[Ra97oR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvrboy /img/forum/go_quote.gif @ Uncle Erik: Americans really need to realize that cheaper labor does not equal sweatshops or child slavery. Cheaper labor is just cheaper labor. Sure, Chinese people get paid less than their Western equivalents. That does not mean they are all working 80 hour weeks and starving to death. They have normal lives like anybody else in the world. Only from an American perspective would it be normal for somebody to get paid $50,000 plus full medical benefits to sit around gluing plastic parts together. That is really ignorant to assume that in countries where wages are low, everybody is working in a concentration camp with a gun to their head. People just get paid less for doing work. That's it. Unless you have thorougly researched one particular company, you don't know anything about the living conditions of their workers.

I totally agree, having visited China too I would say cost of living there is very low. I could buy a decent meal at very low cost, and did I say a decent meal in a nice, clean restaurant? Getting paid less there might even mean they are actually still more well off than a much higher paid worker in US as cost of living there is far lower.

 

[greenstuffs]

People get this notion that stuff MADE IN USA or any country in Europe is better. Well it was way back when those asian countries started to get industrialized and was playing the catching game.

Now you can have chinese make as good products as anyone in the US specially when you are talking about something that is an amplifier, sure it is well beyond the average person's skills but is not rocket science and i think they are doing a great job.

As far as price, these amps are very expensive to the average chinese university graduate worker in the big cities, they get about 4000 to 5000 yuan per month which is about ~$700 and not many people can blow $700 for a decent amp.

So i think they are priced higher than what the average chinese customer would pay, with a healthy mark up making it attractive to the seller yet still cheaper for the abroad market, i mean still better to the atrocities some people charge for crap (*cough* SP). Now i am not saying everyone builds ratnests of wires, but you always find a bad apple in any place however it is unfair to rate every chinese manufacturer with the tag of "shady business practice"

 

[carledwards]

I think this question has been answered by those who actually have first-hand experience and who reside in that part of the world. I just want to add that the Little Dot MkIV I own is a quality headphone amplifier and David is an excellent fellow who stands behind his gear.

 

[tosehee]

I actually think most products made in Japan/Korea is far better than most products made in US.

Some Chinese made products are crap if there are signs that they are cutting corners to save cost. If not, they are excellent in every way.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tosehee /img/forum/go_quote.gif most products made in Japan/Korea is far better than most products made in US. Some Chinese made products are crap if there are signs that they are cutting corners to save cost. If not, they are excellent in every way.

QFT

 

[mrarroyo]

Generalities in either direction is wrong! To say most products from country X are better than most products from country Y is just shortsighted, inflammatory, and irresponsible. If a comparison is made of a product to a similar product with which the rater has first hand experience is much closer to the real thing. Regardless, this is not a race/test of country X versus country Y but rather a hobby for enjoyment.

 

[vhbaske]

And what can we say of products like the Yuin headphones, the AMP3 by Hisound, and the Shanling CD player? I would not change them for anything. They are quality.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tosehee /img/forum/go_quote.gif I actually think most products made in Japan/Korea is far better than most products made in US. Some Chinese made products are crap if there are signs that they are cutting corners to save cost. If not, they are excellent in every way.

Let me take that further and say that crap from any country is crap, and good gear from any country is good gear. Though we are all well aware why various countries have gained a good or bad reputation, too many people are still hanging judgments on gear based on where it is from.

Now we just need Uncle Erik to respond to his implication that it's impossible to make a cheap amp without it being dodgy or using child labor.

 

[sonance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Generalities in either direction is wrong! To say most products from country X are better than most products from country Y is just shortsighted, inflammatory, and irresponsible. If a comparison is made of a product to a similar product with which the rater has first hand experience is much closer to the real thing. Regardless, this is not a race/test of country X versus country Y but rather a hobby for enjoyment.

Well put. Each product should be judged on its own merit and value, not by its country of origin.

Buying a product blind without any ability to evaluate its quality and reliability would be one thing - maybe you'd err on the side of caution regarding an expensive product from an unknown country, but on a forum like this where there is a wealth of information regarding the products quality, relative strengths and weaknesses, comparative value and even vendor responsiveness and reliability, you should certainly be able to better evaluate a products worth before purchase (compared to buying blind with little information other than what's on the box).

 

[applegd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonance /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well put. Each product should be judged on its own merit and value, not by its country of origin.

+1

 

[tosehee]

Generalization is poor and short sighted no matter what it is...

 

[cegras]

Any amp with SMD parts or a high density of parts is likely to be wave soldered ...

 

[rosgr63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Regardless, this is not a race/test of country X versus country Y but rather a hobby for enjoyment.

X2 Miguel

 

[sunneebear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Regardless, this is not a race/test of country X versus country Y but rather a hobby for enjoyment.

3X

I just got the LD MK VII+. Alps, Neutrik, CMC, WIMA, etc... parts through out. Chassis is budget aluminum extrusion with a somewhat poorly cut faceplate. I rather have that than pay an extra $50 -$100 for a fancy chassis. The important thing is the sound and this LD's got it. Just $379 for a balance amp and it's a monster. Drives headphones with weight and authority. Like it was designed for driving speakers.

 

[axzell]

I got myself a Little Dot MK IV SE in October 09 and i love it

for 440 dollars i got it shipped to sweden in less than a week after I ordered it.