HEGEL - Is it really made in Norway ?

"Deception? Only if the gear is stamped �Made In Norway,� which by all accounts it is not. And please, the bit about the case aesthetic being deceptive is just plain silly. Next up we'll be hearing that Chinese-made cars should have three or five wheels to distinguish them from others."

Maybe you have a point. To be fair, I checked some equivalent US made audio components to see if we hide our country of origin labels. Sorry, but every US made component I checked was clearly marked Made in the USA, in bold print and in a conspicuous place. Its almost like they wanted you to see it.

Also, no need to put different wheels on cars, or any drastic measures. All you need to do is look at the VIN number. If the 1st letter is L, its made in China. You won't see too many Chinese cars over here, though. They don't hold up well on the boat ride over. Its just too much of a strain. They can't take that kind on punishment.

"Seems like a lot of xenophobia/subtle racism is popping up in this thread (and I'm lily-White so not my ax to grind, just an observation)."

How do we know that you're not the racist here? People that have to go around telling everyone that they're not racist, usually turn out to be racist. Even the "lily-white ones". Regardless, I can't be one. I had real Chinese food last night for dinner, made by real Chinese people. I even used chop sticks to eat it, so you better be careful who you call racist.

Now now now Zd, I never claimed I wasn't racist. I only remarked that it wasn't my race being targeted here. And I also use chopsticks, so there.

I agree, Sabai. And Atma-Sphere is a sleeper company, quietly producing some of the best in the world without an enormous amount of fanfare and what have you.

I could give a rats ass if you're a raciest or not. But brining it up for no other reason than to manipulate a conversion in some way is crossing a line.

"no one here has managed to demonstrate that there is the slightest thing wrong with this brand."

Even if that were true (and its not), implying people are racist, without knowing for certain if its true, shows you're lack of character.

My initial point was not to suggest China-built or assembled gear is not good stuff, I owned many units in the past from Cayin, Shanling, and currentle am enjoying my Oppo 105 very much.

It is about 2 things mainly:

A) That there are are always folks for which country or manufacture is associated with high-end and branding, and with high prices. And this equal with and in some cases even more important than performance, and some won't admit this fact.

B) That Hegel, Ayon and maybe a few others realize this very well, and somehow conciously hide the "made in China" part. Why else would the name "Norway" (for Hegel) and "Austria" appear in large letters on the back of the units?

Companies such as Oppo (great product) are pretty smart in exploiting the country of design (USA) and the country of manufacture bring different. And when you open the box, at least you had the full infos before purchase.

So this is not about bashing countries, it is about being upfront with your customer. And yes, one can feel real pride of ownership with a product made in China. I remember my Shanling T-100, It was a beauty.

But you will never sell a Vuton handbag that would be made in China even if it could be better made, to a lady who can afford the real thing.

A certain part of the high-end audio market is exactly the same.