Prospectives on Chi-Fi

nonoise 

Thanks I will be on the lookout. Not sure why it's so hard to be civil and helpful??

for some here?

All  the best,
Nonoise

I try to buy US made even if it costs more.  This Nation once produced everything we bought/consumed and I for one am very distressed that we focus on service jobs but do very little manufacturing.  So if someone has the desire to build a quality product right here they will get my business.

(who is Lord Melton?)

OK, here's my 2 cents. In my audio journey, first decades ago in big 2-channel gear, and in the last 10 years, all desktop audio & headphone audio, I tend to follow talented designers and the companies they build to realize their own designs. And looking around my home office I see 3 examples of that:

• A NOS DAC/headphone amp/pramp and a headphone amp/preamp by Audio GD. The owner and chief designer, Kingwa, has some serious chops. I've owned at least 3 other of his components. Never a problem with any of them. He's a true original thinker;
• And a NOS DAC ("Orchid") by the owner & designer of MHDT Laboratories. This is a throwback modern DAC using an elderly chip (and sounding quite lovely)

I'm less concerned with the nationality of a designer than with his/her originality and personal commitment to the work. So far gear from China has served me very well, indeed.

Pretty much every electronic in my system is made in China.

Aside from the preamp (DIY Pass B1 on a true Pass PCB, but I’m sure some of the Chinese PCB copies are just as good).

I own a Chinese DAC (Gustard A18) with a Chinese made transport (Audiolab 6000CDT).

All my class D amps are Chinese

External linear PSUs are also Chinese

Hell, even my cables are (Xangsane SP9001Ag silver cable, various power cables, and knock off "Odin" speaker cables)

Oh, my active crossover (Sublime Acoustic K231) is made in the USA! ^^

So far (and it’s been years) I never had the slightest reliability issue. Also have a SMSL SU-8v2 DAC and SMSL amp in my bedroom system, same same, works great, sounds great for the price, and no issues whatsoever.

There was a time when I was using second hand stuff, from USA / UK / Japan, and reliability was a major PITA with some, because of age mainly - but yeah for a given budget one can only go so far.

I will buy Chinese again, for my meager budget the price / quality ratio is impressive.