Both Taiwanesse (Usher...etc) and Chinese (Red Rose, Swan Diva / Dul'cet.... etc) has got some state-of-art speaker cabinets to offer. You want Sonus Faber cabinets with a smiles making price tag, they've got it! Chinese are very good at wood working! They have years of wood working experiences (look at their traditional style furnitures... ~whistle~) Their tube amps sound excellent too (Antique Sound Lab, Shanling ... etc)! They are the only few countries who are still manufacturing a wide range of vaccuum tubes! As Amal said, they are getting their act together. I might have a chance to drop by there in the summer for a hi-end audio show and will definitely post up some latest news & pictures if I do happen to be lucky enough to free some time out for a vacation. |
New line of Quad speakers are either Chinese-made or majority of the parts are sourced in China. Also a reliable source reveals that Brian Cheney of VMPS is considering moving RM-40 cabinet manufacturing to China.
Either the who's who of hi-end audio is going nuts or Chinese have got their act together! |
You make good points there, Infinity_audio, and as I said previously, I am a fan of Red Rose gear. Good sounding stuff, on the high priced side, but a bargain compared to past ventures at ML and Cello, so who can complain?
Perhaps the issue that some have is the point that Red Rose was on the coy side of telling the world the gear was made in China. Not that a lot of us didn't know that anyway... Whereas Roy Hall has been more than upfront with the source of Music Hall products from day one coming from the Czech Republic(the analog side) or China(front end and amplification).
Roy has always been a stand up guy, who will look you straight in the eye and give you the true picture. I can think of one episode when I inquired where the $299 tuner was in terms of distribution. His answer was, "While I REALLY wanted to bring it to market, there just wasn't any demand." And, upon my assertions that I had been waiting to buy one said, "If you can get 200 people to tell me the same thing, I'll make sure it happens." I started a thread here on Audiogon about it in 2002, and got maybe 6 or 7 responses. |
Not related at all. Just a satisfying customer. I have had both their integrated amp and speakers in my bedroom setup before I remodeled the room and was forced to let go this secondary system. You have to hear them to believe, for their performance, if without a MADE IN CHINA tag, they will be asking for even more. No doubt they are a bit pricy if you look at them as they were from China, but I can tell you, this system a top quality integrated system! I have no connection/relation/affliation with Red Rose Music neither with M.Levionson. I am nothing more than just a satisfying customer, like all others who has had a successful story with Chinese made audio gears.
PS: Not only RedRose Music has Chinese OEM for them. So does a lot of other brands too, like Music Hall and lots of other famous brands... and guess what, Denon has just closed their top-of-the-line DVD player production lines and moved it to China. Open your eyes fellows, can those big corperatons positively think they are gambling? Come on now, if Denon & Sony move their product lines to China, Chinese has got to be more than ready to take em' over! Yes, they do have low labor cost, but hey, it's Denon's top-of-the-line model, it wasn't all about labor cost, it's about quality too! At of today, they are one of the leading country in electronic manufacturing. This is without a doubt! =) |
Again, I will say the Chinese have made astounding progress. I would even say the analogy of a growing teen undervalues them a bit. I would say they are like an engineer, two or three years out of college. No, they are not yet senior members of the team. But, they have been identified as stars, and will be leaders of the pack down the line.
My heavy handedness towards high priced high end equipment that does not pass muster is a result of seeing lesser Chinese equipment give it a run for the money, and in some cases, exceed it. So, megabucks equipment producers better wake up and smell the coffee.
Infinity_audio, you still haven't clarified your relationship with Red Rose. Please do so... |
The Chinese might not make the best, but they sure are closing in fast. I own a Classic intregrated amp, and Aurum Cantus speakers, and could not be happier. The fit and finish on both are simply outstanding, and priced at a point that makes me shake my head in amazement. I think that we will find in the near future a great many audio companies outsourcing to the Chinese, and I have no qualms whatsoever in purchasing those products..just my humble opinion. |
Just found a typo in the previous thread that I submitted within this thread on 03-20-04. Last sentence should say:
"I am sure M.Levinson has took care of this issue. He wouldn't be stupid enough to put something bad under his name."
Sorry if this has caused confusion. =) |
Let me clarify, they do not make the best. I apologize for using the wrong word. I was thinking about their ABILITIES when I typed the last thread. They are NOT the best but I am sure that they can move their way up to be the BEST with their abilities nowadays. As a lot of others has discovered, their standards of the industrial on both computer parts & electronic (parts) can equal (or better) than a lot of other leading countries. No doubt their stuffs are being more competitive nowadays... by FAR from the best? I would they they are close to the best. QC might be a problem but if this issue get fixed up, their stuffs should at least worth a try? Many manufacturers has moved their warehouse and production line to China. I am sure M.Levionson knows what he is doing. No offense guys, people has different experiences, different luck with Chinese made electonics. Some likes them, some don't. They are a growing teen and I sure will support them by giving their stuffs a few tries in my audition. =) |
When I was a boy I lived in Malaya, which was an English colony. About half the population was Chinese, so I gained some first hand experience with Chinese people. They were our neighbors.
Chinese people are very intelligent, creative, and wise. China had a sophisticated civilization when my ancestors were running around Europe in loincloths. For several centuries they were isolated from the rest of the world by misguided rulers, most recently the Communists. But things have changed. I predict that China will not remain a source of cheap labor, but will soon (well a few decades) be a world leader in technology.
On a recent business trip to Cambridge Mass I walked through the MIT buildings to get to the Coop (store) to buy a calculator. (It was cold and snowing). I thought I had strayed into Peking. |
Chinese make the best? Hmm ... |
Infinity_audio, could you please let us know if you have any relationship with Red Rose?
I have a lot of respect for Red Rose products myself, but if the product was available in a more cost effective manner, that would just be smarter on the consumer's part in some instances than paying more. Of course, the support of a dealer network and Red Rose may offset that.
The statement that the Chinese manufacturers make the best electronics today is far from correct, in my opinion. The Chinese certainly have made enormous strides in the past decade, and most things are made in China, but I feel they are not up to the quality of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, USA/Canada, and some European countries. Just compare a CD player or television made in China versus one from Japan. Which one do you think will last longer? The answer is obvious. |
Chinese does not make the best electronics. Sorry, it is the truth. Maybe your lack of experience shows in this case? |
Read all threads related to this issue at AA. WIDDDDEEEE coverage. Honestly, Chinese manufacturer nowadays makes the best electronics. Reliability shouldn't be a problem. I am sure M.Levinson has took care of this issue. He would be stupid enough to put something bad under his name. |
Do a search over at Audio Asylum. This was covered in detail. You can buy the same gear directly from the Chinese manufacturer and save yourself thousands.
I was told by a dealer that they had to order multiple sets of the smaller speakers with the ribbon tweeters just to make sure that they could match up pairs. Seems like the ribbons have varying efficiency and the Chinese don't match them from the factory.
Good luck. |
Not the same item, I think they had the Chinese OEM it for them under a better spec. Never the same item. Red rose wouldn't let it happen anyways. Otherwise, then everyone will just go buy directly from the OEM manufacturer. |
Just buy it from Aurum Cantus or whomever makes it. Much cheaper, same item.
-Ed |
