HEGEL - Is it really made in Norway ?

This thread prompted me to email the TAS editors requesting country of manufacture with reviews. Got a reply the same day agreeing that it would be helpful.

Let's hope it's implemented soon. And I urge all to email the editors as well.

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

Manley goes so far as to use their US-based manufacturing status as a mantra:

"Built in Chino, not China"

It's used in advertising and printed on their boxes.

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

"I'm SHOCKED! Now it's Hegel and DEALER have bad customer service. Do you see a pattern ... Hmm!
Knghifi (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

The pattern I see is too many dealers and manufactures treat their customers like crap. And in this case, Hegel is to blame. As a manufacturer, there's 2 things they must do. 1. They need to have high standards when selecting dealers for their products. 2. They need to support those dealers. In this case, Hegel did neither.

If you look at every successful high end brand, regardless of country of origin, they get those 2 fundamentals right. If a reputable manufacturer can't find a dealer that meets their standards, they don't sell their products in that area. And if a dealer is screwing up, and not meeting the requirements listed in the dealer agreement, they get dropped. I've seen this many times.

If Hegel was doing a better job, this thread probably wouldn't exist.

Though I've kept quiet, I feel a bit surprised it took this many years for folks to see Hegel simply appears as Consonance gear with both the Hegel logo and much increased price tag applied.

Other than possibly choosing the already existing aesthetic for economic reasons, I cannot see how Hegel influenced the cosmetics.