What is the Synergy Series about?

[Cwwrig]

I would like to comment on the politics of this discussion.

Does it really matter where the speakers are made?

I don't think it does. Does anyone hear a difference between an American made speaker and one from China? I think not. It goes back to the speaker wire arguement, if I hooked up Monster cables then Monoprice cables, you won't be able to hear an audible difference (given specific variables are the same). Now if you think ones made in America look better or are more sturdier, by all means buy them. I don't mind someone buying something because they think it is better than another item.

Are you really putting Americans out of jobs if you buy speakers made in China?

In the short-term...yes. In the long-term that frees up jobs to concentrate in other areas. America is going to have to keep up by training people in more specialized fields that require higher education. If one refuses to obtain a higher education then yes, that person is at potential risk of becoming jobless for a long time. Globalization is occurring whether you like it or not. A more important question is to ask how are you going to prepare for it.

-Before I am slammed for being anti-American please understand that I am not. I am just saying free trade is a good thing. I have went to school and worked for along time because my previous job (customer service associate) was not going to last forever. If I was terminated because of outsourcing then I was up a creek...with my Klipsch

[Roc Rinaldi]

But do you really know for sure that the quality and materials are the same. I'm sure China has it's own suppliers of materials. Not the same one as in Hope. that's why I care where they are made. Maybe I'm being unfair but that is my opinion.

Do you honestly believe that the US, China, and the rest of the world receives materials from different suppliers worldwide? Were you not reading/hearing the news of pet food poisoning lately? Many national and independently owned labels all received the same food from the exact same source. There isn't nor has been for the longest time independent suppliers, it all comes from the same place for decades now.

Arguments like yours are quite petty, and I mean no offense to you as a person. To me the rationale behind the above argument is the same that often visits these boards; speaker wire. Can you really tell a difference if one even exist? From what I have gathered over the years, the answer, providing the gauge is the same would be a big fat no. However to concede, the further you move up in the "price" game supposedly there is indeed a difference. However, to me if your spending that much money on wires, you have lost all touch with reality.

12ga. wire is 12ga. wire, the rest of the speaker wire stuff is all marketing. But the quality of materials and manufacturing can vary all over the map, and it is extremely critical. Your analogy of speaker wire to manufacturing and manufacturing materials and place of manufacture is not logical to me. No offense, please.

[Roc Rinaldi]

I agree. Klipsch originated in Hope and has its roots there. Hopefully it still makes a difference. The "buy from America" thing is a different issue. I want my speakers made in Hope because I truly believe that they make a better product that overseas can make. Even if that is not true, it is what I believe and physiologically it makes a difference to me and allows me to sleep better at night.

i am not sure where you were going with the "buy from America" quote but i will explain what i meant. i am not saying only buy American goods period. i am just saying when it comes to klipsch speakers i want to buy from the original factory but the original workers. i want to make sure those workers with pride, love, and craftsmanship in their hands continues to have a job. i agree with you about the differences in the speakers, i believe the Hope speakers are better, so to me they will sound better, its all a mind set.

LONG LIVE HOPE!

Now that makes sense.

[Roc Rinaldi]

She says if we're going to charge anything It's gonna be on something more important than speakers.

Like what exactly?

I don't freakin know. furniture or something I guess. I can honestly say though, throughout her little "episodes", I have managed to get my entire setup without charging anything. But it took me about 4 years to do...

You must really love her a lot.

[Roc Rinaldi]

I'm Chinese, and have taken serious offense to this thread! Not really, just joking. I'm Filipino. Made in US, made in China, India, Mars, Jupiter, or where ever, you guys are missing the point of Klipsch. Klipsch are made to please your ears and your listening preferences. If it's that big of a deal to you guys, why didn't you buy speakers/ gear that is made in the US? Because you like the sound of Klipsch no matter where it was made! Let's bring the whole point of this thread back.

The synergy series, (to me), is about dominating the market at that price/ performance level. It would be really tough to find another speaker setup that can out perform my setup at the same price. (speakers) Especially now that theyr'e discontinued. (they're like half of what I paid now) As far as buying at BB being a good or bad thing, I guess that really depends. Does it make Klipsch seem like a little less? Maybe. Like when Walmart started selling Starter. People used to get killed when I lived in New York for their Starter jackets. But you gotta look at it from both sides. Just think about how many people walked into a BB with the intent of buying maybe a Bose, or some other speaker system. They had probably NEVER heard of Klipsch in their life, and wah lah, all of a sudden,they have these amazing sounding speakers, at an upbeatable price. Like I said in my earlier post, I've been overseas, and didn't even know that BB sold Klipsch. But I probably would have bought from there if I was in the states. I only bought online because it was the only access to Klipsch I had over here, and I'm a die hard Klipsch lover. All my other stuff was purchased at Satelite City in Tucson.

You have presented another way of looking at this. It is always good to look at things from different angles.

[Roc Rinaldi]

I think the Synergy's really prove the point that it's not the size of the system, it's the size of the sound!

But size does matter then.

[Roc Rinaldi]

Yeah, I am sort of bummed mine say Made In China on them. Ill make sure my next pair does not. As it is obvious by that last statement I will be upgrading.

From when I bought my first Klipsches (KG_4s) in 1989 I have been concerned about place of manufacture. It was important to me and comforting that they were made in Hope. I was actualy very disappointed when I discovered the Made in China issue. Oh well, everything changes. At least some Klipsches are still made american.

Isn't it American?

Yes but I'm a racist.

[Roc Rinaldi]

Just because I am pro-american and prefer to buy american does not make me a racist is any way, shape or form. It has nothing to do with nationality. I prefer to support american workers instead of foreign workers. If that american worker is chinese, or any other nationality I am fine with that. As long as he is going to go to help put money back into the american economy. It gets real old real quick when people accuse you of being racist because you choose to buy and support american.

America please, come on you guys. If you claim to be pro-American, at least capitalize the name of the country.

It takes too long to hit the "shift" button every time.

[Roc Rinaldi]

I would like to comment on the politics of this discussion.

Does it really matter where the speakers are made?

I don't think it does. Does anyone hear a difference between an American made speaker and one from China? I think not. It goes back to the speaker wire arguement, if I hooked up Monster cables then Monoprice cables, you won't be able to hear an audible difference (given specific variables are the same). Now if you think ones made in America look better or are more sturdier, by all means buy them. I don't mind someone buying something because they think it is better than another item.

Are you really putting Americans out of jobs if you buy speakers made in China?

In the short-term...yes. In the long-term that frees up jobs to concentrate in other areas. America is going to have to keep up by training people in more specialized fields that require higher education. If one refuses to obtain a higher education then yes, that person is at potential risk of becoming jobless for a long time. Globalization is occurring whether you like it or not. A more important question is to ask how are you going to prepare for it.

-Before I am slammed for being anti-American please understand that I am not. I am just saying free trade is a good thing. I have went to school and worked for along time because my previous job (customer service associate) was not going to last forever. If I was terminated because of outsourcing then I was up a creek...with my Klipsch

It might help if you went to http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/hdmi-cables.htm and http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/belden-hdmi-update.htm

an excerpt from the first site is: "......Chinese cable manufacturers are very good at keeping costs down, but not the best at keeping tolerances tight."

This comment applies to more than just wire manufacturing. Food for thought.

[el jopez]

^

The food for thought would be realizing that the above quote can be applied to every country in every area of manufacturing; America is not exempt.

The one logical aspect of the point I was attempting to make is that there is no one test to measure the differences if any exist between product from locale A to locale B providing there are no glaring differences. There truly is no way to gauge these differences, though coming from a woodworking background I can honestly detect subtle differences in "craftmanship" which is specifically different from any product from a manufacturing plant.

In so far that we know how Klipsch has operated, and how they lovingly and painstakingly create the Heritage products as a form of craftmanship vs mass production (Synergy products etc.), I can understand your argument.

[Guest BobG]

As one part of our commitment to quality, Klipsch has staffed our own office of quality control people in China. This adds to the cost of our made-in-China products, but ensures the product our customers receive meets our standards - regardless of country of manufacture.

With state-of-the-art manufacturing machinery and competitive labor costs, China can produce top quality. The only guarantee of actually delivering that quality is to closely monitor production and we do that.

Through offering competitive price and great performance at the hundreds of Best Buy stores, we have the luxury of hand building our Heritage and top Reference models in good old Hope, Arkansas, USA.

Capital H, A and U

[Cwwrig]

I would like to comment on the politics of this discussion.

Does it really matter where the speakers are made?

I don't think it does. Does anyone hear a difference between an American made speaker and one from China? I think not. It goes back to the speaker wire arguement, if I hooked up Monster cables then Monoprice cables, you won't be able to hear an audible difference (given specific variables are the same). Now if you think ones made in America look better or are more sturdier, by all means buy them. I don't mind someone buying something because they think it is better than another item.

Are you really putting Americans out of jobs if you buy speakers made in China?

In the short-term...yes. In the long-term that frees up jobs to concentrate in other areas. America is going to have to keep up by training people in more specialized fields that require higher education. If one refuses to obtain a higher education then yes, that person is at potential risk of becoming jobless for a long time. Globalization is occurring whether you like it or not. A more important question is to ask how are you going to prepare for it.

-Before I am slammed for being anti-American please understand that I am not. I am just saying free trade is a good thing. I have went to school and worked for along time because my previous job (customer service associate) was not going to last forever. If I was terminated because of outsourcing then I was up a creek...with my Klipsch

It might help if you went to http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/hdmi-cables.htm and http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/belden-hdmi-update.htm

an excerpt from the first site is: "......Chinese cable manufacturers are very good at keeping costs down, but not the best at keeping tolerances tight."

This comment applies to more than just wire manufacturing. Food for thought.

This really does not discredit what I said. I'm not sure if that was your intent or not. I believe that if you perceive one product as being "superior" to another then you should buy it. Therefore after reading the articles if you believe Bluejeans cables makes the best product, then buy it.

The article indicates that most American companies buy their HDMI cables from China. So if you're telling me you can hook up a Bluejeans HDMI cable on one screen, then switch it out with a Chinese made cable that I would be able to tell the difference? I would highly doubt it. Especially if it was a blind test. Better yet a double blind test so we both could guess! You would have a greater success of selling me a miracle in a bottle. Speaking of which anybody have one for sale? []

Great comments, keep them coming fellas.

[xdetroitx]

I never meant to draw into question the quality of the China made Klipsch. My speakers say made in China and they freakin rock! I just prefer American made. Call me nostalgic. I bought a used monkey wrench the other day that is rusted beyond repair just because it said made in Pitts. Pa!! You will not find a tool made with PA. steel these days. As far as free trade....China charges tariffs on everything we export to them and we accept their imports free of charge. How is that free trade? Its a very slanted deal for the American worker. Unfortunantly a few American's are getting rich by this and the rest of us are loosing our jobs. Maybe all this has something to with me being from Detroit where the unemployment rate is almost 8% not including those who have ran out of unemployment benefits such as myself. I may have a job, but I am an electrician working in a restaurant for far less money than I should be making.

[Roc Rinaldi]

^

The food for thought would be realizing that the above quote can be applied to every country in every area of manufacturing; America is not exempt.

The one logical aspect of the point I was attempting to make is that there is no one test to measure the differences if any exist between product from locale A to locale B providing there are no glaring differences. There truly is no way to gauge these differences, though coming from a woodworking background I can honestly detect subtle differences in "craftmanship" which is specifically different from any product from a manufacturing plant.

In so far that we know how Klipsch has operated, and how they lovingly and painstakingly create the Heritage products as a form of craftmanship vs mass production (Synergy products etc.), I can understand your argument.

Your statements make pretty good sense.

[Roc Rinaldi]

As one part of our commitment to quality, Klipsch has staffed our own office of quality control people in China. This adds to the cost of our made-in-China products, but ensures the product our customers receive meets our standards - regardless of country of manufacture.

With state-of-the-art manufacturing machinery and competitive labor costs, China can produce top quality. The only guarantee of actually delivering that quality is to closely monitor production and we do that.

Through offering competitive price and great performance at the hundreds of Best Buy stores, we have the luxury of hand building our Heritage and top Reference models in good old Hope, Arkansas, USA.

Capital H, A and U

Well this certainly helps a bit for some peace of mind.

[Roc Rinaldi]

I would like to comment on the politics of this discussion.

Does it really matter where the speakers are made?

I don't think it does. Does anyone hear a difference between an American made speaker and one from China? I think not. It goes back to the speaker wire arguement, if I hooked up Monster cables then Monoprice cables, you won't be able to hear an audible difference (given specific variables are the same). Now if you think ones made in America look better or are more sturdier, by all means buy them. I don't mind someone buying something because they think it is better than another item.

Are you really putting Americans out of jobs if you buy speakers made in China?

In the short-term...yes. In the long-term that frees up jobs to concentrate in other areas. America is going to have to keep up by training people in more specialized fields that require higher education. If one refuses to obtain a higher education then yes, that person is at potential risk of becoming jobless for a long time. Globalization is occurring whether you like it or not. A more important question is to ask how are you going to prepare for it.

-Before I am slammed for being anti-American please understand that I am not. I am just saying free trade is a good thing. I have went to school and worked for along time because my previous job (customer service associate) was not going to last forever. If I was terminated because of outsourcing then I was up a creek...with my Klipsch

It might help if you went to http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/hdmi-cables.htm and http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/belden-hdmi-update.htm

an excerpt from the first site is: "......Chinese cable manufacturers are very good at keeping costs down, but not the best at keeping tolerances tight."

This comment applies to more than just wire manufacturing. Food for thought.

This really does not discredit what I said. I'm not sure if that was your intent or not. I believe that if you perceive one product as being "superior" to another then you should buy it. Therefore after reading the articles if you believe Bluejeans cables makes the best product, then buy it.

The article indicates that most American companies buy their HDMI cables from China. So if you're telling me you can hook up a Bluejeans HDMI cable on one screen, then switch it out with a Chinese made cable that I would be able to tell the difference? I would highly doubt it. Especially if it was a blind test. Better yet a double blind test so we both could guess! You would have a greater success of selling me a miracle in a bottle. Speaking of which anybody have one for sale? []

Great comments, keep them coming fellas.

I am not necessarily recommending blue jeans cable to anyone. The point of their articles is that you may incur higher risk in buying a china made product vs. an AMERICAN (happy Mike Coulter?) as it relates to consistent quality. No double blind tests are necessary because what they said is that if the cable is long enough the risk is that the china made cable will not work at all. All of us would be able to determine that the cable does not work at all vs. a more consistently built AMERICAN made version of the same HDMI cable which continues to work at the longer lengths.