The changing nationality of a system.

I was reflecting recently on how my system has changed over the years and wondered if others had similar experiences.
When I started out my system was all British ( BSR, Armstrong and Heybrook) but over the years things changed. Turntables from Germany and speakers from foreign parts to a point where I have moved on through a predominantly Welsh setup to what will be a predominantly American setup (Parasound / Acoustic Zen) where the only thing that is still British is the tonearm.
I put this down to the power of the internet and a few, very adventurous, dealers.
The hifi world has become a much larger place where you can now get Estonian amplifiers, Serbian DACs and even Australian speakers quite readily.
One wonders what your system will morph into in the coming years.....
Where is yours going?
 
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SteveH72

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I went the other way. I think a lot of people started that way. Japanese brands in the beginning: Pioneer, Technics, Aiwa, Akai et al. Now I’m Rega, B & W etc. supposed British brands. However, considering they will all contain components made all over the world, global is the answer.
 
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If you're talking British brands then yeah predominantly, British though made in china. Whereas now made in Britain though the speakers are made in the USA. And soon to be turntable made in japan.

In general, I've never really given it much thought.
 

camcroft

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Like Audio Partnership site says
we have locations in Cambridge, Hong Kong and China - where our manufacturing facilities are located. People look at their brands and think oh yes British
 

Gray

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I've had speakers from:
Celestion
Wharfedale
Mission
Spendor
B&W
Proac
PMC
Not just British, but every one of them an English brand.
(Worked at English MA and Rega, but never owned their speakers).

Cassette decks had to be Japanese really didn't they?

I might (very reluctantly) be buying a headphone amp from the USA before long - because Schiit UK never has stock.
I might start a separate thread for advice on importing, which is something I never thought I would do.
 
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I've had speakers from:
Celestion
Wharfedale
Mission
Spendor
B&W
Proac
PMC
Not just British, but every one of them an English brand.
(Worked at English MA and Rega, but never owned their speakers).

Cassette decks had to be Japanese really didn't they?

I might (very reluctantly) be buying a headphone amp from the USA before long - because Schiit UK never has stock.
I might start a separate thread for advice on importing, which is something I never thought I would do.
Normally importing was a headache the dealers dealt with.......
 
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Gray

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So long as it does what I want and how I want, I couldn’t care less. (To me badges are just decoration)

Bill
Yes, good luck to anyone trying to buy an entirely British product.
Choose from where the expertise is. Which for me meant German (and a pair of Austrian) headphones.

Bought my first Sennheisers in the late 70s.
If someone had told me then, that my most recent ones would be made in China.......no chance. But yes.
(Drivers still made in Ireland though apparently).
 

James83

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I went the other way. I think a lot of people started that way. Japanese brands in the beginning: Pioneer, Technics, Aiwa, Akai et al. Now I’m Rega, B & W etc. supposed British brands. However, considering they will all contain components made all over the world, global is the answer.

I think you do Rega a disservice.
A lot is from the UK.

Me. Well I have done the abnormal.
If you can discount the cables, I'm 100% Rega. Which means British owned, designed and built, and it will never deviate from that, within reason.

That's coming from a Marantz, Rotel, Cheap Dali setup.
The easy way of looking at that, is 100% chinese. Or that's how I look at it, so as to make sure I don't let myself get hoodwinked.
 
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ThisIsJimmy

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Started Japanese with my panasonic portable CD Player
Hopped across the Pacific to America with it's replacement the IPOD Nano.
My soundcards have all been Creative Labs (Singapore) other than the Auzentech Xfi-Prelude (South Korea).
I'm now in China with my Topping Amp and DAC.

As for headphones I started Japanese with some Sony's when i was at uni before they died.
I've had various cheapo gaming headsets before they died (Kingston Hyper X - US were the last ones)
I've been German since with Beyerdynamic other than the Focals that i've just ordered that have given me that French connection.

I've never ordered anything British. Is something wrong with me? :LOL:
 

SteveH72

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I think you do Rega a disservice.
A lot is from the UK.

Me. Well I have done the abnormal.
If you can discount the cables, I'm 100% Rega. Which means British owned, designed and built, and it will never deviate from that, within reason.

That's coming from a Marantz, Rotel, Cheap Dali setup.
The easy way of looking at that, is 100% chinese. Or that's how I look at it, so as to make sure I don't let myself get hoodwinked.
I’ll take this to an extreme. Rega cases are made from aluminium, which comes from bauxite which is not mined in the U.K. I can’t imagine the gold plate on their speaker terminals is mined in Britain either. Any copper wiring inside is likely to have come from China.
I’m not being facetious, it’s just the way global production works. I must stress I am being rather pedantic though, I know that, and that the majority of Rega assembly is U.K. parts, it’s just impossible to be completely British. Not that that should matter anyway.
 

James83

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I’ll take this to an extreme. Rega cases are made from aluminium, which comes from bauxite which is not mined in the U.K. I can’t imagine the gold plate on their speaker terminals is mined in Britain either. Any copper wiring inside is likely to have come from China.
I’m not being facetious, it’s just the way global production works. I must stress I am being rather pedantic though, I know that, and that the majority of Rega assembly is U.K. parts, it’s just impossible to be completely British. Not that that should matter anyway.

We all know very little can be called completely British if we take your thinking to the extreme.
But, as far as most manufacturers go.
Plus, an awful lot is made in house.
 
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Never conscientiously thought about Nationality of any of my kit. That said, most of my early kit was Japanese (Pioneer, Marantz, Hitachi, JVC....). I've had a lot of British stuff... or were they British?

Wharfedale were British but taken over by Rank Organization, which is American. I think they're owned now by IAG, which is Chinese.

Even though I've owned Arcams and now Leemas, Exposure I wonder if any of the components made in the far east? I know Arcam starting producing stuff in China and now the USA IIRC.

I've only ever purchased based on budget and sound and never given much thought to what part of the globe they come from.
 
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