Have your say & ask the experts

I recently went out looking for speakers and a new amplifier, and was shocked to find that very little seems to be made in Britain, or indeed Europe, these days. My information may not be accurate, but apparently such great names as KEF, Wharfedale, Mission, Mordaunt Short, Audiolab, and some B&W, Arcam and Quad are no longer made in the UK.

Now, I'm not xenophobic, nor am I arguing about the quality, it's just that I wanted to support the local industry. When I expanded the net to Europe, I found that even the nominally Danish speaker component manufacturers such as peerless and scanspeak are also made offshore.

Are there, apart from Naim and Rega, any purely local manufacturers left? I've also got the horrible feeling that some fine names are no more than labels now.

JAXON5:

Of course the cynical among us may say the only benefit is for the overseas replica industry......

The only benefit is for the overseas replica industry......

I don't really give this stuff a thought. If I ever bought a Czech or Chinese or Japanese or Brazilian or Westcliff-on-Sea hi-fi product it would be on the grounds of sound quality, build, cost and (maybe) looks.

It's the same with most industries. Take cars, for instance. Name a popular family car that's all British? The world of audio visual is no different. It's a sad reflextion on the influence [or lack of] in Britain in a competitive and overcrowded marketplace.

Wharfedale were actually American, originally owned by Rank Organisation.

plastic penguin:

It's the same with most industries. Take cars, for instance. Name a popular family car that's all British? The world of audio visual is no different. It's a sad reflextion on the influence [or lack of] in Britain in a competitive and overcrowded marketplace.

plastic penguin:

It's the same with most industries. Take cars, for instance. Name a popular family car that's all British? The world of audio visual is no different. It's a sad reflextion on the influence [or lack of] in Britain in a competitive and overcrowded marketplace.

Wharfedale were actually American, originally owned by Rank Organisation.

fr0g:

plastic penguin:

It's the same with most industries. Take cars, for instance. Name a popular family car that's all British? The world of audio visual is no different. It's a sad reflextion on the influence [or lack of] in Britain in a competitive and overcrowded marketplace.

No it isn't. It is a simple fact of economics. The Chinese workers get paid about a 10th of what workers on a production line in the UK do, so the manufacturer can make more money by outsourcing. Exactly the same thing that happened with telephone help desks.

However, I wouldn't worry about it. The average developing country production line worker is grateful for work, unlike the same person in the UK, and in all likelihood, far more conciencious


Saying that, my Dali speakers, and Lyngdorf amp are made in Denmark, and my Harmony DAC, in Sweden... ;)

plastic penguin:

Wharfedale were actually American, originally owned by Rank Organisation.

Not until 1958 - Wharfedale was originally setup by Gilbert Briggs who created the Wharfedale Wireless Works.

matthewpiano:

No they weren't. Wharfedale were originally British but were eventually purchased by the Rank Organisation.

Sorry, I beg your pardon! note to self: read threads thoroughly first!