Will China become the poor man’s dealer for high end audio?

Just for the record, high end audio has always consisted of high priced items. Also, China’s place in this world is changing.  Labor cost in China have soared.  The business environment has soured.  It is difficult to predict the future, but the high end electronic value manufacturing countries just might be distributed throughout a number of fast developing countries.  Also, the ability to design and not just copy can be found in China as well as many other countries with lower manufacturing costs.

Lastly, there is no way that people in our community can be depicted as “have-nots”.  I managed to buy used and build my own speakers at a time that I didn’t have the finances to buy a car.  I appreciated my system then much as I appreciate my current system now.  How can you be a “have-not” if you appreciate what you have?

One day made in China may have the same cachet as made in Japan.

Possible, but right now China under Xi is turning to Mao. Japanese and Chinese work and business ethics are quite different. Very different cultures. Currently, China assembles things … fewer and fewer things.

@mahgister 

And china technological advances begin to eclipse US in many fields ...

China makes many claims, but there isn’t anything claimed by the CCP that can be believed.

It is not a question of quality. The Apple seems good enough. China just sent a rocket into space employing methane. This is a challenge NASA is still trying to master, as well as the Russians.

NASA is no longer in the space business.  They are in the business of issuing contracts to private firms.  One firm is Space X and it uses methane with their Raptor engines.  China is now struggling to develop reusable first stage rockets.

@mahgister

This video shows recent events in China and how they differ from how China represents itself. I’ve read news reports of studies showing how China leads the west in this or that. This video shows how the current Chinese culture trades quality with the appearance of quality. Until this changes, China will not follow Japan as a high quality provider of technological goods. Does this mean that China does not possess some cutting age technology, no. It does mean that there is some question as to if their PL-15 long range air to air missile works as claimed. In fact this is true of much of their claimed technological advances.

The two men presenting this video lived in China for decades.  The video was recorded two days ago.

Chinese Build Quality.

@mahgister

Did you watch the video? It simply demonstrates how quality control is a distant second to appearing modern and progressive.

China is a total mess. Their system is rotten top to bottom. I agree that the US has serious issues, but China is smoke and mirrors.

I own a Holo May DAC KTE and it is a very good DAC, but Hong Kong and the South of China have changed and it doesn’t bode well for the future.

Chinese history aside, I think that we can agree that most manufacturers will purchase parts and assemble components based upon price. The better companies will carefully verify that all is per spec and that the end product is of high quality. Audio equipment is not the tip of the technological spear. As long as consumers have money to spend, someone, somewhere will figure out how to relieve you of your money. There will always be a value segment of consumer electronics. Currently, the manufacturing base for such products is diversifying and in the future countries like Vietnam, India and others will assemble these value component. China, with increasing labor costs and intrusive government control, is no longer the up and coming manufacturing hub of the world. Times are changing.

@johnnotkathi 

Welcome.. Look forward to your contributions.

Easy to ignore posts.  I recently had a post pulled referencing Dr F.  My point was that cloaking an argument under the umbrella of “science” doesn’t necessarily make the assertion true, nor end discussion.   In this thread, by necessity the discussion involves projecting the future by looking at where we are now.  What should never happen is personal attacks.  Attack my position, but not me.  Everyone new from the first post that this would be a bit of a controversial thread.  Ok, see you elsewhere.

@johnnotkathi 

I didn’t think that you were offended.  I interpreted what you said as meaning that the comments were inappropriate.

There are many objective measurement vs subjective listening threads that discuss “science”.  These are pretty lively discussions.

As you have seen, most component, or music threads are threads where members try to help other members.