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What country builds the best audio equipment?

I remember not so long ago when audio equipment was mainly a home grown product with the exception of Japan here in the U.S. Today it’s a global market with competition from every corner of the world. I use to think here in the U.S was were the best equipment was being built, but now I’m not sure.
Built quality and performance seems to be lacking a little here in the states with few exceptions compared to what’s being produced over seas and up to the north. So what country is the best equipment coming from? Maybe it’s still the U.S, but if pure aesthetics says anything I would say not.
As for Sonics tough to call, maybe still here in the U.S? 
hiendmmoe
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jetter
3,033 posts
 
If it ain't wooded, it ain't country.
mikelavigne
2,199 posts
 
random products and sources.

reel to reel tape decks---Swiss---Studer, Ampex--USA
turntables----Rockport--USA, Garrard---UK, Thorens----Germany, Micro Seiki----Japan......everywhere.
Electronics----darTZeel, CH Precision, Soulution--Swiss, Lamm---USA, Kondo---Japan, Ypsilon---Greece----everywhere
speakers-----Wilson, Magico---USA, Quad-----UK, Focal-----France, MBL-----Germany-----everywhere.
digital-----MSB---USA, dCS----UK, Lampi---Poland, Totaldac----France........everywhere.

in my own system the dominant source countries are Switzerland (Studer, darTZeel, Table Stable active anti-resonance), USA (Evolution Acoustics, Wave Kinetics tt, Saskia tt, Durand tonearm, King-Cello, Tripoint grounding), Japan (CS Port, Etsuro Gold cartridge, Miyajima Labs cartridge), Germany (Clearaudio cartridge).

passionate, music loving smart people are everywhere.

if we were to look at the per capita output of fine audio gear and the culture to support it.......Switzerland likely would score the highest. they are obviously really craftsman with their culture of the watch industry, have a high tech culture, lots of academic support, and their government really supports small businesses of the type to build audio gear. there are also lots of technical and metallurgy infrastructure that small electronics companies require to output product.
alexberger
916 posts
 
Germany - EMT turntables (models 927, 930, 950, 948). Klangfilm - speakers and amplifiers
USA - Altec, JBL, Klipsch speakers. Marantz, McIntosh amplifiers, pre-amplifiers.
UK - Quad, Tannoy, Lowther, Herbath, Spendors speakers. Quad, Leak - amplifiers.
Japan - Kondo, Shindo
big_greg
6,646 posts
 
Transylvania.  Be careful though, their stuff is so good it'll suck the life out of you.
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