Banned
Location: glasgow
Posts: 1,508
I'm scott.
The Great UK HIFI industry sell off
now SME
Ajay Shirke, who is already a major shareholder in Siltech/Crystal Cable and Spendor.
But one thing is certain: with Quad, KEF, B&W , Tannoy , Naim and now SME all held in overseas ownership, the first generation of UK audio pioneers has well and truly passed.
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
"Selling England by the pound"
Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)
Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco
Banned
Location: Torquay, Devon.
Posts: 5,684
I'm Shane.
Very disappointing news indeed!
I sincerely hope Rega, Sugden etc don't send up the same!!!
S.
Drunken Moderator
Location: Staffordshire, England
Posts: 37,934
I'm Martin.
You can't be avowedly anti-nationalist and complain when foreigners buy companies previously owned by British people.Originally Posted by Arkless Electronics
To me it is British if it is made here. Who owns it matters not. What percentage of Nissan Motors stock is held by Japanese? (Okay probably quite a lot but that's to miss my point).
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Super Moderator
Location: W Lothian
Posts: 99,005
I'm Grant.
Factories close soon and sent to China or India I guess, if its not done already, and then plastic perhaps shock, horror, probe
Regards,
Grant.... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse
I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work.... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -
Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?
“Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".
“You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”
"You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”
“There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”
***SMILE, BE HAPPY***
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
Oh I can be quite contrary at times
Sour grapes n all that but doing what I do for what is laughingly known as "a living" it rather pisses one off to see "brand name" seemingly mean just about everything to hi fi customers.... So much so that big business wants to add them to their portfolio! If I couldn't easily make amps that piss on anything Naim build I would give up now... getting anyone to buy from a small non brand name company is a completely different kettle of fish thoughShort rant over
Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)
Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco
Drunken Moderator
Location: Staffordshire, England
Posts: 37,934
I'm Martin.
Getting stuff made there to a standard is still not easy. Then there are the import tarrifs and all that cost and agro. More cars made in the UK now than ever before for example. You just don't need the army of unskilled and semi-skilled that you did before to make them. That's the difference.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Drunken Moderator
Location: Staffordshire, England
Posts: 37,934
I'm Martin.
In reality it could be of advantage to you. You are still a British designed and built brand. That plays well with the Far East.Oh I can be quite contrary at times
Sour grapes n all that but doing what I do for what is laughingly known as "a living" it rather pisses one off to see "brand name" seemingly mean just about everything to hi fi customers.... So much so that big business wants to add them to their portfolio! If I couldn't easily make amps that piss on anything Naim build I would give up now... getting anyone to buy from a small non brand name company is a completely different kettle of fish though
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
Only to a brand name obsessed audience of far east types that love anything British with decades of heritage though!
Meanwhile when it comes to expensive hi fi made by one man bands it seems that being Japanese is what sells it over here
Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)
Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco
Senior Member
Location: Welsh Borders
Posts: 283
I'm Gary.
Fair point about what it is that actually makes it "British". But I doubt that the new owners will be content to merely hold the stock and collect the divis. Expect large amounts of "shareholder guidance" (ie. management) to emanate from foreign parts now: product line strategy, brand positioning, rationalization of costs, etc. Of course, none of this is a problem if the new owners are committed to the same engineering and commercial values as the "old"company were. It would be a shame, though, for it to end up being owned by Moet-Hennessey-Wotnot and being sold in chi-chi boutiques alongside Louis Vuitton handbags.
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