All I can about the Chinese made electronics I have seen is I hope they make there military stuff with as much lack of QC!!
The stuff that is designed here, but built there has near half a chance!
The other day I was QCing some power supply's that both have the main board getting its grounds and being bolted down to the chassis by 4 screws, three of them where totally stripped and just super glued down onto the top of the board to give the illusion that they where doing something!
The tip off was the 4 inch long trace of extra glue that ran off and out of the unit on the outside of the chassis before the glue had set!
They tryed to get away with this a number of times now, some shit no?!
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
As I understand the matter of Chinese manufacture, there are two basic factors:
1) They will build to whatever spec you give them.
2) You have to verify that what they build meets the spec you give them.
After you catch them a few times (maybe many times) f#$%ing you on #2, they do it less often. Apparently, Apple has got this down. I am guessing they inspect at the factory and supervise things very carefully.
Who was it, I think here, that gets zinc (or some other non-ferrous) stock from China? I think he said that he's got to run a magnet over it because they cut the mix with iron and he needs to reject those.
Mable audio is another kit seller. I believe Boot Hill Amps gets his kits from China, but he tosses in a few "upgraded" caps and such, and you source your own transformers.
I was approached a while back by some Chinese company looking for US distributors of their amps. The only one that was vaguely tempting was a fully-assembled 5F6A in an open-back 212. Came with cabinet and speakers. Forgot the price, but it was low enough to almost be tempting.
The comment about having to do your own quality control is right on point (assuming you outsourced to China for "deal"). I had a job where a lot of parts we would receive were DOA, or super rigged like Stevem mentioned.
I just pointed out the Apple thing because frankly these conversations about "The Chinese" can have some xenophobic, or at worst, racist undertones. I think most people get it, but I feel it's always worth bringing up the point that Chinese made electronics are not the way they simply because the people that make them are Chinese (and I don't think anyone has inferred this here).
So yeah the reality is quite bad, and I wouldn't personally touch a cheap kit made with slave labor with a 10ft pole.
TRUE STORY: disgruntled Chinese workers have "laced" Plywood with metal bits and razor blades in 'protest' of poor working conditions at plywood factories. Sadly, this is not an urban myth. I don't think transformers are gonna be purposefully shorted or anything, but just shows you that you get what you pay for and sometimes a nice surprise when you run a cheap sheet through the table saw.
Out of the last batch of 300 pieces of audio gear from China I QCed , a full 42 of them I had to side line as even once I fix some of them they can only be sold as B stock items!
When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming like the passengers in his car!
Cutting out a man's tongue does not mean he’s a liar, but it does show that you fear the truth he might speak about you!
Phil_S wrote:
Who was it, I think here, that gets zinc (or some other non-ferrous) stock from China? I think he said that he's got to run a magnet over it because they cut the mix with iron and he needs to reject those.
That would be me. Brass plumbing fittings that are slightly attracted to a N48 magnet.
Gaz wrote:I just pointed out the Apple thing because frankly these conversations about "The Chinese" can have some xenophobic, or at worst, racist undertones. I think most people get it, but I feel it's always worth bringing up the point that Chinese made electronics are not the way they simply because the people that make them are Chinese (and I don't think anyone has inferred this here).
Last year our correspondent renshen1957 mentioned he did a bit of biz in China. In conversations with some biz men there, he said they would be happy to build better quality but the orders from USA and other places are to build as cheap as possible. So, they may well be capable of better but stymied by having to build to price. And China now the major supplier for just about everything, when there's a complaint, they get the blame naturally. Then there's the tendency of some, not all, no matter where on the planet, to maximize profit by any means necessary.
Phil_S wrote:
Who was it, I think here, that gets zinc (or some other non-ferrous) stock from China? I think he said that he's got to run a magnet over it because they cut the mix with iron and he needs to reject those.
That would be me. Brass plumbing fittings that are slightly attracted to a N48 magnet.
I won't buy Chinese caps ever again, but have had good luck with their power transformers. After hearing of Chinese cutlery made from exported radioactive nickel, I'm naturally suspicious of any new products.
Tube junkie that aspires to become a tri-state bidirectional buss driver.
Don't forget the UK import duty, which will be based on the $200 plus the shipping. Once I took a punt on two China guitar necks made to my spec and they cost $50 to ship. So I guess you are looking at $300 minimum total.
After my neck order experiment, which was "interesting", I always order direct from the USA with someone who understands what they are making and you know the quality being purchased. I'm not really rich enough to afford the cheap options.
A 5E3 is simple, the parts are nearly everywhere, why bother with a kit at all?
