I have been a made in Japan HiFi since 80s and have all the vintage gear from that era still working but recently I purchased a SMSL SA400 and I must say, I am impressed.
My opinions: I have no huge issues buying Hi-Fi product with a tag that reads "Made in China" or what have you with a couple of exceptions. In my opinion and research most Hi-Fi including much of the "high-end" stuff is made in China either on the whole or in part, so there is really no way of escaping it unfortunately unless one goes out of their way to do so. That said, I do wrestle and am disturbed with the labor conditions and such. There is no excuse for it! There are some companies in the US that sadly aren't that different in certain aspects such as our beloved Amazon. I know, it is disturbing to hear that and all of us shop at Amazon rather frequently, but truth can be ugly at times. (That is why I kind of go out of my way to treat Amazon workers with extra kindness. I can cite a couple of times it has made a difference in someone's life. Who is to blame? The business owner every time). There are products claimed to be "Made in the USA" (or even UK, etc.) that are really made in China mostly that also have pretty lousy support. (I'm not naming names). So "Made in" tags don't mean that much. I like to purchase from companies that are more transparent that often have product both made in China and made in country (US, Canada, Japan, take your pick) and tell you which is which. I have also heard and seen many HiFi products made in China per specs of the brand that are surprisingly very good. Yes, it depends on the quality control of the brand. For example: Revel has even their higher end speakers made in China, but one would not know that by looking at them and hearing them. The build quality is really astonishingly well done. Elac has most of their speakers made in China and they have had some bad batches they have had to address. The difference is that some companies have quality control reps stationed in the manufacturing facilities in China that oversee and ensure everything is done to specs with extra QC steps implemented. Whereas some do not and just drop off the equipment and instructions, show how they want it done and leave. This allows the Chinese manufacturing plant to cut corners to increase their profits because nobody is watching and sometimes make copies and sell them out the back door so to speak. As an aside, I am not that impressed with most US made product today anyway, there is hardly any. It is not that I don't support it, I also like to purchase from small business as well, it is just about the quality. The US can hardly make anything decent anymore because it is a choice to send everything to China or wherever they can get reduced or yes, slave labor. This results in a loss of pride in workmanship for one. The US is not the only country, this is true of the UK and Russia to name two more. I know the reasons and excuses, but I won't get into that here as it would be too far a digression. The whole thing about US made products costing more is a sticky point as well for me. If companies had continued to make product in the US and not tried to game stuff like safety regulations, labor practices and willingness to pay living wages, it actually would not cost that much more because the money would be pumped back into the economy. Instead what happens now is the company pays huge money to have stuff shipped overseas to get reduced or slave labor in order to "increase profits" and then has to pay shipping back plus import fees, plus now in the case of China, they have to pay tariffs on top of it all (thanks to, well, I'm not going there). So basically all that effort to get rich and such is for not. It ends up costing the same or more to have the product made elsewhere such as China. Who really benefits from the deal? China. So I have qualms about business practices in the US as well as places like China and India. Apple is just abusive all around, including in the US. It is just their business model and one chooses to have their products or not. (I'm one who does not). Very little HiFi equipment has been made in the US through history actually. Think the gear from the 60s and 70s from makes like Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, etc. were made in the US? That stuff until the 80s was made in Japan. Not only was it "made in Japan", it was "hand-made" in Japan! That is why some of that gear that is from that era is still going today, albeit having been serviced at some point, but lots of time is bought with said service. In fact, we would not have the higher-end stuff today if not for the gear of yesteryear! Why is this so? Build quality you can see and feel! To this day, Japanese manufacturing is a point of pride. You would be surprised at the difference between a Toyota made in Michigan and the same one made in Japan. The Japan one will best the one made in Michigan at least subtly, if not more. For some products it was that way in the US as well, pride in workmanship, but sadly due to greed, that is all but long gone in the US. I've had personal experience with some HiFi made in the US that is not so good. Same thing with one particular UK brand as well. The US products were "assembled" in the US and the UK product was made outside the UK even though the brand claims otherwise. (One believes it until one receives said product and discovers otherwise). As for buying direct from China so to speak, I agree, it is best to be careful and if you are careful, there are some good products from there.
In today's world many countries can built top quality product, My Google pixel phone is made in Vietnam and the quality is great. The China problem is that we are building our enemy, but sadly Corp America is so greedy, they won't leave until the shooting starts and then all trade with them will be cut off.
Having worked in the intelligence industry and DOD I don't think we're going to get into a full blown war as we are right now currently in a proxy war. But if we do be prepared to have no more Walmart and to go back to higher costs and yes it will have more manufacturing here but you know Americans like to exploit cheap labor and that's just the reality so no one's going to want to pay five times the cost of a current iPhone which is expensive already
I had reservations at first w/ Chinese audio gear. After seeing many good reviews on u tube I took a chance on a low cost tube amp the Reisong A10 four years ago. I was very happy w/ it, have had no issues. Two years ago I wanted to "move up" to a better tube amp. The Willsenton R8. By far the best sounding Amp I ever owned. Absolutely no issues whatsoever. Then again...just about everything is made in China!
We all buy more from China then we realise. Many products can’t be even made without China. With Hifi gear I usually buy From European companies. But a lot of them also build in China and not only with their cheaper line of products. We can worry about working conditions, but even those with poor working conditions will be of worse without a job if we wouldn’t buy from China. Western companies though can be pressured when working in China. There’s not much we can do with all Chinese brands. We have no leverage there. In the end our economies are still very much intertwined with China. We can’t avoid buying in China. So for me buying in China is not an issue. F*ck I live in Hong Kong and buying in China is a daily thing for me. But it would not bother me anyway if I was back in the west. I know when I buy in China I support some common ordinary people who also need to bring their daily food to the table. I also wouldn’t feel guilty buying from McDonalds in the States where workers have poor conditions relatively for western standards. Not only with low wages that can’t support them working regular hours, but also lacking health care Plans or retirement schemes. Those McDonald employees still need to eat and won’t if we don’t buy there. The western world has a mouth full of human right issues, political systems and pretend we have a moral high ground. But we fight wars in all parts of the world and many of them can not be justified, we have homeless roaming our streets, we have sick who can’t afford medical care and we have children with empty stomachs. We have political systems that benefit the riches and aren’t bothered with the poor that much and our economies are ruled by greedy corporate power. The west should introspect their own faulty systems and work on those instead of feeling superior. There’s a lot to improve.
You may not be aware, Quad, Mission, Leak, Luxman, Wharfedale, Auidodlab, and many others famous brands are now in fact owned by Chinese companies, the design house may be still remained in Europe or Japan, but the manufacting are all in China with a few exception models.
Good video bro. There is nothing more to or special about Made in USA or UK anymore as any product will contain at least 10% Chinese manufactured parts on it. Those who think the opposite, just go get a Life! ~Typing on Redmi (Made in China) ~Watching on a TCL (Made in China) ~Listening on an Topping e70velvet DAC (Made in China). ~Elac unifi reference Speakers (Made in China) More to come from China again..in future.
If you take on the mindset of not buying made in china products, you will find yourself almost owning nothing because eventhough the whole product isnt made in china, with globalization some part of it, a source component, like a capacitor or motherboard etc is. As far as work conditions that doesn't play a factor for me at all. We have to get our backyard clean in this country before judging others. China as well as some other countries don't have our best interests at hand and the intellectual property aspect is something that we must get a hand on. If I were to buy an exclusive China HiFi component, I want a US distributor for warranty purposes.
My issue is with the politics in China, how they treat their people, how they abuse the environment.....I also have some issues about the honesty of the manufacturer and sales channels. I always look for a European, or USA or Japanese or Taiwanese manufactured equipment, consequently I am sitting on my hands for the purchase of a subwoofer......and DAC. I know lots of components come from China but I have to live with that. I prefer to spend my money to support good working practices, the environment, fair human rights etc......all of the things we take for granted but that we really need to support with our everyday actions.......its up to you and me
Well said. This is something we cannot escape. Our choices have consequences. I have some past purchases I wish I had not made. Thank you for posting this reply.
Dear mystery China bots, there are many media channels in the western world and plenty of contradictory views. In China there is only one truth and one way = not heathly.
There's definitely a huge range of products "Made in China". There's the "junk" you see all over Amazon... but then there's also amazing Hi-Fi companies like Fiio, Cayin, and well HiFiMan --which are as good as any US brands. Especially Cayin, which just oozes quality from their entire line.
Just a heads up, the Fosi Audio v3 ships in a week... all German and Japanese capacitors, removable op amps, check it out, significantly better than Ayima
Its not about the quality its about the fact that they are our enemy and we will be in conflict with them in the coming years. China is not just another trading partner like Japan, S.Korea... these are really bad guys.
Of course the it will be conflict . That is the US government's national past time..... looking for trouble all over the world to justify some sort of war.
Very well done. Informed, balanced. (Makes me wonder what field your education/ training and experience was in). My major concern at this point regarding “ made in China “ is undermining strategically important sectors of the industrial economy risking Chinese industrial hegemony. The solution may be more China type manufacturing hubs. I often look for “made elsewhere” to support Chinese competitors , American or not.
Thank you for the kind words. I like to deliver my thoughts in a digestible way. I completely agree with you. Many big companies in the HiFi realm and beyond find it too cheap and easy to outsource to China. We saw what happens during a global catastrophe. We had severe supply chain issues, making it difficult and expensive to buy everyday items. It worries me that China does have this much control.
If it sounds good to me…I don’t give a poo where it’s made, how much it is or isn’t and if it ‘measures’ well or not. Update! Last night my Loxjie amp died. I am currently reviewing my take on Chinese gear
Ive had the Muzishare x7 for 3 weeks and im happy with it. There are negatives and positives involved. I was proepared to take the risk after doing lots of research.
The question for me is not whether the quality is good enough. I have some great China made audio gear. For me the question is whether or not I want my money supporting certain facilities and/or governments.
I can understand your point view, but reality is that it is increasingly difficult to trace the origins of components, materials, machining and assembly of many products, and therefore increasingly difficult to trace who your money eventually ends up with. Something that says "Made in the US" can still use plenty of Chinese manufactured components and materials. Likewise something that says "Made in China" can contain a few costly US-manufactured semiconductors.That is both the benefit of, as well as the problem with globalised business, trading & manufacturing.
@@maidsandmuses True words and concerns. Difficult to trace, but not impossible. Many companies are becoming more and more transparent and are fighting this very trend. People are beginning to say no to businesses and companies that have unfair and unethical practices . You nailed it about globalization. The World is not the same.
Some companies are getting smarter and putting "Made in PRC" instead of "Made in China" just to fool the consumer into thinking they aren't supporting communism. In case you are unaware "PRC" is an acronym for "Peoples Republic of China"
Mike you missed this part China has multiple factories with 400k employees combined living accommodations ( let it sink in) Our companies know the risk when they hand over complete engineering packages to China and the laws are not in their favor.. Big picture when we bailed out GM America, GM China posted record profits!!!( Our laws just don't allow those dollars to come back without tax penalties)... Remember they made the majority of DACs for 15 years refined the design then started selling us 75 dollars units that are upgradable.( After seeing them sold for 5k and up to us) For safety I use the eBay/Amazon extended warranty systems In the last 30 years I've only purchased NEW 4 times for major components ( almost the same risk as buying from China when Used) WW2 had Americans building mfg all over America ------ Lets not be confused or misled --- this problem goes for beyond HIFI !!!!! Nixon opened that floodgate it won't close in our lifetime
I agree! Cheaply made products in the past (and present?), and the subpar working conditions bother me more than a bit. However, three that are designed and built there that I'd possibly gamble with are Quad (which are Chinese since the late 1990s), HiFiman, and Denafrips. The rest I honestly have no confidence in. I'd have to say that I'm largely on the fence as well.
I am not on the fence, I sincerely worry about what my hard earned money is used for when the Chinese government take their cut. New aircraft carrier anyone ?
Its my understanding that by mid-century China may become the world's largest economy. I'm not happy about helping a adversary achieve economic supremacy, but much of what I consume is made by Chinese subsidiaries of U.S. based multinational corporations. Like most Americans, I usually cannot afford the very best stuff but will eagerly snap up moderately priced, high value products. Many Chinese manufacturers live and thrive in this sweet spot, and turning away from these operations and their U.S. based parent companies will mean paying higher prices or doing without. This is a very thorny issue for audiophiles and music lovers, but maybe less so for wealthy HiFi enthusiasts. Thank you for this great discussion!
Correct China has a 700 million person 175 Million middle-class America is 175 Million middle-class ( let that sink in) American companies will never unplug from that opportunity
@@graydomn Those are re-education schools to teach Uyghurs new skills so they can enter society and live productive lives, allowing them to stay away from religious extremism and even terrorism.
It depends - if the "Made in China" is a western company, there will be quality controls. But the domestic Chinese companies like Nobsound, douk and Topping all have severe quality control issues and zero customer service.
@@scottlowell493 - to be honest, would you buy - for example - "Auna" amplifier or cd player? I have - complete working, never opened - "Sony" CDP-511 from 1993! In August will be 30 years from purchasing that CD player. Will any "Auna" CD player last 30 years? MAYBE yes, most likely no. I have amp ("Sansui") from January 1994, still works fine, never opened...
Been Trolling the Goodwill and Thrift shops looking for CD player with a TDA1541 chip found one a Sony CDP-750 (with an intact working display AND remote) for 10 bucks. but the tray does not work anyone know of a good place that refurbishes these ?
Low hanging fruit, we lost that war when Japan labeled a city USA and shipped product from there Now we have produced items from Mexico owned by Chinese companies
Unlike Douk, Nobsound, and topping and other low reliability Chinese companies, Arcam and Wharfdale are made according to standardized specifications and quality control from the parent companies in the UK.
I'm tired of sending money to China, regardless of the product. I would gladly pay an extra $50 or $100 to keep Canadians and Americans employed here at home for the same product.
Well thought out video for sure. I love my Klipsch speakers, unfortunately they are made in China. I do try to buy American made products if I can but it's almost impossible. I did buy two Schiit Audio Dacs and they are awesome.
Same.. I’m a “newborn” audiophile but I have MANY other hobbies (and everyone of them are way too damn expensive lol) from building high-end gaming PC’s to sneakers to firearms/recreational shooting to man cave setups etc.. I would always rather purchase products made here in the homeland but it’s literally impossible sometimes.. I do appreciate companies like Schiit who give us that option, they’ve earned my business from doing so and I’ll be a return customer when I’m looking to upgrade or build a new system.. I wish their were more companies like them that were putting out good quality kit for reasonable prices
Only the Klipsch reference, not the heritage are made in China. That being said, they are made in China under ISO 9000 standard manufacturing specifications and quality control Klipsch provides. They have a great track record of reliability, and they are not a Chinese company with suspect reliability.
I have concerns. Preferring to buy in the USA. However, when I do buy Chinese, I try to purchase from places that are either European or American owned where there is oversight as to what is going on their factory floor. This no guarantee of anything in that part of the world though. The business culture is deceptive practices are just shrewd business. Look at all the fakes and nock offs that you can find produced over there. That being said, most brands that are built in the US are made with parts that are sourced from China. There is no getting around that.
My harman kardon on ear headphones and grado on ear headphones headband broke and snapped. I still have my hifiman he4xx and the it feels more durable especially the headband my harman kardon and grado on ear headphones. My harman kardon on ear headphones, grado on ear headphones, hifiman he4xx and the 1997 sennheiser hd 600 are used when I bought them from offerup and facebook marketplace. I inspected the headphones and the buyers let me test them out to make sure they work properly and are in fully working condition before I bought them and the conditions of the used headphones that I bought were like new condition. My neumann ndh20 over the ear headphones and fiio fa1 iems are brand new from amazon. I daily drive the sennheiser hd 600 even when commuting on the bus and sometimes I use the neumann ndh20 headphones since they fold like the audiotechnica ath m40x and the neumann ndh20 are made of metal and are close back headphones. I have the sennheiser hd 600, neumann ndh20 and my fiio fa1 iems that I switch between each other depending on what I feel like using at the moment. I also have the rode lavalier go mic connected to the headphone jack when talking on my sony xperia 1 iv android phone and when I'm playing games on my phone with the backbone controller since it also has a headphone jack for 0 latency audio for gaming.
PRC pure play vendors like the Eversolo DM6 streamer processor [same company as Zido] is making a claim to be the Sony ES audio toys of the 90s in the post pandemic era for performance and value @ under $800 is insane. You could rebadge this Sony ES Streamer ST1ES.
Another of American companies are making there products in communist china.I try my best to avoid electronics made in china.but its completely impossible to not have atleast some items made in china
Your claims are just ridiculous... There are good technology companies in China that make and develop their own products. As for fakes and counterfeit products, the Americans themselves are to blame, because goods in America are valued according to the well-being and wealth of American citizens. These are purely American prices. And what about those who do not live in America, and their salary is not $5,000-$10,000 a month, but $500-$1,500 a month. Can such people afford to buy a $500-$5,000 cable or a $6,000-$10,000 amplifier? Isn't it a crime to sell a piece of wire for $1,000, because it's the cost of a high-tech smartphone or TV that thousands of different people worked on it creating! Your claims are just ridiculous...
I'm proud to say that 90% of my gear is from Japan and my speakers are made in the USA. My 4 subwoofers are Velodyne's that were made in China back in 2000. I try to avoid Chinese products for the most part, but I do have a few. You used to hear about the human rights violations in China, but since the Chicoms have taken over our media you don't hear about it anymore.
Honestly as far as hi-fi products I think China has upped their game the last few years. I'm impressed.
They have produced a few gems over the years for sure!
Agree they have legit audiophile cred and the guys making dacs aren’t in charge of foreign policy
I have been a made in Japan HiFi since 80s and have all the vintage gear from that era still working but recently I purchased a SMSL SA400 and I must say, I am impressed.
My opinions: I have no huge issues buying Hi-Fi product with a tag that reads "Made in China" or what have you with a couple of exceptions. In my opinion and research most Hi-Fi including much of the "high-end" stuff is made in China either on the whole or in part, so there is really no way of escaping it unfortunately unless one goes out of their way to do so. That said, I do wrestle and am disturbed with the labor conditions and such. There is no excuse for it! There are some companies in the US that sadly aren't that different in certain aspects such as our beloved Amazon. I know, it is disturbing to hear that and all of us shop at Amazon rather frequently, but truth can be ugly at times. (That is why I kind of go out of my way to treat Amazon workers with extra kindness. I can cite a couple of times it has made a difference in someone's life. Who is to blame? The business owner every time).
There are products claimed to be "Made in the USA" (or even UK, etc.) that are really made in China mostly that also have pretty lousy support. (I'm not naming names). So "Made in" tags don't mean that much. I like to purchase from companies that are more transparent that often have product both made in China and made in country (US, Canada, Japan, take your pick) and tell you which is which. I have also heard and seen many HiFi products made in China per specs of the brand that are surprisingly very good.
Yes, it depends on the quality control of the brand. For example: Revel has even their higher end speakers made in China, but one would not know that by looking at them and hearing them. The build quality is really astonishingly well done. Elac has most of their speakers made in China and they have had some bad batches they have had to address. The difference is that some companies have quality control reps stationed in the manufacturing facilities in China that oversee and ensure everything is done to specs with extra QC steps implemented. Whereas some do not and just drop off the equipment and instructions, show how they want it done and leave. This allows the Chinese manufacturing plant to cut corners to increase their profits because nobody is watching and sometimes make copies and sell them out the back door so to speak.
As an aside, I am not that impressed with most US made product today anyway, there is hardly any. It is not that I don't support it, I also like to purchase from small business as well, it is just about the quality. The US can hardly make anything decent anymore because it is a choice to send everything to China or wherever they can get reduced or yes, slave labor. This results in a loss of pride in workmanship for one. The US is not the only country, this is true of the UK and Russia to name two more. I know the reasons and excuses, but I won't get into that here as it would be too far a digression.
The whole thing about US made products costing more is a sticky point as well for me. If companies had continued to make product in the US and not tried to game stuff like safety regulations, labor practices and willingness to pay living wages, it actually would not cost that much more because the money would be pumped back into the economy. Instead what happens now is the company pays huge money to have stuff shipped overseas to get reduced or slave labor in order to "increase profits" and then has to pay shipping back plus import fees, plus now in the case of China, they have to pay tariffs on top of it all (thanks to, well, I'm not going there). So basically all that effort to get rich and such is for not. It ends up costing the same or more to have the product made elsewhere such as China. Who really benefits from the deal? China. So I have qualms about business practices in the US as well as places like China and India.
Apple is just abusive all around, including in the US. It is just their business model and one chooses to have their products or not. (I'm one who does not).
Very little HiFi equipment has been made in the US through history actually. Think the gear from the 60s and 70s from makes like Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, etc. were made in the US? That stuff until the 80s was made in Japan. Not only was it "made in Japan", it was "hand-made" in Japan! That is why some of that gear that is from that era is still going today, albeit having been serviced at some point, but lots of time is bought with said service. In fact, we would not have the higher-end stuff today if not for the gear of yesteryear! Why is this so? Build quality you can see and feel! To this day, Japanese manufacturing is a point of pride. You would be surprised at the difference between a Toyota made in Michigan and the same one made in Japan. The Japan one will best the one made in Michigan at least subtly, if not more. For some products it was that way in the US as well, pride in workmanship, but sadly due to greed, that is all but long gone in the US.
I've had personal experience with some HiFi made in the US that is not so good. Same thing with one particular UK brand as well. The US products were "assembled" in the US and the UK product was made outside the UK even though the brand claims otherwise. (One believes it until one receives said product and discovers otherwise).
As for buying direct from China so to speak, I agree, it is best to be careful and if you are careful, there are some good products from there.
In today's world many countries can built top quality product, My Google pixel phone is made in Vietnam and the quality is great. The China problem is that we are building our enemy, but sadly Corp America is so greedy, they won't leave until the shooting starts and then all trade with them will be cut off.
Once a war starts a warranty will make no difference.
Agree 100%. its not a matter of if but when...
Having worked in the intelligence industry and DOD I don't think we're going to get into a full blown war as we are right now currently in a proxy war. But if we do be prepared to have no more Walmart and to go back to higher costs and yes it will have more manufacturing here but you know Americans like to exploit cheap labor and that's just the reality so no one's going to want to pay five times the cost of a current iPhone which is expensive already
I had reservations at first w/ Chinese audio gear. After seeing many good reviews on u tube I took a chance on a low cost tube amp the Reisong A10 four years ago. I was very happy w/ it, have had no issues. Two years ago I wanted to "move up" to a better tube amp. The Willsenton R8. By far the best sounding Amp I ever owned. Absolutely no issues whatsoever. Then again...just about everything is made in China!
Love my R8
We all buy more from China then we realise. Many products can’t be even made without China. With Hifi gear I usually buy From European companies. But a lot of them also build in China and not only with their cheaper line of products. We can worry about working conditions, but even those with poor working conditions will be of worse without a job if we wouldn’t buy from China. Western companies though can be pressured when working in China. There’s not much we can do with all Chinese brands. We have no leverage there.
In the end our economies are still very much intertwined with China. We can’t avoid buying in China. So for me buying in China is not an issue. F*ck I live in Hong Kong and buying in China is a daily thing for me. But it would not bother me anyway if I was back in the west. I know when I buy in China I support some common ordinary people who also need to bring their daily food to the table. I also wouldn’t feel guilty buying from McDonalds in the States where workers have poor conditions relatively for western standards. Not only with low wages that can’t support them working regular hours, but also lacking health care
Plans or retirement schemes. Those McDonald employees still need to eat and won’t if we don’t buy there.
The western world has a mouth full of human right issues, political systems and pretend we have a moral high ground. But we fight wars in all parts of the world and many of them can not be justified, we have homeless roaming our streets, we have sick who can’t afford medical care and we have children with empty stomachs. We have political systems that benefit the riches and aren’t bothered with the poor that much and our economies are ruled by greedy corporate power. The west should introspect their own faulty systems and work on those instead of feeling superior. There’s a lot to improve.
You may not be aware, Quad, Mission, Leak, Luxman, Wharfedale, Auidodlab, and many others famous brands are now in fact owned by Chinese companies, the design house may be still remained in Europe or Japan, but the manufacting are all in China with a few exception models.
@@baersworth2010 Yep, like KEF is Hong Kong owned these days. Not only in audio though, many companies are Chinese owned.
Change the mind for nowaday, not every "Made in China" are bad quality today
Good video bro.
There is nothing more to or special about Made in USA or UK anymore as any product will contain at least 10% Chinese manufactured parts on it. Those who think the opposite, just go get a Life!
~Typing on Redmi (Made in China)
~Watching on a TCL (Made in China)
~Listening on an Topping e70velvet DAC (Made in China).
~Elac unifi reference Speakers (Made in China)
More to come from China again..in future.
If you take on the mindset of not buying made in china products, you will find yourself almost owning nothing because eventhough the whole product isnt made in china, with globalization some part of it, a source component, like a capacitor or motherboard etc is.
As far as work conditions that doesn't play a factor for me at all. We have to get our backyard clean in this country before judging others.
China as well as some other countries don't have our best interests at hand and the intellectual property aspect is something that we must get a hand on. If I were to buy an exclusive China HiFi component, I want a US distributor for warranty purposes.
I agree with you. How do you get Chinese products fixed from the manufacture when they’re sitting over in China?
A long wait I suppose.
Sticking to only made in USA, in UK, in Japan, in Germany......and you won't be able to afford HiFi.
True story!
My issue is with the politics in China, how they treat their people, how they abuse the environment.....I also have some issues about the honesty of the manufacturer and sales channels. I always look for a European, or USA or Japanese or Taiwanese manufactured equipment, consequently I am sitting on my hands for the purchase of a subwoofer......and DAC. I know lots of components come from China but I have to live with that. I prefer to spend my money to support good working practices, the environment, fair human rights etc......all of the things we take for granted but that we really need to support with our everyday actions.......its up to you and me
Well said. This is something we cannot escape. Our choices have consequences. I have some past purchases I wish I had not made. Thank you for posting this reply.
I have two Schiit Audio DACs and they are awesome. Made in Texas.
i hope you do something about homeless in your country and the diversity in culture that is treated way worse than a chinese company.
Let me guess, you learned all these from the western media? 😂
Dear mystery China bots, there are many media channels in the western world and plenty of contradictory views. In China there is only one truth and one way = not heathly.
There's definitely a huge range of products "Made in China". There's the "junk" you see all over Amazon... but then there's also amazing Hi-Fi companies like Fiio, Cayin, and well HiFiMan --which are as good as any US brands. Especially Cayin, which just oozes quality from their entire line.
Just a heads up, the Fosi Audio v3 ships in a week... all German and Japanese capacitors, removable op amps, check it out, significantly better than Ayima
I already have one 😉
@@audioarkitekts hahaha
Agreed. I'd get FOSI before topping.
Its not about the quality its about the fact that they are our enemy and we will be in conflict with them in the coming years.
China is not just another trading partner like Japan, S.Korea... these are really bad guys.
Of course the it will be conflict . That is the US government's national past time..... looking for trouble all over the world to justify some sort of war.
You are sick and need a lot of therapy
Very well done. Informed, balanced. (Makes me wonder what field your education/ training and experience was in). My major concern at this point regarding “ made in China “ is undermining strategically important sectors of the industrial economy risking Chinese industrial hegemony. The solution may be more China type manufacturing hubs. I often look for “made elsewhere” to support Chinese competitors , American or not.
Thank you for the kind words. I like to deliver my thoughts in a digestible way. I completely agree with you. Many big companies in the HiFi realm and beyond find it too cheap and easy to outsource to China. We saw what happens during a global catastrophe. We had severe supply chain issues, making it difficult and expensive to buy everyday items. It worries me that China does have this much control.
My Holo Audio May DAC KTE is made in China and it’s awesome!
If it sounds good to me…I don’t give a poo where it’s made, how much it is or isn’t and if it ‘measures’ well or not.
Update! Last night my Loxjie amp died. I am currently reviewing my take on Chinese gear
Ive had the Muzishare x7 for 3 weeks and im happy with it. There are negatives and positives involved. I was proepared to take the risk after doing lots of research.
The question for me is not whether the quality is good enough. I have some great China made audio gear. For me the question is whether or not I want my money supporting certain facilities and/or governments.
I can understand your point view, but reality is that it is increasingly difficult to trace the origins of components, materials, machining and assembly of many products, and therefore increasingly difficult to trace who your money eventually ends up with. Something that says "Made in the US" can still use plenty of Chinese manufactured components and materials. Likewise something that says "Made in China" can contain a few costly US-manufactured semiconductors.That is both the benefit of, as well as the problem with globalised business, trading & manufacturing.
@@maidsandmuses True words and concerns. Difficult to trace, but not impossible. Many companies are becoming more and more transparent and are fighting this very trend. People are beginning to say no to businesses and companies that have unfair and unethical practices . You nailed it about globalization. The World is not the same.
Some companies are getting smarter and putting "Made in PRC" instead of "Made in China" just to fool the consumer into thinking they aren't supporting communism. In case you are unaware "PRC" is an acronym for "Peoples Republic of China"
Mike you missed this part China has multiple factories with 400k employees combined living accommodations ( let it sink in)
Our companies know the risk when they hand over complete engineering packages to China and the laws are not in their favor..
Big picture when we bailed out GM America, GM China posted record profits!!!( Our laws just don't allow those dollars to come back without tax penalties)...
Remember they made the majority of DACs for 15 years refined the design then started selling us 75 dollars units that are upgradable.( After seeing them sold for 5k and up to us)
For safety I use the eBay/Amazon extended warranty systems
In the last 30 years I've only purchased NEW 4 times for major components ( almost the same risk as buying from China when Used)
WW2 had Americans building mfg all over America ------ Lets not be confused or misled --- this problem goes for beyond HIFI !!!!! Nixon opened that floodgate it won't close in our lifetime
I'm on the fence with this. Chinese made audio products are good, but their long history of cheaply made products precede them.
I agree! Cheaply made products in the past (and present?), and the subpar working conditions bother me more than a bit. However, three that are designed and built there that I'd possibly gamble with are Quad (which are Chinese since the late 1990s), HiFiman, and Denafrips. The rest I honestly have no confidence in. I'd have to say that I'm largely on the fence as well.
I am not on the fence, I sincerely worry about what my hard earned money is used for when the Chinese government take their cut. New aircraft carrier anyone ?
@@jondu-sud274 Yeah, good point!
Made in China CAN mean that it is very poor quality, sometimes faulty, but that is not always the case.
I agree, there are so many products coming from China, just like anywhere else, they can't all be winners.
i had cars made in germany failing at me all the time. it doesnt make germany a crapy manufacturer
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Good morning from Toronto…watching your videos on my iPhone 13 Pro
Its my understanding that by mid-century China may become the world's largest economy. I'm not happy about helping a adversary achieve economic supremacy, but much of what I consume is made by Chinese subsidiaries of U.S. based multinational corporations. Like most Americans, I usually cannot afford the very best stuff but will eagerly snap up moderately priced, high value products. Many Chinese manufacturers live and thrive in this sweet spot, and turning away from these operations and their U.S. based parent companies will mean paying higher prices or doing without. This is a very thorny issue for audiophiles and music lovers, but maybe less so for wealthy HiFi enthusiasts. Thank you for this great discussion!
Correct China has a 700 million person 175 Million middle-class America is 175 Million middle-class ( let that sink in)
American companies will never unplug from that opportunity
Agreed, it's much too cheap and easy not to for many brands.
Buying Chinese is basically being willing buy gear made by slave labor.
Not slave labor as they are free to change jobs or even deny overtime. They work overtime because they want to make more money.
@@captives6479 And the laborers in the camps?
@@graydomn Those are re-education schools to teach Uyghurs new skills so they can enter society and live productive lives, allowing them to stay away from religious extremism and even terrorism.
@@captives6479 Shame.
I have an aversion to products that say "Made in China".
On the other hand, many electronics giants had production in China.
It depends - if the "Made in China" is a western company, there will be quality controls. But the domestic Chinese companies like Nobsound, douk and Topping all have severe quality control issues and zero customer service.
@@scottlowell493 - to be honest, would you buy - for example - "Auna" amplifier or cd player?
I have - complete working, never opened - "Sony" CDP-511 from 1993!
In August will be 30 years from purchasing that CD player.
Will any "Auna" CD player last 30 years? MAYBE yes, most likely no.
I have amp ("Sansui") from January 1994, still works fine, never opened...
Been Trolling the Goodwill and Thrift shops looking for CD player with a TDA1541 chip found one a Sony CDP-750 (with an intact working display AND remote) for 10 bucks. but the tray does not work anyone know of a good place that refurbishes these ?
Ouch. Call around your local hifi shops. Guaranteed it's probably a belt that wore out.
You have a good argument. I’m not comfortable with buying products directly from CHINA.
Low hanging fruit, we lost that war when Japan labeled a city USA and shipped product from there Now we have produced items from Mexico owned by Chinese companies
@@thinkIndependent2024 Could be.
I buy from Canada made or USA or Japan only when it comes to hi fi
My Arcam amp and Wharfedale Dentons are made in China and the quality is top notch.
Unlike Douk, Nobsound, and topping and other low reliability Chinese companies, Arcam and Wharfdale are made according to standardized specifications and quality control from the parent companies in the UK.
China does not have our best interest in mind. China says one thing but their actions around the world today say another. Wake up.
Take any hifi product apart on a workbench and tell me it’s not made in china
I will buy. You must only know which one. Like moondrop kato. That's a good iem in- earphone.
I buy as well, as you said, needs to be the right product.
I Will never buy hifi stuff from Chiina
It's difficult nowadays to find HiFi in the US that's affordable. Europe does have some good options though.
My Denafrips,Gustard, and LHY are great!
Excellent informative video.
I'm tired of sending money to China, regardless of the product. I would gladly pay an extra $50 or $100 to keep Canadians and Americans employed here at home for the same product.
yeah, but difference in cost is not 50 or 100 bucks, is thousands. thats why you still send money to china.
Keep in mind that much of china uses whats called a 996 work week. That is they work from 9AM to 9PM 6 days a week. Sound pretty bad to me.
Well thought out video for sure. I love my Klipsch speakers, unfortunately they are made in China. I do try to buy American made products if I can but it's almost impossible. I did buy two Schiit Audio Dacs and they are awesome.
Same.. I’m a “newborn” audiophile but I have MANY other hobbies (and everyone of them are way too damn expensive lol) from building high-end gaming PC’s to sneakers to firearms/recreational shooting to man cave setups etc.. I would always rather purchase products made here in the homeland but it’s literally impossible sometimes.. I do appreciate companies like Schiit who give us that option, they’ve earned my business from doing so and I’ll be a return customer when I’m looking to upgrade or build a new system.. I wish their were more companies like them that were putting out good quality kit for reasonable prices
@@rahliE777 Agreed.
Only the Klipsch reference, not the heritage are made in China.
That being said, they are made in China under ISO 9000 standard manufacturing specifications and quality control Klipsch provides. They have a great track record of reliability, and they are not a Chinese company with suspect reliability.
@@scottlowell493 Thanks. Good news.
I have concerns. Preferring to buy in the USA. However, when I do buy Chinese, I try to purchase from places that are either European or American owned where there is oversight as to what is going on their factory floor. This no guarantee of anything in that part of the world though. The business culture is deceptive practices are just shrewd business. Look at all the fakes and nock offs that you can find produced over there. That being said, most brands that are built in the US are made with parts that are sourced from China. There is no getting around that.
thank u sir
Not sure I want to buy Chinese atm. No offence to manufacturers but I feel it's a bit like holidaying in Myanmar
Your thumbnail will simply add to the misconception by those who dont bother to watch.
My harman kardon on ear headphones and grado on ear headphones headband broke and snapped. I still have my hifiman he4xx and the it feels more durable especially the headband my harman kardon and grado on ear headphones. My harman kardon on ear headphones, grado on ear headphones, hifiman he4xx and the 1997 sennheiser hd 600 are used when I bought them from offerup and facebook marketplace. I inspected the headphones and the buyers let me test them out to make sure they work properly and are in fully working condition before I bought them and the conditions of the used headphones that I bought were like new condition. My neumann ndh20 over the ear headphones and fiio fa1 iems are brand new from amazon. I daily drive the sennheiser hd 600 even when commuting on the bus and sometimes I use the neumann ndh20 headphones since they fold like the audiotechnica ath m40x and the neumann ndh20 are made of metal and are close back headphones. I have the sennheiser hd 600, neumann ndh20 and my fiio fa1 iems that I switch between each other depending on what I feel like using at the moment. I also have the rode lavalier go mic connected to the headphone jack when talking on my sony xperia 1 iv android phone and when I'm playing games on my phone with the backbone controller since it also has a headphone jack for 0 latency audio for gaming.
PRC pure play vendors like the Eversolo DM6 streamer processor [same company as Zido] is making a claim to be the Sony ES audio toys of the 90s in the post pandemic era for performance and value @ under $800 is insane. You could rebadge this Sony ES Streamer ST1ES.
Hello, Foxconn is Taiwan, if any abuse of worker's rights its Foxconn the employer not China?
One word Denafrips
Another of American companies are making there products in communist china.I try my best to avoid electronics made in china.but its completely impossible to not have atleast some items made in china
Your claims are just ridiculous...
There are good technology companies in China that make and develop their own products.
As for fakes and counterfeit products, the Americans themselves are to blame, because goods in America are valued according to the well-being and wealth of American citizens. These are purely American prices. And what about those who do not live in America, and their salary is not $5,000-$10,000 a month, but $500-$1,500 a month. Can such people afford to buy a $500-$5,000 cable or a $6,000-$10,000 amplifier?
Isn't it a crime to sell a piece of wire for $1,000, because it's the cost of a high-tech smartphone or TV that thousands of different people worked on it creating!
Your claims are just ridiculous...
CHYNA
I'm proud to say that 90% of my gear is from Japan and my speakers are made in the USA. My 4 subwoofers are Velodyne's that were made in China back in 2000. I try to avoid Chinese products for the most part, but I do have a few. You used to hear about the human rights violations in China, but since the Chicoms have taken over our media you don't hear about it anymore.
Once you realize ideas aren't actually property in any economic sense, then the IP questions are less concerning.