the sad tale of a cable manufacturer

to curb rising cost, some cable manufacturers have long started producing their cables in china or some far-east countries. normally, the box carries the disclaimer "designed in the USA, manufactured in china". at least, some are honest about it; some don't even bother to declare.

as i become more and more perfectionist in my approach, i start to shun mass-produced cables, especially those outsourced to china. no offence intended, but i find the quality quite sub-standard.

one cable manufacturer i know is starting to taste some degree of success in malaysia and as a result, starting to cut corners. i have yet to listen to the newer batch of their products but suffice to say that the signs are all there to see, right from the el-cheapo RCA/XLR plug to the overall look and feel of the cable. look, we audiophiles are discerning enough to know where the money is spent on. if i were to pay RM10K on a cable, i expect perfection - from the sound to the aesthetics.

this is sad. which goes to show that many manufacturers (i am not accusing all), once tasted the sweet scent of money, will stray from its noble intentions which got them started in the first place.

but then again, how many manufacturers are anti-commercial and anti-establishment like holfi and spectral, to name but two?