Nationalism in Audio Products?

Audio Consulting in Switzerland build tube amps and phono stages, whilst being better known as the source RAM use for some of the components fitted to their CD player upgrades.

I have two observationss to add to the debate on nationalism in audio products.

First, we are all influenced by the influence of consumer marketing. In the major markets, the home brands will have built a dominant position - prominence in dealers, share of advertising in the audio magazines, significant word of mouth presence on discussion boards, etc.

Most audio magazines understand their symbiotic relationship with dealers (who are significante advertisers) and will review (usually favorably) products launched by the home brands. Occasionally an importer of high end gear has sufficient advertising power to buy a seat at the top table. Often we don't have the opportunity to hear imported products and dealers can be skilled in guiding customers to the home brands.

Being in the UK, I use "brands" rather than "manufacturers" quite deliberately because many of the well known British brands e.g. Quad, are owned by the Chinese and made there.

Secondly, I think it's dangerous to generalizea about anything in audio - not all belt drives sound better than all direct drive tabls, not all SET amps sound great, not all CD players are harsh and bright, etc. Likewise, it's not true that all British turntables or speakers are best.

Speaking as a Brit, we have a rich history as merchant adventurers and have the ability to be decisive without being in full possession of all the facts. As a nation we are tenacious and don't know when to quit. In sporting endeavor we tend to over-estimate how good we are in relation to the competition and then be disappointed with our results - ask any Australian about cricket for confirmation! :(

I am sure the same holds true in audio! :) If you read some of the UK audio boards you will find these characteristics manifest as an inverted snobbery, in which posters take great delight in boasting how good their inexpensive equipment sounds (without ever hearing the kind of gear we here would regard as references). This behavior may well account for the inflated reputation enjoyed by the Linn Sondek LP12 and SME tonearms. :) Ymmv!

Travis, you are right to point out that the 17.5% VAT is applied equally to imports and home production. However, some product/country combinations do attract additional import duties, levied in relation to "the tariff" at customs.

VAT is applied to the total landed cost - i.e. invoice total, plus freight charges, plus insurance, plus handling agent's charges. These are not trivial and it is fairly normal for UK retail prices for official imports from the US (including all taxes) to be 80-90% higher than the US price.

Travis, your point about financing inventory is important. It's pretty unusual for goods to be released for export with the vendor taking the credit risk. It's beholded to the buyer to fund his purchases without taking credit from the manufacturer.

Also, consider a product like the Triplanar in the UK. It's always going to be a niche product in relation to the home produced SMEs, Linns, Regas, Hadcocks, Origin Lives, Cartridge Man, etc. It's customary in retail for the slow moving lines to have a higher mark up.

I can't help thinking that it's a bit chicken and egg though. If the Triplanar was more competitively priced in the UK it would attract more interest and, no doubt more sales.