Classe move to China

In addition to my concerns about quality and brand value, I was also pleased to find a product made in my hometown that sounded so good. So I have to decide if I'm willing to risk quality and value and live with the minor disappointment that another manufacturer has left North America for China.

I will put the order on hold and think more about this.

Mceljo - I don't assume Classe will be junk just because they manufacture in China - but now I can't assume that their quality will be superior either - because they have just moved to China and there will be a huge learning curve that may effect quality.

My PSB Synchrony One speakers were manufactured in China and are an outstanding product and value - but I paid a price that reflects the manufacturing source. With the Classe M300's I'm not certain that I'm paying a price that reflects the source of manufacture - in fact I know that the price does not reflect Made in China. The M400's were made in Canada and were about the same price as the made in China M300, so there appears to be no Chinese manufacturing dividend for the end buyer - just the manufacturer and distributors, hence my concern with value, especially future value on the used market.

With Classe moving to China, can Simaudio be far behind? Or McIntosh or Ayre or Pass etc.

Trelja - Initiating this thread has opened up a fire hose of opinion and emotion. Wow!

Classe built their reputation by designing and manufacturing in Canada. Now some outsider CEO wants to improve profitability and moves manufacturing to China. Apparently the most recent components were designed by a fellow no longer with Classe (or B&W). Classe appears to be in the process of loosing its identity and probably a good chunk of sales - outside of China.

Most likely the big reason for moving to China: to access the Chinese market. Canada is a tiny market that Classe can afford to loose. BTW - if you want to sell into China, you had better be prepared to manufacture there.