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Why Build Quality Matters

There are reports from time to time here about people opening up products to find either shoddy workmanship, cheap parts or little at all inside to warrant the price paid. Companies recently mentioned in this regard are Synergistic Research, QOL and Nordost. They are not the only ones that have been noted over the years.

What are we to make of all this? Some people say they don't care as long as the product delivers what they expected. Point well made. But in many cases these products no not deliver what was expected. In any case, it makes one wonder about makers who charge full price but don't deliver high quality workmanship and parts. Not to mention the "little-inside makers". I have been shocked by high-priced cables that were poorly made (bad soldering, cheap terminations and "hobby-quality" dialectric) and a very high-priced component that contained very cheap parts. In both of these cases the products themselves did not "deliver" either and were sold off.

What do you think about all this?
sabai
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,540 posts
 
Great build quality doesn't have to have a jewel like finish or vault like build quality. It just needs to be made as well as possible with the parts necessary to do the job.

Srajan at 6moons pointed this out with his latest review of the Job 225 power amp. It's built in Switzerland but doesn't "look" like it is. It's a version of the circuit design that Goldman uses. It's sold only on Amazon, only in the USA, and there's no way to contact the maker.

I came across this amp before the review and thought "ehhh" just by judging the looks. Srajan gives it his highest recommendation and rates it right up there as an equal with Nelson Pass' latest designs and Bakoon. Yet I still look at it and go "ehhh". My loss.

All the best,
Nonoise
singleendedsingle
664 posts
 
Build quality matters, because you can pass it down to your kids or even grandsons.

As for the JOB 225, it looks like a solid brick. :)
mechans
3,048 posts
 
Build quality is absolutely critical and essential. Any product that is to be manufactured is engineered with the notion in mind that those ideas, when translated to a finished manufactured product are done so such that the product function optimally. Most products require careful attention to build qualty is to function for an extended period of time.
I can't even believe we are debating this.
If you mean on the other hand the appearance of a product as industrial art that is understandable. If I see a scuff on something I don't condenm the piece as being a piece of Sh$$ I think there is much to much emphasis on cosmetics than there ought to be.
Those are to completely different things. It is rare whena cosmetic defects actually interferes in some meaningful way with function. It does happen but looks are not the same as build quality.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,540 posts
 
I don't see a debate here, yet. We all agree that build quality matters. It's just that I feel it doesn't have to have a jewel like finish or one inch casing. Maybe I could have elaborated better than to just say with the "parts necessary" and state "the best parts necessary". Necessary being the within the design concept as the inventor see fit. He/she may very well have very high standards.

If well made, it will stand the test of time, literally.

All the best,
Nonoise
rja's avatar
rja
2,356 posts
 
I think we're talking build quality and cosmetics. Many times they go hand in hand but it isn't absolutely necessary. A quality built item CAN be ugly while a piece of junk can be attractive.
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