Fergus
100+
Done a David Ike and is now known as Godkin
Posts: 197
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Post by Fergus on Feb 3, 2007 20:22:28 GMT
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 3, 2007 21:56:04 GMT
I saw it a while back fergus but have never heard one..... are you going to have a punt?
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Fergus
100+
Done a David Ike and is now known as Godkin
Posts: 197
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Post by Fergus on Feb 3, 2007 22:01:37 GMT
Don't know, Mike. My fingers are twitching. I think the company that makes them is Polish. Eastern European amps? But then look at the HEED, it's made in Hungary and it's great. This time 4 weeks ago I'd have scoffed at the idea of a Chinese amp. And look at me now. Seriously, there seems to be a mass of headphone amps out there, both tube and solid state.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 3, 2007 23:12:04 GMT
Don't know, Mike. My fingers are twitching. Just like mine did when I started out in this all those years ago.... there weren't as many on the market then (thank god) or I'd have been bankrupt by now You have to remember that these countries have been making first class audio equipment for YONKS it's only recently we have become aware of it thanks to the internet. Don't for one minute think that the Chinese have only just started making equipment.... they've been doing it for as long as we have (well, maybe not that long) and are very experienced... there's a lot more of them too and I predict that British / European / US established companies will be looked upon as backward, primitive and obsolete in a few years time. I think it's good for the music lover that there is so much happening at the moment... not too long ago the pundits were saying Hi-Fi was in decline, not so anymore..... exciting times ahead I think and I'm all for it. Yep, and a lot more to come, exciting times ahead and the wheat will soon be sorted out from the chaff such is the power of the WWW.... It's sad that the writing is on the wall for western companies unless they shift production to China or cut their prices (and added bullshit / air of mystery) to more realistic levels but no doubt at all there are very good times ahead for the music lover be it from Russia, China, Poland, India, Timbuctoo......
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Fergus
100+
Done a David Ike and is now known as Godkin
Posts: 197
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Post by Fergus on Feb 4, 2007 0:55:24 GMT
I think you're right, Mike. But I'd all these inbuilt prejudices against anything that wasn't British. I just about accepted French audio, but that's as far East as I went (although I did own a pair of HECO speakers a long time back). Even hifi from the US was suspect. I thought US hifi was like US cars. Great until you wanted to go round a corner (although this irrational suspicion was cured when I bought some gear from AUDIO ALCHEMY - good when it worked). I just didn't know about all these small companies out there making great quality niche products. As you say, it's sad to see western companies potentially going to the wall, unless of course they, in Clint Eastwood's words, "adapt and improvise." But the shift of labour and technology is inexorably eastwards. I bought myself a MF A3.5 some time back and what do you see on the box - a bloody great "Made in Tawain" label. In Britain, I'm afraid, we've become a nation of call-centres.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Feb 4, 2007 1:23:10 GMT
Quite amazing when you consider MF actually produced the X-CANS and X-CAN V2 in Wembley (London) and only charged £129 for them...... V3 is built in Taiwan and costs £250...... something isn't computing here ;D <slaps self on head!> oh, yes of course...... increased profits
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Post by MaN227 on Feb 4, 2007 3:26:11 GMT
interesting exchange I enjoyed reading it. I may be new to this headphone world, but the whole thing is a niche market and seems to comprise many that have disposable income, its sort of a price fixing of sorts. They know with a little good www feedback they can charge pretty much whatever they want. the xenos X1HA for instance was 219$ with free shipping just one week ago, while there has been good things said about it, it is now 249$us and no free shipping that a 40$ minimum difference. When put in to context of home system audio/video receivers these prices of most all the headphone amps seems sky high in relation to parts cost and such. and what you are actually getting for your money. Don't even get me started with cables that is just INSANE , upwards and some over 100$ for a six inch cable to connect to an ipod which is by no means a Hi-Fi product. to an amp. the dock connectors they use are only like 2$ and they buy in bulk so will be even less money for them. Some are getting VERY VERY rich selling these outragously prices LOD's , to those that say it sounds better to justify to themselves that its worth it. I don't know that the shift in where products are made is going to help the consumer so much, it will however line the pockets of the makers who take advantage of cheap overseas labor, with NO savings past on to the end consumer. you pay 400$ for a chinese amp you can bet your sweet @ss it does not cost the seller MAYBE 55% of that. With that in mind think of how much the this affects how much, USA and GBR and the like, makers charge, they feel they have to change more as it costs them more to make and want to maintain their huge profit margins, and many buyers automatically think that higher cost is higher quality. The Tomahawk for instance it sells at 295$ how much do you think it costs in parts to make that amp? I do understand R&D costs but I think its all proportionally out of whack, considering the fact that much of what is being done seems to be slight variations of amps that have preceded that new one your going to buy. there ya go, 2 cents from the peanut gallery
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