HEGEL - Is it really made in Norway ?

There are a lot of good quality products made in China. This is not the issue. The issue is being honest with customers. This is the corporate character flaw I see with Hegel -- their refusal to be honest with their customers.

I saw this in my extended conversations with top people in the company when I had a problem with one of their amplifiers. I want to know that a company backs their products and that they deal in a straightforward and respectful manner with their customers in case anything goes wrong. My experience was that this was definitely not the case with Hegel. Not only was I stonewalled by top executives. I was also told I had to dismantle my system -- and I was insulted in the process. Unbelieveable.

Atma-Sphere Amps and Pre-amps are regarded as World Class at Real world pricing and will compete with many major EU and Asian brands.

many good stuff in EU and Asia too.

Chinese Production lines are constantly getting better and improving. I remember Japanese Products were once regarded as low quality but over the years production quality improved and now they are regarded as one of the best on Tech firms. Chinese are catching up and most companies in China are building excellent products.

I would think that the USA is now falling behind compared to EU and Asia.

The big money is now in Asia. That's why companies like Solution, FM and DCS prefer to market their products in Asia.

dragon_vibe,

There have indeed been big changes in Asia and this will continue for decades. I remember after WWII when made in Japan meant cheaply made. Regarding Chinese production, in recent decades you can see the movement toward more and more well made high tech products. In fact, China is becoming a world leader in many areas, including robotics. So, it is puzzling that a company like Hegel from Norway should shy away from letting everyone know their products are made in China. It seems like their mindset is stuck somewhere, somehow -- in a number of areas. This has been my experience with them. Until they step up to the plate in the 21st century they are a company to avoid. There are so many choices out there, and very good choices. Atma-Sphere amps beat Hegel amps, hands down, IMO. And at much more attractive prices. 

Excellent points of view- sabai.

Generally, I agree with Sabai but honestly I think many audiophiles will go with the sound and not where the products are made. With that said, no high-end audio company wants to be associated with products made in China (many reasons....but they do want to max their profits with creating the best image and branding), where for years, products made in China have been known to have quality issues and simply, poorly manufactured. Thus, the no "Made in China" label due to the bad rep, but to your point that's changing. In regards to other choices, the main issue if you ask me is discovery of these great and new products, for example I only found about about Atma Sphere not too long ago, but many so called audiophiles don’t even bother to research/listen and will just go with what’s recommended in Stereophile or some other better known online reviewers. The truth is that Hegel makes great amps and they sound great. I think the issue is about corporate honestly. As people realize that China is no longer a country that just makes tinker toys, companies will become more honest about it. I’m however concerned about how you were treated by Hegel’s corporate. That is just not acceptable. For many reasons, I like products made in the US and I will stay with US made products. Both Rogue and Ayre make great products with terrific service. I own all Ayre products and are exceptional both in quality and service. If you’re in the market for an amp, I would wait for the new Ayre AX-8 coming this fall and give that a listen.