Oh, no that wasn't my contention. My contention is that using Chinese manufacturing for niche gear tends to lead to poorer quality. And there's also the fact that you're funding a repressive government. So given the choice, I try to avoid products that are manufactured there.
No argument that manufacturing in China is something that requires caution and oversight to maintain quality. That's true anywhere, of course, but moreso for China. And I understand reluctance to buy Chinese-made products. I just doubt that there's an actual
delay in
product development for the Model 997 because of it - there's no evidence I've seen that would suggest this.
I had, mistakenly it seems, assumed the 997 was also made in the US. I would have paid an extra $500+ if it had been made in the US. As it is I'll have to take a much harder look other products.
Since Outlaw
doesn\'t own their own factory the products are made at an assortment of different locations. There are probably not many factories around the US that would be available to build surround processors, and even fewer with the in-house engineering resources to partner with Outlaw on developing a platform. Anthem builds theirs in Canada, although I don't know where all the sub-assemblies (circuit boards, etc.) come from and it's a lot more than a $500 adder to get an HDMI-equipped processor from Anthem.
I'd love to own a completely US built electronic component. The only problem is that it simply isn't available most of us "regular Joes".
I'm not defending China of any other country. You can get crapily built stuff anywhere on the globe (the US included). A buying decision boils down to your acessment of of how well a piece of electronic equipment is engineered and assembled. Also, does the company offer a good warranty and good customer service.
I agree with this assessment. On the one hand, I will never try to dissuade someone from scratching a product off their shopping list because it was built in China - there are compelling arguments to support that choice, and I'm not fool enough to try to contradict them if someone has made this choice. On the other hand, we've lost a lot of our domestic manufacturing might, and China has risen to prominence whether we like it or not. Heck, go walk through a toy store and look for what's
not made in China. Kinda scary. I'd love to see a North American-built processor that does what I want, with the performance I want, well supported by its manufacturer, at a price I can afford. So far, I can't find one that does all of those. In the meanwhile, I will stick with the same formula I've used for years when considering major purchases: research, weigh the plusses and minuses, and get the one that I feel best fits my needs. Manufacturing origin does play a role for me, but I've not yet established a personal "off limits" policy for any specific nation. That's just me, though.
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