[charliex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Rather like how Mark Levinson took a $200 Korsun integrated amp, put his Red Rose badge on it, and sold it for $2,000. se

Love your avatar..

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ford2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very little in the way of electrical goods is manufactured outside of Asia.

You're right, but a fair bit of high-end audio is made in the US, Canada and UK. When you get into the higher price ranges, you can find gear made locally. Even quite a few capacitors, resistors and transformers are made in those countries, as well.

 

[zentenk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomy3555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Foster Company in Asia ( with worlwide plants) makes drivers for Fostex, and Denons. This we know. But how many drivers and other parts are OEM exchanged between companies. Here are three exanples of similar headphones from Asian comapnies with erie similarities. I have a pair of Hammacher Schlemmer Zebrawood cans made by "Wesonic" that sound almost identical to the JVC' HA RX700's except for the timbre of the wood. JVC HA RX700's Audiotechnica ATH AD700's Wesonic W6003

Who Makes WHAT?!?!? Does it really matter?!?

 

[deadly55]

In a way yes, why spend more money for a brand when you can get the same thing for less.

 

[krmathis]

I do not think we can really know for sure.
Some of the cheaper headphones are most certainly made in a Chinese plant (factory) then branded and sold under many vendor names. Either in their identical or slightly altered form.

 

[TheAttorney]

I'd like to throw in a different perspective into this thread:

So what?

Why does it matter where the sub components come from? The global econmomy and branding-over-substance is where we're all at. Cars, clothes, food, gadgets, hifi. We the consumers have made it that way by demanding every better value from our purchases. If we, in general, were prepared to pay more for locally produced items, then that is what we would get.

There seems to be some views that a component produced in China/Asia is somehow poorer quality than that produced at home. That is wrong. It would be more accurate to say that a drive to reduce costs will inevitablely reduce quality as well. The reason why emerging economies are growing is that they produce the same quality at a lower price.

As it happens, I do like the idea of supporting my local village/area/country where possible. The exception is hifi, as a hobby/passion, where I will get the very best I can for whatever the amount of money I have available. If the very best turns out to be made from components of several countries, then so be it.

Now, the high mark ups, that seem inevitable in the high end (of anything), is a different debate.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuba0555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I found out that AKGs are actually manufactured by Harman Kardon or that its one of its subdivisions.

Yeah AKG is one of Harman International's many acquisitions. I believe Harman also was the target of a private equity deal gone bad a year or two ago.

Harman's brands:

AKG®
Audio Access®
Becker®
BSS®
Crown®
dbx®
DigiTech®
Harman Kardon®
Infinity®
JBL® - Consumer
JBL® - Professional
Lexicon® - Consumer
Lexicon® - Professional
Mark Levinson®
QNX®
Revel®
Soundcraft®
Studer®

 

[The Monkey]

Also, because I am a dorky lawyer (department of redundancies department, I know), I find the FTC's guidance on "Made in the USA" claims interesting: Complying with the Made In the USA Standard

I think it's fair to say that these guidelines frequently are not observed.

 

[jpelg]

Thanks for that link, Vincent!