Srajan, did you see the Stereophile announcement that mbl was acquired by a Chinese luxury group which specializes in jewelry production but also oversees an audio division of import brands? I quote, "Chow Tai Seng, whose core business is fine jewelry designed, manufactured and sold under its own brand, ranks among the world's top 100 luxury-goods companies, with about 4200 employees and more than 4700 stores across China, according to the announcement. The group also owns United Audio, a distributor of high-end audio brands (including several German manufacturers) in the Chinese market. With MBL, the group adds its first in-house audio manufacturer." Another day, another established Western brand in Chinese hands. What's going on? James
Oversaturated markets and economic instabilities would seem to be merely two of many more factors as to why so many makers of costly hifi are no longer privately owned but operated by investment funds or luxury-goods conglomerates. The current Trumpian tariffs certainly aren't helping any brands whose US imports account for a high portion of their annual turnover. The latest closure news was about Auralic ceasing operations. Reading about audio on sites like mine is one thing. Spending money on it, in the large consistent numbers required to keep all the players on the board, is quite another. That's about all the obviousness I can contribute on the subject. I lack the business education to understand it better. All I can do is maintain an information resource which hopefully keeps the brands that work with us on the radar of prospective buyers. But what happens beyond reading us I have neither control over nor knowledge of. Let's face it, fine audio and the leisure to indulge playback are luxuries. When times get tough, luxuries fall by the wayside for those most affected. I dare say that the number of people experiencing hardships of various sorts around the globe is increasing not decreasing. Srajan
