"09-04-15: Sabai
Aolmrd1241,
The fact that Hegel is so blase about this speaks volumes, IMO. It seems to me this attitude is an entrenched part of their corporate culture. I had a recent problem with a Hegel amp. At best Hegel was blase. Sad to say, it got a lot worse than that. The bottom line -- they refused to stand behind their product and just walked away. Unbelievable -- but true."
I know you are not in the US Sabai, but that's a good example of why its so important to use a reputable dealer. This may come as a surprise, but I wouldn't really have an issue buying a Hegel product if it looked like the best solution for my needs. And the reason for this is simply, my dealer sells Hegel. I can tell you for a fact he wouldn't let that happen to me.
I don't think anyone has brought this up yet, but if you buy a product made overseas, from China or any other country, its your dealers responsibility to make the country of origin transparent to the customer. It shouldn't make a difference. That's what it means to be a dealer and service customers.
"09-03-15: Dchang1981
I remember reading a review stating how Hegel keeps their prices down due to simple casework and less flashy appearance. Guess that explanation is bs"
I would say most likely, that statement is not BS. Expensive casework is a very common topic in audio. For example, I was talking to Jeff Rowland about the cost of the aluminium cases they use for their amps. On the model 112, the cost of building the case was so expensive due to the cost of materials and breaking bits used to carve out solid blocks of aluminium, they ended up changing the design of the amp mid production, and just made the face out of polished aluminium. They also lowered the price of the amp $600. ($5000 to $4400). Meridian told me when we were discussing the 500 series, that the cases made out of black glass, was the most expensive part of the component. If you look at speaker companies like Vandersteen and Magnepan, they're famous for giving you some of the best sound for the money in the entire industry. Aside from good designs, not using traditional, furniture grade enclosures was a key factor in keeping the cost down on their products.
I can't say for sure if Hegel is being truthful in their comments about expensive casework, but it is a valid concept.
