Wharfedale Elysian 4 Incredible build quality and sound, but made in China.

@webking185

One of the iconic and most recognizable brand is Harley Davidson. those bikes are now made in China too.

And no one will care if the quality is the same (or even better).

Collectors/ investors/nostalgia buffs are a different breed, but they are not necessarily buying to use and enjoy.

For most of us, quality is king and the price is queen. Or something like that.

@cd318 I apologize I deleted my post @webking185  was misstating the HD China business.

HD is only making small displacement motorcycles in China for the Asian market, though they may be coming to the US. 

It shouldn’t matter where it’s produced as long as proper/adequate quality control is managed during the manufacturing process. China has significantly cheaper labor and the technical expertise that makes manufacturing there attractive to cut costs to stay competitive.

Buying domestically only to support local businesses seems like a good idea, but we now live in a global economy. Parts are sourced from many non-domestic sources. Generally, it makes no business sense to pay more for a part than us necessary. Businesses are for profit so cutting costs directly helps. However, there are exceptions- some businesses may want the tighter control of manufacturing locally, and they can afford to do so because the market will pay the increased costs.

And realistically, I doubt buying domestic only will have a much of a financial impact since the majority doesn’t follow this thinking.  

@kennyc Your point of view is so problematic at a micro-economic level. You may as well make everyone in the West disappear from existence because there’s cheaper labor somewhere else. This extreme cost cutting mentality needs to stop. The end result is de-industrialization, loss of skilled labor, dependence on other countries for essential products, loss of negotiation power, increasing inequality, lower living standards, lower state tax income (public services/utilities getting worse) etc…

Just take up the challenge of producing locally with long term wealth goals. Focus on quality over quantity and price. The High End Munich show proves that this is possible with the countless European manufacturers. Furthermore, these products don’t have to be priced out of reach for regular customers. There are many great offerings under $2k which outperform the KEF LS50 with local manufacturing.