000 miles back to Europe to sell at prices not far off locally made products doesn't sit right with me. There are still plenty of homegrown / European manufacturers that still manufacture great and innovative products at affordable prices.

 

[Laurens_B]

Don't worry about Chinese built. If you buy something UK built or US built or whatever, you know absolutely for certain that you pay extra just because of that fact. If you care about it it's fine, but you won't get higher quality for it. The production is overseen by the original company (B&W for example), so there is no reason to suspect that the quality will suffer. China built doesn't mean "we use lower quality materials so cheaper", it means "cheaper location/property and labour".

If competitors can sell equal quality products for a lower price because they are produced in China, then the competition is forced to do the same in order to have a place in the market. This also allows the company to grow, expand, and thus create jobs in their home country, which benefits everyone. The only objection is that the employment shifts from lower end workers, like factory employees to higher end workers such as developers and designers.

 

[TrevC]

I think it's rather sad that almost all of our homegrown industries are outsourcing to other countries or foreign owned. OK, so a 2 grand speaker system might cost a few hundred more to manufacture here, but British made is still a great selling point for hifi. Another puzzling thing is the car industry. We only seem to be able to produce top quality cars here if the owner is foreign.

 

[matt49]

Don't worry about Chinese built. If you buy something UK built or US built or whatever, you know absolutely for certain that you pay extra just because of that fact. If you care about it it's fine, but you won't get higher quality for it. The production is overseen by the original company (B&W for example), so there is no reason to suspect that the quality will suffer. China built doesn't mean "we use lower quality materials so cheaper", it means "cheaper location/property and labour".

If competitors can sell equal quality products for a lower price because they are produced in China, then the competition is forced to do the same in order to have a place in the market. This also allows the company to grow, expand, and thus create jobs in their home country, which benefits everyone. The only objection is that the employment shifts from lower end workers, like factory employees to higher end workers such as developers and designers.

It may well be the case that the Chinese-built B&Ws are as well made as the UK-built ones, and no doubt it helps that they have their own production plant there, but that isn't the whole story. A few manufacturers have had quality-control problems with kit built in China. Wharfedale speakers are a case in point, as are some Audiolab products. John Westlake, who designed the M-DAC, has a very low opinion of the inconsistent quality of the Chinese-built M-DAC, so his new products are being made in the Czech Rep (where he happens to live). By doing that, he may price himself out of a part of the market; on the other hand, there are people who'd rather pay the extra for something built in Europe.

The story of the UK motor industry in the last 50 years is complex. Currently the UK is, I think, around the 12th largest motor manufacturer in the world. The fact that the UK has been able to retain a large motor industry is in large part due to foreign investment, plus a well motivated and skilled workforce. The fate of the great UK marques -- which have either gone to the wall or been bought by overseas companies -- was also part of the failure of UK industry as a whole to react to the loss of Empire, which had provided it with closed, captive markets for over a hundred years.

 

[Waxy]

It's a global market, deal with it. *bomb*