All foreign companies that has a factory in China usually use their own management team and parts. They are just saving on the labor so should not effect quality. Now if it's Chinese company producing in China, that's a different story. Most have different/lower standards. I'm color blind so Chinese laborers are no inferior to Americans, Germans ... to me. They sure have no problems getting accepted to all the top colleges. Either way, I'm hugely disappointed to hear of this and two very good friends of mine will be, too. They consciously chose Hegel products over similarly priced, known-to-be China-o-fi goods to support a company that was supposedly providing a living wage to their laborers. Scandinavian companies are not normally associated with this kind of exploitative, dirt-bag obfuscation and many people implicitly trust their integrity. Clearly that is a serious mistake to make with Hegel. We aren't talking about discount K-D furniture from Ikea, after all. Not me. Private smart companies will move to more business friendly environments. A better question is why Europe is in a permanent recession and high unemployment except for Germany. If Hegel is made in China why not consider Audio-gd? Hegel should be proud to slap on a made in PRC sticker! Not so fast... then they would need to lower the price by 50% and try to convince us there not on the same assembly/parts line as Emotiva(lol). If produce in Norway, Hegel would need to increase the price BIG time to cover the additional cost to do business. Same for BMC if not produce in china but Germany. I'm happy savings are pass to me, the end consumer. LOL all the way to the bank!!! |
You make a good point. There are some good quality products made in China. But there are also some poor quality products made there. I think what folks are saying here is that Hegel should state up front where their products are made. Otherwise, it looks deceptive -- like they are trying to hide something -- which begs the question what are they trying to hide? How are they hiding it? Frankly I could careless where it was made as long as SQ and build quality meet my expectations. |
08-27-15: S1nn3r
Sabai,
That's exactly what I'm thinking. If you can't trust a company, forget doing any kind of business with them. How is Hegel dishonest? I can't confirm but lets say Hegel is designed in Norway and assembled in China. Excellent SQ to my ear, well built and reasonably priced compare to the competition. So what's the problem? 08-27-15: Sabai
S1nn3r,
I totally agree. Needless to say, I would never go near another Hegel product after my recent experience with them. There are 2 sides to every story. Base on Sabai history, there are definitely 2 sides. 08-28-15: Dayglow
Hegel might be a bunch of greedy business men that "hang a shingle" in Norway Please clarify greedy in the context of your post? Do you have a problem with private companies making a profit to stay in business? Do you work for free? and are able to have(Opera Audio?) build good sounding but inferior/over priced gear! Can somebody translate? |
Knghifi-My point is IF Opera Audio(Consonance)is making the Hegel gear they can build very good sounding products. Good for Opera Audio. So what's your point? The problem is they(Hegel) are over priced when considering other competing Chinese made gear. Then buy the other competing Chinese made gear? The deception comes from the spartan Scandinavian aesthetics which is in contrast to the over the top "goofy" appearance of many Chinese made audio products. This could easily sway the buyer to assume it's made in Norway(I was fooled). If they would just slap a "MADE IN CHINA" label on the gear this thread would cease to exist and we could clearly judge Hegel for what they are! I'm confuse. So you based your Hegel purchase on the spartan Scandinavian aesthetics? So anything with a "MADE IN CHINA" label is automatically junk? Next time try AUDITION/LISTEN before purchase. I prefer/bought H30 over Bryston 28sst2 and Pass XA160.5. The free market will have the ultimate say whether Hegel is over priced. I know many many satisfy Hegel owners. I still don't understand the deception issue. When I buy my Mercedes, I have a certain level of expectations. It never crossed my mind to ask the dealer if it was built in Alabama, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Iran ... I could care less. I know wherever it was built or whatever label, it has the same level of quality. Same with Porsche, Hegel, TAD ... I think my TAD Evolution Ones were assembled in China but not important to me. I love the SQ and build quality. I also have a VAC SigMKIIa pre and ARC Ref250 that were built with by good old Americanas and a "MADE IN THE USA" doggie tag LOL!!! and the H30 has similar quality. BTW, I've own many many high power SS amps and H30 is the 1st one that doesn't have a transformer hum or HF hiss coming through the tweeter. |
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. Vuitton carries a certain level of prestige and REPUTATION so wherever it's manufactured, Vuitton will manufacturer them to the SAME level of quality. Another words, I don't care where it's manufactured. |
08-29-15: S1nn3r
Knghifi,
Seems like Dayglow answered all your question. 2 peas in a pod! LOL!!! |
09-01-15: Yogiboy
Add Classe Audio to the list of gear that is made in China and has no mention that it is not made in Canada anymore. They still have the balls to charge premium prices! 09-01-15: Taters
Yogi boy, what a joke that is. On the flip side, have you ever considered how much more they would charge if not made in China? SUPER premium prices? |
What is unforgivable, however, is to not stand behind your product when something does go wrong, and what I heard here would definitely give me in buying any Hegel product. Sure if it's true. There are always TWO sides to a story. Remember, this is the internet, anonymity behind a monitor and on a keyboard so all we got to evaluate is contents of their posts. For all we know, they could be in a funny farm. |
09-05-15: Sabai
Zd542,
The overseas dealer and Hegel stood shoulder-to-shoulder on this. As a result, I was between a rock and a very hard place. I'm SHOCKED! Now it's Hegel and DEALER have bad customer service. Do you see a pattern ... Hmm! |
Now for my personal view
I believe quality can be built anywhere. However the manufacture MUST disclose the place of manufacture in order to let the customer decide whether the price is acceptable using their own criteria. I urge others to add criteria other then price to that equation. I list a few below and welcome other suggestion:
Environment
Labor practice
Free speech
Product brand track record for performance repair etc
Design r n d
Use of new technology or circuits My list shopping for AUDIO components: 1. Sound Quality 2. Build Quality + Customer Service 3. Price |
|
The pattern I see is too many dealers and manufactures treat their customers like crap. And in this case, Hegel is to blame. You're getting one side of the story, how do you know it's not customer to blame? Hegel has excellent customer service. I own a Hegel H30 and speaking from PERSONAL experience. Have you ever dealt with Hegel customer service or speaking out of your &^* again? If Hegel was doing a better job, this thread probably wouldn't exist. Name one company that has 100% customer satisfaction. There are bad companies and bad customers! |
09-12-15: Taters
Hegel has gotten nothing but good reviews since they came out. I always assumed they were made in Norway. I find it funny that none of the audiophile magazines disclosed that they were made in China. I am not a conspiracy theorist but this sounds like one. Is it possible manufacturer location is not a factor on SQ to the reviewers? Most reviewers and customers judge an AUDIO component with their ear and not stuck in the weeds with inconsequential noise. |
09-14-15: Zd542
"09-14-15: Knghifi
09-12-15: Taters
Hegel has gotten nothing but good reviews since they came out. I always assumed they were made in Norway. I find it funny that none of the audiophile magazines disclosed that they were made in China. I am not a conspiracy theorist but this sounds like one.
Is it possible manufacturer location is not a factor on SQ to the reviewers?
Most reviewers and customers judge an AUDIO component with their ear and not stuck in the weeds with inconsequential noise.
Knghifi (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"
That's a load of crap. I don't want some audio reviewer selecting what information they allow me to have. Besides, I've seen countless reviews over the years where the reviewer was invited out to the factory. Why complain now? Another brilliant post by HTML CHALLENGED! Every review is a selection of information. What's all to some is empty to others. It's all in the eye of the beholder. For me, a review on an AUDIO component, SQ, how it sounds relative to components I'm familiar with, build quality, customer service ... is hell more important than where it was assembled. I understand some purchased decision is based on spartan Scandinavian aesthetics. Post purchase, don't like the SQ, they complaint if it had a Made in China tag, they would know in advance it's not the sound for them. Can't make this stuff up!!! |
09-14-15: S1nn3r
I used to work in a manufacturing company (not audio equipment). When we sent out new products for review, a bottle of wine comes with it or any other little perks that they ask for was given as a gift. The truth is big fish always eat the small fish (million dollar company vs reviewer). Welcome to capitalism. THANK YOU! So what's your alternative? IMO, The problem is not capitalism but uneducated consumers. |
I don't see an alternative in education where the rich goes to Harvard and middle class goes to community college. Like I've said the big fish always eats the smaller fish. Only the rich becomes richer.
S1nn3r (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread) and the problem is ... Of course people with more resources have more flexibility and options. Their wealth grows expondentially and it's true, rich gets richer. With education and hard work, capitalism offers the best opportunities to improve ones social status. The alternative is a nanny state where everybody loses with no hope. No growth, no innovations and permanent high unemployment and recession. If money is important to you, stop feeling sorry for yourself and take action. If you can't make in the good old USA, you can't make it anywhere. There are reasons people are risking their lives trying to enter US. |
But since a lot of the review industry is corrupt I believe we should read any "rave" advisedly.
Sabai (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread) Like I said in another post, this is a problem with uneducated consumers and not capitalism. You can't help if someone based their purchase decision on ONE rave review and purchase remorse if they don't like the product. Nobody wants to take responsibility for their actions but always blame someone else. Personally I want different point of views and the freedom to choose ones that fits my needs. |
Did I mention that there is a problem? Did I say money is too important?What makes you think I'm feeling sorry for myself. All I'm saying is that's the reality of life. So stop assuming you know it all. How is my interpretation to your post make me know it all? You go attacking people who you disagree on here just because you can't accept the fact that your proudly own Hegel isn't a 100% great company after all. All those mention there is always two sides of the story, no company is 100% in customer service yet you believe Hegel is blah blah...please stop.
Either you're in denial or refuse to understand it just because your Hegel is staring back at you in your room. If want it stop, STOP posting??? This is a forum for debates and not monologues. |
And again I didn't say stop posting. Just stop the BS! BS is in the eye of the beholder!!! |
BS is you!!
S1nn3r (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread) I choose to participate in the forum and expect a percentage find I'm BS. But I'm not a thin skin intellectual wimp crying for them to stop, please, stop. uncle, stop, mama, papa, stop, stop, please please ... PATHETIC!!! Again, if you want it stop, stop posting. |
