I don’t know, at this point in time, if I really care anymore about ’buying American’ as a leading principal. Particularly in stereo. In reading the comments through the thread I’m seeing that old, high in the nose notion that only American product gets it right and the other Hi-Fi people around the world, that aren’t European, well they’re just using cheap stuff. and low quality smoke and mirrors.
Not always untrue, but a lot happened around the world in the 30ish years since the criminal NAFTA legislation was signed in.
I would certainly want to keep it American as a preference, if I can, but not to the exclusion of bypassing interesting and well priced components by sticking my head in the sand and blowing good offshore product and innovation at a competitive sticker price off.
There’s interesting technical stuff going on in Chi-fi and they too happen to be smart and like stereo. There’s also a lot of hi-fi smarts in Europe. Not to mention skilled help in a lot of places in the new smaller world that will get you the sound that you want at maybe a third of the price. I like winning and I like saving money.
My father used to tell his very principled, know-it-all son- ’yeah, principles are great...but can’t eat principle’.
It’s good to have principles, but you’d be a fool to pass good or interesting stuff designed and manufactured in earnest by non-American hi-fi people.
I’m pretty sure a lot of you have, perhaps, softened your thoughts on offshore hi-fi since the 90s...if you were even in this in the 90s.
PS... I saw nubiann’s post after I posted this and he (I think it’s a he) absolutely hits the nail on the head.. I’ve had my head out of the ’90s and ’00s for a long time. The The US put itself out of the Innovation and manufacturing business with NAFTA. The rest of the world filled the gap we sold and gave away- as we who had our eyes open back then said would happen.