Re: Current production valve amps


"Ian Iveson" <IanIveson.home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2B8Xf.34457$UH4.20155@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I believe the Chinese will learn very quickly to produce good
amplifiers. Electronic goods from emerging sectors are initially poor.
Consider the output and the reliability now of domestic electronic goods
from Japan, Korea, Malasia etc. Why don't you contact a Chinese factory
and offer your expertise, I'm sure you'll get paid &looked after very
well, plus all the Chinese carry outs you can eat ;-)

My pal Peter Lewis who worked at Leevers Rich years ago, had a Chinese
assistant, a very good chap, and an excellent mathematician. He was
always at Peter's elbow, and was dubbed "The Cathay Follower"

But you are right Mike. It is only a question of time, before the
Chinese
start to turn out quality products. The Chinese amps all have a
remarkable
similarity about them. I have the feeling that all the transformers,
chassis
and PCBs are made by a central manufactory, which probably turns out
transformers by the container-load.

My pal has one in his workshop at the moment which has a list of
shortcomings
that prevent it from being sold via a dealership. It has a fixed power
cable. The
mains switch is single pole only and located between the mains inlet and
the fuse
(of which there is only one) There are large electrolytics on the top
plate, the
cans of which are no bonded to ground. etc etc.

Thanks, Iain and Mike.

AFAIK a range of quality is built in China. Shanling appears to have a
reputation for reliability, build quality, and marketing innovation here
in the UK, and is one of a few marques available here retail.


I'd definitely agree with that having heard several of their products. If
you visit the Shanling website you'll see their modern machine section for
casework, don't recall seeing too many UK companies going to those lengths
as much is outsourced nowadays. (See Ians next para)

Much quality casework for
European and US makers is sourced in China, as is a lot of sub-assembly
work. They will increasingly make whatever they can sell, of whatever
quality we want. There is no shortage of technology, although there may be
a temporary dearth of technologists. They also have a rich musical
history, so they aren't handicapped there either.

The poor stuff comes from small fly-by-night enterprises, presumably.

Chinese valves have improved enormously in some cases at least. Dealers
who once refused to sell them are now happy to do so.

Yes there was a time when Chinese valve life expectancy lasted at least
minutes with a spectacular firework display as a finale :-) Now their valves
are of better contruction and properly gettered so give no trouble and
measure pretty well the same batch for batch.


Altogether, there is no reason why they shouldn't capture the current
market wholesale, if they can preserve low production costs without
kicking the *** out of the population.


I would imagine the Chinese would follow much the same evolutionary trail as
Japan. Starting off with very cheap but iffy gear, then much better and
still affordable until finally the economy & prices rocket. But unlike Japan
I think the Chinese economy will not experience the Japanese steady decline
and slow resurgence.... it'll be like a runaway train, so we've got to pick
the right time to buy i.e. the product and the price is right because
they'll soon catch on the the worlds High End pricing structure :-(

Remember when Japanese motorcycles came on the scene in the UK, they didn't
leak oil (that was a novel concept) and they didn't break down, but folk did
still call them Jap Cr*p. They certainly gave our failing industry a wake up
call...except mostly they died.


If there is nothing new in the future, then traditional
producers of valve audio have nowhere to run.

What I haven't seen from them so far is valve circuit innovation. I gather
they are noted for clever circuits in other applications though. They are
not limited to copying.

cheers, Ian




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