I agree with that.

Moreover, the Apple or CMC Modelcars products are manufactured in China (for example) and are what it is done of better in their kind, in my opinion.

B&O can do too.

Henrik wrote:

 It's more the thought that a luxury product "shouldn't" be made in China, and that if it is it's somehow detrimental to the product itself? This is what I don't get.

Of course I see your point perfectly but still can't agree with it.

It's more where the product should have been made than where it shoudn't have been made.

It's very personnal but when I bought my first B&O product twenty one years ago (Beosound Century) it was like a dream when I entered the shop I couldn't believe what I saw (the Avant, aluminium column speakers, motorised stands, upright music systems, colors...). All that with a magical Made in Denmark sticker.

Magical because a tiny village (Struer) figting against the rest of the world (being Japan and China for electronic products) that was a nice story I wanted to be part of.

That was luxury at it's best.

The China badge is a downgrade from my perspective and I prefer looking up than looking down.

Once again, I never said that China made bad products or that the Beosound 1 was badly made.

I get the filling that the China badge is the only way for B&O to survive because the prices are still sky high and no more products (appart BL90) come out the Struer facilities, and that's a shame because it means that the huge price tag of the Beosound 1 is not for the product itself but for B&O.

BeoGreg wrote:

I get the filling that the China badge is the only way for B&O to survive because the prices are still sky high and no more products (appart BL90) come out the Struer facilities, and that's a shame because it means that the huge price tag of the Beosound 1 is not for the product itself but for B&O.

Even though there’s a tremendous cost savings when you go to China, in the end it really isn’t that much.

It’s the hidden costs — the delays, low quality, too much travel, communications problems, the shipping costs, you pick all that up on a learning curve.

So will B&O experience it in the end.

Global village answer addresses mass market products. For luxury products country of production is relevant, because it is part of the brand image and value.

And brand image is a reason why you pay a price premium on B&O compared to equally spec'ed product.

I don't mind "Made in China" tag, I mind paying "Made in Denmark" price for it.

..., and that's a shame because it means that the huge price tag of the Beosound 1 is not for the product itself but for B&O

'...but for B&O'

Most people tend to forget, that a product like the BS1 was initiated, thought-out, 'made in' DK/Struer.

The guys in Struer still have to have their monthly pay - even if the final assemply was in China.

Made in China is way - at a reasonable pricetag - to offer those, who don't buy a product because of the 'luxury factor', but because it a good B&O product.

MM

Millemissen wrote:

...at a reasonable pricetag...

If 1.300 EUR is what you call reasonable.

Millemissen wrote:

...to offer those, who don't buy a product because of the 'luxury factor', but because it a good B&O product.

Well it's not me who positions B&O as a luxury brand. 😁 And I don't buy it for the luxury factor - however as a customer I demand it needs to have it if it is a luxury brand charging reasonable (!) prices.

Regardless, I like the design very much (both BS1 and BS2), also glad to hear from current BS1 owners that it sounds great.

BeoBoy68 wrote:

Today, no one knows if BeoSound 1&2 are good products.

Maybe these products are not reliable over time,

like BeoSound 3, BeoSound 6, BeoTime and BeoPlay products

which were and are made out of Europe.

I bet the lifetime of a BS 1 or 2 will be short.

Time will tell us. 😎

I cant imagine why they would not be as reliable as any other Play product (which is what it really is wrapped in a Bang & Olufsen shell). I see the whole Play line as a modular quick-assembly line of products made of off-the shelf electronics with predictable MTBF rates. Every constituent electronic component made today probably goes back to Japan, China, Taiwan or S.Korea as its root. And all these Countries will make any component you want.

Where the quality comes in is what was the Buyers technical specification? You want cheap? China can do that. You want good quality? China can do that too - but it will cost you more. Don't specify properly - and China will make sure its margins are slightly more than if it was a well specified manufacture.

A traditional Bang & Olufsen product may have I suspect a higher technical specification and design limits for any component made but this can be wreaked if the methodology of assembly is not thought through properly. This is independent of where it is made.

With respect to product life, I suspect that will be down to how people perceive the form-factor of the product rather than country of manufacture.