Do these look similar?

Little to question here. Probably made in China. If so.

What can happen is a production line is set up for a company (probably Wilson)…. the contract manufacturer produce the run for Wilson… a thousand.. The parts are shipped to the US and the production line continues to turn out parts… to be sold to any interested party.

In this case, if real, Wilson may have designed the piece and gotten their production run without being careful to make sure they protected their design and the finished pieces were sold to Dayton Audio (quite possibly with cheaper parts… so performance will not match Wilson’s).

Alternatively a Chinese parts distributor or contract manufacturers can offer designs with options (custom labeling and/or different quality sub components) if you purchase your materials / labor from them. Wilson could have told them what they wanted and the CM then gave them subcomponent options and labeling options, then produced this for them.

I have worked in China and Japan for decades with some of the largest high tech manufacturers. I have been involved in the manufacturing chain of all the portable and automotive electronics you all use every day.

One thing to be aware of… the internal components may be different… although the plate and connectors look the same. A lot of high end audio is the quality of the components. Or of course they could be the same… can’t tell from the faceplate.

Back in '93 Theta put intact $300 DVD players into cases and sold them as $1200 high-end transports! And the audiophools at TAS loved them!

Sherlock Holmes where are you?

I’d bet good money that the internals are identical! Wilson ain't going to build plate amps when they can buy them from China for less than $150! 

If you think that's😂 a big deal, you should hear how much better a Fritz speaker is than a Wilson Audio Tune Tot. 

$8750 subwoofer

For a 10 inch subwoofer? Not a lot of value there. 

Overpriced audio components? I'm shocked!

Well I’m not sure who makes a plate amp commensurate with a Wilson price tag. And if there was one, it would still probably be the same as a 329.00 Dayton amp.

@ghdprentice 

Wilson may have designed the piece and gotten their production run without being careful to make sure they protected their design and the finished pieces were sold to Dayton Audio (quite possibly with cheaper parts… so performance will not match Wilson’s).

FWIW I most often agree with your assessment  in the audio realm. You may be the 1st one I would seek advice from in the audio realm. However I have a question concerning the bolded part of the quote. Isn't it true that the Chinese mfgs often copy the patented designs of others ?

@artemas_5

Thank you for your complement.

One of the scenarios that I described was that. So, an American company submits a design to a Chinese contract manufacturer… they give you a quote… so they set up a production line ( I have been an dozens of these)… there is a tray of components, they set up station after station, some test stations as they assemble the units… think of an in-dash gps… the screen, the printed circuit board, connectors, frame, screws, to put it together… etc. after 500 feet of station after station the thing is assembled and tested. And it pops out the end of the assembly line. It gets consolidated with others, put into boxes… and shipped to… let’s say Wilson.

Ok, so. If the company is not careful… there is no reason the contract manufacturer cannot just keep the production line running, but using face plates that do not say Wilson’s. This is one way intellectual property is stolen. A company can prevent this… you have a presence at the site… you have to know the company you are dealing with. Apple has no problem with IP theft… yeah, I know they are bigger.

As far as Wilson. They may have contacted a CM that does audio and explained what they needed. The CM, said… “we can do this” (using and existing design they have used before. I am sorry.. that panel Wilson is using is not remotely rocket science. So Wilson specified the labeling the resistors, capacitors, etc. behind it… and they manufacturers it for them… no IP theft in this case.

I don’t know the specifics, but these are the two most likely. I can send photos showing how this works.

I would very much doubt the panel in question cost $25 regardless of who it is going to… maybe more with really high quality components behind the panel.

The only real difference between Manufacturing in China and the US is that if you do not guard your Intellectual property there is no recourse. In the US or Europe if you are irresponsible, you can go to court after the fact… in China you usually cannot. When I started working in China twenty five years ago a manufacturing executive said to me, “Well, today the steal, to tomorrow as they acquire their own IP… they will start complaining someone is stealing theirs and the will get on board.

I have worked for high tech electronics companies that manufacture in China… you have to protect your stuff. You have to do this in the US… and Europe as well. If you are stupid enough to give it away… someone is going to steal it.

Sorry for rambling… but that Wilson’s panel is as sophisticated as a rock in today’s high tech world… it’s just a simple panel with some reostates. The IP is in the enclosures, and drivers… so this is all much about nothing. 

A plate by another name is simply a plate named differently.....

Some parts may be 'value engineered', as I've experienced in other pursuits...
Should still be less expensive to swap out what offends your sensibilities, and still be $ ahead.

Yes, our Chinese brothers are known to ignore patents of all stripes, and can be found occurring elsewhere.

Vote with your purchase, discern with your ears, and get back to us on the results.
And thanks paid forward for the effort. *S* ;)

Anyone that works in China or for them is a commi in my mind. Shame on you.

@zappas 

🙂😁😜🤪

I think you meant commie.

I had a Chinese integrated that was superb. The same amp was also sold as a Mark Levinson. So really no biggie.

I am sure it sounds much better then it would if it were priced at $2,300.  

It certainly looks similar to me, but so what!  When you buy a Wilson loudspeaker you're paying for design/research, dealer support and an exotic cabinet.  They use quality drivers, but not state of the art.  The amp is probably made to their specification, just like their drivers, but the face plate is an afterthought.  It ain't that important.

Now if you open up the Wilson and the components of the plate amp are exactly the same as the Dayton piece, then I would conclude that the Dayton is an excellent product at a more than fair price.

I think you meant commie.

Nah. Commeeeee.