oldtimer Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Audio content: Klipsch has made some fantastic speakers over the years! We (whoever that means except Germans) will never be like Germany. Wages for the working US citizen have not risen appreciably since 1997. Management pay especially top management has skyrocketed during this time. Wages versus inflation have fared even worse. I am the first to stand up and vouch that globalization is a fact which cannot be shouted or even legislated down. On a side note, German industry may be weakened, but test drive a BMW 3 series against any other in the same price category and tell me which is better! Only after true saturated globalization has taken place will the working class (those who actually produce things) have any sort of power again, and this can only happen with a global labor movement. You can be sure managers will fight this on a country by country basis in contrast to their integrated globalized dream. Regarding cheap labor, there are initial costs and there are costs for returns of inadequate quality, good management can decide the returns associated with one or the other. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Nobody, I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Some 35 years ago my cousin, who obtained a Doctorate in Far East Civilization and became Chancellor at Miami Dade Junior College, when asked about his major said "do the math. In the next 50 years there will be billions of Chinese. Best I learn the language." He may have been on to something. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwop Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 "In the next 50 years there will be billions of Chinese. Best I learn the language." My intuitive instincts (they've kept me out of trouble in the past) tell me that this most likely will NOT happen! The 'math' involved here has to many sociologic variables to do a meaningful prediction.......Can you say 'angry Chinese underclass?' I'd still like to hear that amp though.....!! RJP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 The fact is China's aggressive population control program limiting urban families to one child will result in a demographic shift that will bring then to a state of being 'upside down', with a smaller group to care for and support the elderly. Just as we will experience with there being less adults to support the aging baby boomers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Funny - this amp from China gets a very negative reaction due to its price yet, when the $30 digital amp was first presented on the forum the reaction was entirely positive. Sub $200 is basically toy money for audio-loons. People might buy it to play with - even keep it as a backup or on a second system - but I cannot imagine a serious amp sale will be lost globally because of it. There are a goodly number of amps available used at these kind of prices. The old HK's seem to hover around here - but they dont impact new amp sales unduely and I cannot imagine this product will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Max, Hmmmmmm I think a voiced something negative a few times about the $30 digital amps also. I guess that makes me fair and balanced [] Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 The key is inferior American product versus quality foreign one. We should always buy the best for the money. In the case of audio, I believe that usually means refurbished vintage equipment, especially tubes. [ip] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 I like this one too! BTW I own BMW and Toyota, Both cars are best of breed. However, Germany is going down the tubes, ask any German economist...I owned a chevy minivan for a while but it began to fall apart so I dumped it...I never have confused patriotism with common sense, I buy the best value I can in every aspect of my daily life...Patriotism means thinking and doing what is best for my country, thinking short term is bad in business and bad in general...In the long run, it is best we get our heads right and begin to think strategically, that means positioning ourselves at the TOP of the food chain in the world economy, not "saving" jobs for a couple of years while others adavance in the world economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Sonny, What did you pay for the BMW or Toyota compared the the Chevy Mini Van. Of course a BMW is going to be of higher quality then a Chevy as it should be. Just like a Cadilac........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 SunnySal ..... knows the score ... do you think Audiophile roducts enter into the GNP calculation ....??? c'mon .. it's a no=wiener .... poor Craig ....is caught in the middle ... small market, with Huge Chinese influx ... Small USA Mfgr .... = GONE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hardy Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 poor Craig ....is caught in the middle ... small market, with Huge Chinese influx ... Small USA Mfgr .... = GONE Wrong-a-rino (IMNSHO)! 'Cause ol' Craig isn't just a small mfgr, but he can FIX the thingies, too. To come back to the original topic of the thread (that "$194" amp), support and service are the big gamble one takes to buy 'from the source' (especially when the source is halfway 'round the world). The world's economy is driven by the big guns (woe to all when China's auto industry cranks up)... There's a market for specialty hi-fi, cheap and expensive... and that's likely to remain the case. The aforementioned $194 amp will cost its end-user much more than $194, so the gap between it and a US-distributed Chinese product closes fast. Especially if the US distributed product has some local support. Now, some of us are perfectly capable of repair of a faulty piece of hardware like this (it has got to be bloody simple inside), short of a bad transformer (which could still be kludged from someone's stock product if need be). Those that aren't will STILL need Craig, or the cost of their $194 amp will rise dramatically when they ship it back (slow boat to...) for repair or whatever. besides, 'ol Craig is such an easygoing and circumspect guy... ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwoods Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 My friend went to a Chinese Optomitrist, and was told by the doctor, that he had a cataract. He said "no, I have a Lincoln. [au] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 I forgot to mention my classic Mustang, the only reliable, well built american car I have ever owned...Caddies fall apart within a year or two in el salvador as well...my toyota was cheaper than the chevy minivan... some countries do things better than others, the germans and japanese build better quality cars than we do...the chinese make electronics cheaper than we do...live with it...us car makers were smart in investing in european and far eastern car makers, it helped them improve their quality (and image) and helped reduce the risk of continuing to manufacture cars in the US when it was not necessarily the best business decision. "buy american" guys and the laws meant to "protect" american jobs are probably the only reasons cars are still produced in the USA, otherwise they would be produced better and cheaper elsewhere. IMHO, YMMV, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah... another chinese amp I like: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Let's put it this way ..... if i wanted to be Self=Employed .... ( i am) .... this would be Absolutely the Last market segment i would be interested in .... BWAAAAHAHAH ... let the Chinese have it ... there's NO volume to be Had where do you make money ...??? ....on .. Simple, Repetitave Work not by Your labour hour ......[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 OK ... let's say you spent $195 ... for a Chinese Amp .... it's broke .... are ya gonna spend $200 to fix it ..... or .... Buy A New One ...???? CLUE .... You don't have to be a Marketing Genius ..... to find the Answer ......[].........[].......[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 That same $194.00 amp made over here would probably cost $1500.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 That same $194.00 amp made over here would probably cost $1500.00 No quality manufacturer in the US would make such a cheap POS. The thing that really kills me here is you all asume this amp is worth a sh!t. I bet its a sonic nightmare that would fall apart and give nothing but trouble in the long run. The only enticing part of the thing is its CHEAP. These products don't threaten my business a bit. I'm so busy I could stop taking in new work for about 3 months and still not run out of things to do. I still say any American buying any cheap off shore junk whether it be a T-shirt or a tube amp is just cutting his own throat. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 OK, so to prove or disprove whether it is a pos or not, who is willing to take the gamble and test it out? Maybe if 20 of us chipped in $10 each, we could pass it around and compare impressions? Just a thought.... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Remember when we were in Africa?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codhead Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Since this appears to be the same amplifier Sophia has been pedaling for a while now, perhaps this thread can offer some insight: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/406303/ShowPost.aspx Sorry for not making this a link, but the new forum software does not work properly with ANY browser on my Macintosh (IE, Firefox, Safari). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 If I had the funds for a McIntosh MC225 or other equivalent tube amp (nothing against Scott or Fisher integrateds, just not my cup of tea), I would've bought one! After being laid off and then filing bankruptcy over 3 years ago, I'm lucky to be able to afford ANY tube amp. I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you here for buying a $550 Chinese 300B SET amp and a $245 preamp, but if I wanted new from these shores, I'd probably have to spend considerably more. And I had my hassles (as Craig can recall) when my first amp was defunkt and had to be sent back ($145 USPS Air back to Hong Kong)...about 8 months later I was finally enjoying my system. Sure, for the total money I invested, I probably could've had a 6BQ5 single-ended console amp from Magnavox completely renovated by Craig up and running with change to spare and at far less time. But I made my choice, and I'm still totally satisfied with the sound quality of my system. To each their own, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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