Difference in quality in products made in China?

Because of the huge manufacturing "ability" in China, there are many products that are designed in the west but built in China. Some western companies take quality control seriously and others do not.

It's exactly the same with Chinese companies.

Problem is right now the WWW lets us buy from companies that have a web pressesnce, but no real reputation.

Their products initially look good, but ultimately longevity is not their main goal.

Also, many dealers looking to tempt us in to their stores, provide less than stellar quality products sourced form China. It's easy for them to stop selling that product once quality becomes an issue, with the age old line "Oh yes, we stopped selling that brand due to quality issues".

From what I've read on Agon, Pangea is one company that does provide quality products - and I'm sure there are many more.

But it is very much a case of buyer beware :-(

A little old Italian man once told me...

" to trust is good - not to trust is better!"

I have two pairs of 2905's and one pair of 2805's, all made in China.

The 2805's have an adequate fit and finish, comparable to my Quad ESL's. The first pair of 2905's was much better. The second pair of 2905's, from 2-3 years ago, was better yet, and significantly so - they could almost have been German.

What is still missing are the fine details which we hobbyists use and admire: self-threading screws should be teflon coated and anything but Phillips, wires should be 18AWG silver coated, etc. But few manufacturers go that far, Chinese or occidental.

( http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2007-05-06/news/0705050225_1_syrupy-poison-pure-glycerin-diethylene-glycol )

Rodmann99999...I clicked on the link you posted to the toxic chemical found in syrup in China known as Diethylene Glycol. This chemical has also been showing up in Audio components manufactured in China such as Preamps. Extensive investigation by the U.S. Department of Health has found the chemical imbedded in volume knobs and push buttons on the front of Preamps. By using the control's on the Preamp causes the chemical to absorb into the blood stream. The chemical only becomes lethal when playing the final movement of the 1812 Overture. 17 Audiophiles during the past eighteen months have dropped dead in their sound rooms from the chemical listening to the exploding cannon's in the Overture.

I knew it! A conspiracy, much deeper than exploding/inferior capacitors!