Velodyne Assembled In China??

[MACCA350]

I was at a local Hi-Fi store this arvo talking about the Velodyne DD15, and they told me that Velodyne's subs are now assembled in China He said the parts are made in USA and then shipped to China for assembly

Is this true or is he full of crap because he isnt authorised to sell Digital Drive Series?

Someone please put my mind at ease, as I'm looking to buy the DD15.

Also how does the Velodyne DD15 compare with the Paradigm PW2200?

Cheers

 

[9f9c7z]

I’m thinking they are made in San Jose, California. Assembling a subwoofer can be done by a 12-year old kid. The cost of transporting parts would out weight any savings in labor. Also, you would have to be shipping a pretty big volume of product to justify assembly across the sea unless you are using off-the-shelf parts like SVS does. Velodyne makes their own. You can call Velodyne and ask where the DD series are made: (408) 465-2800. Fwiw, it would be an error to presume China is not able to produce a quality product.

 

[Sleestack]

I was at a local Hi-Fi store this arvo talking about the Velodyne DD15, and they told me that Velodyne's subs are now assembled in China He said the parts are made in USA and then shipped to China for assembly

Is this true or is he full of crap because he isnt authorised to sell Digital Drive Series?

Someone please put my mind at ease, as I'm looking to buy the DD15.

Also how does the Velodyne DD15 compare with the Paradigm PW2200?

Cheers

The Chinese are capable of manufacturing just about anything at just about any quality level. I wouldn't worry about it if it is true.


In any case, I have the DD15. It is a remarkable sub with immaculate build quality. It is the best sub I have heard and defintely worth the $3K it cost.

 

[Privateer]

He said the parts are made in USA and then shipped to China for assembly

What do you think the rest of the world is doing?

Also how does the Velodyne DD15 compare with the Paradigm PW2200?

The velodyne would slaughter it.

 

[j_garcia]

Some portion of most everything electromechanical you own (recently) is likely assembled or somehow manufactured overseas, and that may or may not include China. I have to agree with the statement that you should not assume that because it is built somewhere else there is a quality concern. The manufacturer is responsible for quality, regardless of where their products are built/assembled.

The cost of transporting parts would out weight any savings in labor.

?? It is still FAR cheaper to perform such tasks in other countries than here. If a 12yr old can do it here, a 12yr old can do it there, only cheaper.

 

[VS540]

Why does it even matter where something is made? If I say something is made in Denmark that doesn't mean it's going to be any good.
Tons of cheap crap is made in Europe and the United States, it doesn't matter where it's made, what matter's is how it's made.

People get hung up on where something is made and automatically assume it's either quality or garbage.

It's like dumping the most beautiful girl in the world because you find out she's not from Germany, but is really from Slovakia. Who cares?!

Many high end companies have already or are in the process or moving all, or part of, their productions to China or Asia. If the workers are properly trained and supervised and do the work as they should, then it won't matter.

 

[MACCA350]

Thanks for your replies. I know I souldn't be to conserned about where they are assembled. But I was shocked to here this because of this quote on their site here

Proprietary engineering that requires exacting performance means that the Velodyne products must be manufactured in-house.

Privateer wrote:

The velodyne would slaughter it.

I thaught as much but they referred to this which shows the HGS-15 slightly below the Paradigm PW-2200 as far as SPL is concerned. Does the DD-15 give higher SPL than the HGS-15.

I like the DD-15 for its room eq and adj feedback circuitry and the ability to tailor it to any room.

I assume the DD-15 would have lower THD, tighter, better controlled bass and go lower than the Paradigm. Am I correct in assuming this?

I am only questioning this because I can get 2x Paradigm PW2200's and a some kind of seperate Eq unit for less than 1x Velodyne DD-15.

cheers

 

[mtrycrafts]

I was at a local Hi-Fi store this arvo talking about the Velodyne DD15, and they told me that Velodyne's subs are now assembled in China He said the parts are made in USA and then shipped to China for assembly

Is this true or is he full of crap because he isnt authorised to sell Digital Drive Series?

Someone please put my mind at ease, as I'm looking to buy the DD15.

Also how does the Velodyne DD15 compare with the Paradigm PW2200?

Cheers

Call up Velo and ask them directly if they deal with China.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Upon our visit to SVS...

Not to venture too far off the topic, but I asked Stephen of SVS (he's the head speaker designer and engineer at SVS) who he's most impressed with as far as subwoofer manufacturers go. I asked him to name three. He stood back, thought for a moment, and replied with one company. I bet you'll never guess who it is.

 

[Jase]

I thaught as much but they referred to this which shows the HGS-15 slightly below the Paradigm PW-2200 as far as SPL is concerned. Does the DD-15 give higher SPL than the HGS-15.

I like the DD-15 for its room eq and adj feedback circuitry and the ability to tailor it to any room.

I assume the DD-15 would have lower THD, tighter, better controlled bass and go lower than the Paradigm. Am I correct in assuming this?

The Paradigm figures show nothing for the SPL at 16hz whereas the HGS 15 has output at that frequency.

The DD15 is incredibly flexible as you can tailor the output response to exactly what you want. The presets are very handy as you can flip between them at will, as well as adjust their parameters to your own taste. It's simply the best sub I've ever heard and I wouldn't part with mine for anything. The build quality is superb.

 

[HookedOnSound]

Not to venture too far off the topic, but I asked Stephen of SVS (he's the head speaker designer and engineer at SVS) who he's most impressed with as far as subwoofer manufacturers go. I asked him to name three. He stood back, thought for a moment, and replied with one company. I bet you'll never guess who it is.

I'll bite, who is it?

 

[MACCA350]

I have the Velodyne ct100e and have been very happy with it (also had the Wharfedale Topaz 12" breifly as I thaught being a 12" it should give better bass, the velodyne was lightyears ahead of the topaz in every reguard so I onsold the Topaz). So I am very much a Velodyne man and have read everything I could about the DD series since their release.

I've been itching to get my hands on one but I upgraded the receiver at the time instead. So the other week I decided to test my WAF about the Sub upgrade, and

Thanks to all for reinforcing my faith in Velodyne

cheers

 

[pikers]

I’m thinking they are made in San Jose, California. Assembling a subwoofer can be done by a 12-year old kid. The cost of transporting parts would out weight any savings in labor. Also, you would have to be shipping a pretty big volume of product to justify assembly across the sea unless you are using off-the-shelf parts like SVS does. Velodyne makes their own. You can call Velodyne and ask where the DD series are made: (408) 465-2800. Fwiw, it would be an error to presume China is not able to produce a quality product.

Stuff like that is farmed to China, etc., becuase otherwise you'd have some lugnut-driller from Arkansas trying to charge Velo $15/hour to use his Makita putting these things together.

So, why not pay some Chinaman (woman) $2/hour to do the same?

 

[MacManNM]

China

Guys,
I hate to burst bubbles here, but 99.9% of the drivers, cabinets, crossovers amplifiers and everything else is MADE IN CHINA. They might be assembled in the US but the components are made elsewhere. I don't believe there is a driver manufacturer still running in the US. So all of your Athena, Paradigm, Dif tech, and ALL the other more expensive ones, are using drivers from china.

 

[Sleestack]

Stuff like that is farmed to China, etc., becuase otherwise you'd have some lugnut-driller from Arkansas trying to charge Velo $15/hour to use his Makita putting these things together.

So, why not pay some Chinaman (woman) $2/hour to do the same?

Exactly... except its more like $.02/hour.

 

[furrycute]

Eactly... excpet its more like $.02/hour.

I think a more reasonable estimate would be like $1/hour.

Just looking at the numbers, without considering currency conversion, things in China cost about the same as they do in the U.S. For example, a burger costs about 6 yuan in China compared to about 6 dollar in the U.S. The same thing is true of wages.

 

[Sleestack]

I think a more reasonable estimate would be like $1/hour.

Just looking at the numbers, without considering currency conversion, things in China cost about the same as they do in the U.S. For example, a burger costs about 6 yuan in China compared to about 6 dollar in the U.S. The same thing is true of wages.

$.02 was definitely an exaggeration. That being said, I was very much involved in negotiating manufacturing arrangements in China and Vietnam and was staggered at how little some people get paid.

 

[furrycute]

$.02 was definitely an exxageration. That being said, I was very much involved in negotiating manufacturing arrangements in China and Vietnam and was staggered at how little some people get paid.

Peasants in rural areas in China don't make nearly as much as people in big cities. Most factories are located somewhere in between.

 

[zilla]

Peasants in rural areas in China don't make nearly as much as people in big cities. Most factories are located somewhere in between.

Exactly, it all depends on where the factory is located. Another factor is how close to the water they are... as in a large port.

Being in the furniture industry, you guys would probably be aghast to know how much furniture these days (even from premium high end manufacturers) is made in China or thereabouts. I can only imagine in regard to electronics... gotta be an even greater percentage I would guess.

And also in regard to wages, I've heard figures around a dollar or two... per week. All depends on the specific factory, the work involved, and it's location.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Not to venture too far off the topic, but I asked Stephen of SVS (he's the head speaker designer and engineer at SVS) who he's most impressed with as far as subwoofer manufacturers go. I asked him to name three. He stood back, thought for a moment, and replied with one company. I bet you'll never guess who it is.

Got to be Velodyne