That’s the way things are now days with an overwhelming number of items.
Counterfeits of almost everything are everywhere, even legitimate places such as Amazon. Not that it’s their fault because it would be impossible for them to be aware of every single counterfeit. You probably don’t buy makeup, but it seems to be one of the most counterfeited items out there. I read an article that puts the chances of getting a counterfeit beauty product at over 50% on eBay and nearly that on Amazon. Counterfeit Sure microphones have even popped up at Guitar Center. Luckily, I knew what to look for and didn’t buy there, but made the manager aware. Good thing I knew what to look for. Most likely it was someone that exchanged a counterfeit one for an authentic one, which is another whole separate scam that’s going around.
Whenever possible I buy straight from the manufacturer. It may cost a little more sometimes, but well worth it to get peace of mind.
Almost all of these counterfeiters are overseas and next to impossible to catch and prosecute, considering the level of corruption in those countries. They are not much different than drug smugglers, if they get one out of ten shipments across, they are still making a profit.
Even if a US seller gets caught with counterfeit products law enforcement will most likely not even charge them, but only confiscate their inventory. All they have to do is say that they were not aware that the products being sold were counterfeit. Law enforcement would have a hard time proving knowledge and intent.
Not being sarcastic, but weren't you aware of the fact that there are many counterfeit items on Aliexpress? They are alright with it, and since they're in China, nobody here is going to be able to stop them.
I do know about counterfeits of course, but I can say other than clicking on the wrong button by mistake when surfing, that is the first time I have been on Aliexpress. I just am shocked it is so blatantly available online, in plain view, and so easily found by searching "Hurricane power cord for sale". Sure, someone walking down the street in China somewhere buys a Coach purse, they are pretty ignorant if they think it is legitimate. And no, it is not feasable to go to China and try to put an end to it. I think it is the box that shocks me the most- you know someone is doing their best to deceive with this "nice" touch.
But this is an ad in English, on Google, in Canada (for me), so shouldn’t Google stop their ad? Which is obviously a fraud? The website is obviously catering to the western world, and I am sure there are some buying these and trying to resell them to unsuspecting others, making a huge profit.
Or as @ellajeanellestates, someone buys a real one from the dealer, then returns a fake one, and an unsuspecting authorized dealer possibly resells the counterfeit?
How hard is it for Google to shut down their fraudulent and illegal website?
Those pricey cables frequently have serial numbers, and if you look at the fakes, it's actually pretty easy to tell that there are differences from the real thing.
So that shunyata power cord and box look pretty real including the signature on the label of the connector. But real thing isn’t what you’ll be getting.
What’s sad is this will potentially end up on USAM or here and be sold as a genuine item causing frustration and financial loss. This really pisses me off but there’s nothing any of us can do.
There’s a whole discussion on this forum dedicated to knock offs and some folks just get off on plugging in an Odin power cord purchased for $40. Those work pretty good to tie your garbage bags with.
Look elsewhere with two basic core tenets in mind:
(1) you will only get what you pay for … full stop
(2) These cheap build crap listings are illegal fakes sold by dodgy internet merchants operating in a ruthless regime sheltered away from our laws protecting patents and trademarks , that would be lead them to be quickly shut down here.
Note : The colloquial terms “knockoff or “dupe (duplicate)” are often mistakenly interchangeably with cheap “counterfeits” that are NOT like quality made copies,they are NOT the same things? These cheap Chinese listings are NOT a “knock-off”.
ILLEGAL COUNTERFEIT FAKES
Counterfeit products are designed to visually loosely resemble authentic products in appearance . Visually, these counterfeit goods illegally use unauthorized trademarked international brand to look almost identical to the original authentic products, ….BUT are made from cheap low-quality materials and crap build quality. Counterfeit goods involve the unauthorized use of the intellectual property of a brand owner by using the brand owner’s trademarks to deceive consumers into believing they have purchased a genuine product.
LEGAL KNOCKOFFS:/ non-branded copies of the OEM
On the other hand, a knockoff can still be legal and resemble a branded, authentic product, but generally will NOT be identical to it. Knockoffproducts do not contain the registered names, trademarks or logos of the original product. and consumers should understand that they are not buying an authentic product …. AND …. they should do their own due diligence vis-a-vis comparison to the authentic product for:
(i) the quality of the parts& materials used in the knockoff , and
(II) the quality of the build quality assembly into the final product.
SUMMARY
(1) Knockoff products are those that copy /imitate the physical appearance and makeup of other products but which do not copy the brand name or logo of a trademark.
(2) The cheap counterfeit fakes are anything but copies or near copies of the OEM. The cheap crap build units from China are not “ knock-offs”. They are illegal counterfeit crap build fakes illegally infringing on the OEM trademark or patent. They are just crap build POS and ILLEGAL counterfeit fakes sold on dodgy websites like EBay and Ali Baba originating in China and like elsewhere; where shamelessly selling illegal POS quality fakes is a national sport.
The YouTube video at the bottom is a good summary read .Read for yourself the review following …
We can see that counterfeit cables DO NOT have the technology and manufacturing technique, and it is very costly to duplicate the same construction. Therefore, the counterfeit cable can only very clumsily and poorly duplicate its appearance.
Since the fakes are not “knockoffs” in build quality and materials, so who views them as peers to OEMs too in sound performance? If you do plunk them in YOUR system (extreme limitation emphasis added), Fine . No worries , ….I guess …. and just carry on? Each to his own, I guess .
Thanks for the distinction @akg_caand clarification- counterfeit it is.
I was also wondering, since from what I have read Audioquest cables are in fact made in China, that the parts one sees are the genuine products from the same assembly line as the authentic one, and maybe they just cheap out on the metal inside?
I could see the factory workers just "loosing" some of the parts like the plastic connector bodies, sheathing, and making these cables on the sly, in some other production factory, or maybe the whole cable is entirely made in the same building by the same workers on the "nightshift" and everyone there is okay sharing the profits from selling the counterfeits.
Many of these "counterfeits" are made in the same factories as the originals. a company orders 10,000 and the disreputable manufacturer makes 20,000 and the sells them undercutting the OEM, stealing the intellectual property and all the other investments that OEM has made. You may find they all have the same serial number or fake serial numbers but they are identical. This is a very difficult problem to fix since the Chinese government has no interest in fixing it.
Nordost’s roots were in the Military, Medical and Aerospace industries
. It gives the company access to the most advanced materials technologies known to man. Ever since the launch of the first audio products in the early 1990s, Nordost has always insisted on the highest quality, extruded FEP for use in cables’ dielectric and jacketing. FEP has many advantages; primarily, it is the most consistent and best performing dielectric material available, with the exception of air; which is where micro mono-filament technology comes in. The micro mono-filament technology is a process developed by Nordost to reduce the effect of the insulation material. It uses a thread of FEP which is helically wound over each highly polished conductor. A precision FEP jacket is then extruded over the thread and the conductor. A number of proprietory methods are used in this difficult and extremely precise manufacturing technique.
. Now that we understand the construction of a genuine Nordost cable, it’s simply not easy to make.
We can see that counterfeit cables DO NOT have the technology and manufacturing technique, and it is very costly to even attempt to duplicate the same construction. Therefore, the counterfeit cable can only clumsily and poorly duplicate its outward appearance. When opened up, it’s obvious that it is crummy fake.
YouTube [Fake ODIN2 dissected vs the OEM ]
Some things we can notice on these counterfeit Nordost cables:
- Fake Nordost uses cheap and rubbish rubber /PVC insulator.
- They don’t have the manufacturing technique for proper twisting; instead they need an inner wire for the twist.
- They have poor printing; sometimes misspellings.and really obvious poor qualyu results They also don’t have the requisite NORDOST OEM serial number on the cable sleeve tgst matches the OEM paperwork supplied, and often no OEM wood box.
- They have poor soldering points, and also counterfeit connectors.
- The counterfeit can’t twist conductor like Nordost, they have to use inner wire ( cheap POS crap)
-
This counterfeit Valhalla power cord even comes with fake Wattgate plugs.
@carlsbad2You can substantiate this claim? As most of the product in question is supposed to be of US origin as marked on the packaging and product.
Many of these "counterfeits" are made in the same factories as the originals. a company orders 10,000 and the disreputable manufacturer makes 20,000 and the sells them undercutting the OEM, stealing the intellectual property and all the other investments that OEM has made. You may find they all have the same serial number or fake serial numbers but they are identical. This is a very difficult problem to fix since the Chinese government has no interest in fixing it.
If you are only interested in the two examples give in the OP, then I have no info. I was speaking of the name brands that have their stuff made in China, most do. Examples include Kimber Cable, Cardas cable stock, and WBT cable connectors. There are many others.
I probably won't respond again to a challenge that sounds like I'm a hostile witness in a lawsuit.
Well my post was removed so your response is now orphaned Jerry. But I do wonder why my post was deleted and the entire thread promoting fake cables on this site is still up and running. Just curious…
If you are only interested in the two examples give in the OP, then I have no info. I was speaking of the name brands that have their stuff made in China, most do. Examples include Kimber Cable, Cardas cable stock, and WBT cable connectors. There are many others
nope …. Way off sir!
Most of the majors that dominate the industry and suffer the most high-end losses via illegal counterfeit losses from crap build fakes are made in the USA.
Go to their websites,
(1) CARDAS are exclusively made in Oregon
(2) KIMBER follows in like form …they are all made in Utah
I’ll add that AQ power cords are made in china. Hurricane included. If we follow your theory the Hurricane on Aliexpress is a “surplus” run produced at the same factory where AQ makes their cables. I’ll also re-ward my censored post…it is the people that manufacture the counterfeit items who are spreading the myth that these items are made at the same factories. This has been going in for years and the story accompanies not only audio cables but sneakers, handbags (think Prada, LV), electrics, phones, etc.
@akg_ca assemble in the US. parts are sourced from everywhere.
I post my comments on verified specifics only ,. not on unsupported blanket hyperboles,
For example : I had an email conversation with kahuna Josh Meredith at CARDAS AUDIO. ( Josh is the hubby of prez Angela CARDAS).
He confirmed that ALL their materials are specifically sourced in the USA first, and then completely manufactured, distributed , and supported out of their facilities in Oregon. The YouTubes below have more deets about their proud top-shelf “ made in USA” mantra.
In my personal conversation with NORDOST, they informed me that All Nordost cables are hand built at our factory in the USA and sold ONLY through their Authorized Dealer network worldwide. They cautioned to be aware that numerous attempts to counterfeit their products appear online , inter Alia on EBay and Ali Express etc.They can verify OEM provenance on pre-owned sales if requested to weed out the fakes.That’s what I did …. Had them verify onsite in their plant that my NORDOST cables serial #s were legit, that they were indeed sold by an authorized dealer , and were OEM construction too before I sold them .
NORDOST got its start and makes cables for hi-tech, medical and scientific applications ( think NASA space shuttle) - they don’t source or assemble cheap crap from China
Yes there are counterfeit Kimber Kables out there. We have encountered several TC series cables in Australia recently (2022-23). One pair was even sold via a legitimate dealer on a well known Australian website offering stereo equipment for sale. The dealer even had the gall to say he’d purchased them from us! A direct lie. There are fakes on sites like eBay, Audiogon and many others. EVERY Kimber on AliExpress is FAKE! Here is how to spot them:
Fake offerings online from China of junk wire dressed up to look like Kimber – yes, the photos are of the real thing, they pinched those. e.g. the so-called 8TC cable is just low grade PVC insulated tinned copper wire, far inferior to Kimber’s entry level 8PR – and more expensive than 8PR too!
The banana’s are a joke, flimsy, poor quality things that will fail with minimal use. They are a giveaway that the cables are fake. Watch out for the dodgy heatshrink markers and fake packaging too.
Kimber Kable is NOT made in China. The Chinese distributor has to purchase the cable from Kimber in the USA, exactly the same we we do, therefore it is IMPOSSIBLE for it to be sold at a price lower than us. So if it looks too good to be true …. its a fake!
Watch out for garbage interconnect clones too. Remember, Kimber is not made in China and so how can it be cheaper there than in the USA?
Kimber Kable is not sold via online platforms like eBay, audiogon, Stereonet etc so if a brand new Kimber item is offered for sale, its pretty much bound to be fake!
If you are unsure, contact us. We’ve been the Australian Kimber Distributors for 40 years and we’ve seen a thing or too. OR EVEN BETTER contact Kimber directly. Kimber Kable in the USA is only to pleased to assist and verify that an item is genuine. Simply email them directly with images or a link via [email protected]. You will be impressed with their honesty and commitment to assisting customers.
There is no way Amazon is 50/50 counterfeit vs real. My average monthly bill with them is $3k to $5k. I have bought plenty to judge my numbers by... Maybe on makeup which I have no clue about. And the Intel X570 NICs seem a bit fishy too... But on audio components, cables, disc media, etc. It may be 10% counterfeit. Notice there are no counterfeit Nordost cables or the like (ie. all of the types you find on Ali Express) on there.
Do you mean the actual physical product? Or looking at pictures of them.
I just quickly looked up Transparent FAQ, and this is what is says:
Where are your products made?
Transparent cables and power products are designed, developed, and distributed by highly skilled craftspeople in Maine, USA!
Transparent designs and specifies all cables and connectors for the entire Transparent line-up, including all audio, digital audio, HDMI and USB cables, power cords, and power conditioners.
Tell us more. What is your system? There is a place to put photos and ID your components under your UserID. What experience do you have with which other cables?
‘A couple years ago someone started a thread on fake Nordost Odin 2 interconnects. Well, I happen to have had a set of real Odin 2 interconnects at the time. So, not to encourage companies to sell fake stuff, but to be able to speak with understanding on the subject I bought a pair from AliExpress. Then I did a comparison after running them in for a couple weeks on my break in system. They were not even a close second. Not in the same ballpark.
By the way most of my permanent interconnects are Gen 6 Transparent… which are simply stunning for the price.
In addition I have seen several videos of folks that have dismantled fake interconnects revealing silver coating / paint to make copper look like silver etc.
So, I did one serious analysis of a fake. The result is as expected. I don’t want to buy any more encouraging this unethical practice.
I also worked on mainland China for a couple of decades, often with contract manufactures. Some of them do a run for a US company, then keep going. But this is unlikely to ever happen with high end interconnects, because I don’t know of any that are made there and if they did they would prevent it. It happens with cheap goods where the parent company does not protect their intellectual property. I assure you that fake iPhones are not manufactured in China. Apple protects their IP.
It is easy to operate in China and not loose IP or have fakes made, be a competent business man, and have someone present there to prevent it.
Mainland China does not have patent laws that outsiders can use after the fact to prosecute Chinese companies. This should never be a formula for any company to protect their intellectual property. If you do, this is just plain lazy.
ghdprentice, Hi, I have a very nice but budget minded system. More on that later. I recently purchased a new tube amp, Audio Hungary Qualton P 100. 1/2 of my pair of Audio Art AAC Statement e SC Cryo Speaker Cables didn’t reach the tube amp. Out of impatience I purchased a single old 15 foot Transparent Ultra MM. Ends up I like it and started looking for a pair of G5 supers or ultras at 10/12 feet. The old MM I have I will move to the center, and the Audio Art Cables will go back to my solid state amp.
It's because of this search that I stumbled upon the Transparent counterfeits. I Googled Transparent to see what was out there and all these $360 counterfeits popped up. It looks like you buy the cables from China. They come in a polybag. Then you can buy the boxes for $50 a pop on eBay. I mean, who buys a Transparent Audio Reference PowerLink and sells his original boxes?
Transparent Audio Reference PowerLink Factory Cartons eBay item number:224172498955.
TT is a Rega P 10. Phono stage is a Parasound JC 3+. Server is a Innuos ZENith Mk3. SACD is Oppo going to Bob Geers Breakout box. The DAC, Pre-amp, and SS power amp are all Benchmark. The tube amp is Audio Hungay.
@akg_cayou might be surprised, as many times videos are posted about Cardas Audio, showing where core cables are manufactured, some don’t bother to watch it. Some occurs in SoCal and USA East. Cable, cuts, terminations in Bandon Oregon. Some folks keep spewing clueless crap about how they are sourced in China. Absolutely FALSE.
Its right on the website for anyone who takes 30 seconds to actually read it. Where people come up with this garbage is just plain silly.
Quote:
"Mined in the Southwest USAand processed the Northeast".
I have a big stack of Transparent Cable boxes around. It is surprising how much space they take up. I have thought of throwing them out. But I sure will not sell them to someone who is going to match the box with fake cables. Geeze… who are these people… what con artists has the internet encouraged?
I remember using the internet in 1985 (logging on to the servers in Berkeley from the University of Arizona. The people on then for the next ten to fifteen years were mostly geeks and honest… then all the riffraff got on.
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