What happens when a Chinese made DAC´s (Topping, SMSL) arrives DOA or soon after arrival fails?

[Steven Holt]

I’m not sure that’s a fare assessment. We only hear of the problem units. We don’t know the numbers sold that don’t have problems.

Pete, WELL SAID AND THANK YOU!!

 

[TSB]

My impression:
- Chinese manufacturers produce hardware over the entire spectrum of quality, from cheap crap to super high quality. A lot of high-end audio equipment is designed (!) and made by Chinese OEMs. Do not underestimate how much expertise is in China and the rest of Asia. Many well-known brands have literally no idea how any of their hardware of software work. They just do marketing and product design. This is not automatically bad, this outsourced process is capable of producing excellent products.
- Software is on average of lower quality, maybe because it's often offered for "free" by OEM's if you but their hardware. Thus the software teams are incentivized to keep quality as low as possible. This will only lead to acceptable results with tight QA by the end brand - which for brands that sell their own designs might not be quite be up to spec. The management of software teams is also often a little too much like a factory.

As far as service levels I can only imagine that they are lower given the lack of legal protection. China is unfortunately still experiencing things like dangerous additives in baby food - one should perhaps not be too trusting of manufacturers of much less vital stuff like audio electronics in such a market.

 

[Steven Holt]

one should perhaps not be too trusting of manufacturers of much less vital stuff like audio electronics in such a market.

I'm an American, and I love this country. But when the g*dd*m steering wheel falls off the Tesla, should I blame the good ol' US of A?

 

[rickyhgarcia]

Just ordered a Bifrost 2/64....