brit hifi, the best!!

well in response to some slight brit bashing, I had a little free time, and drew up the huge variety of mostly solid state amplifier makers this country has spawned. It shows the enthusiasm and dedication of people, and tbh, how many units did some of these sell? so full marks for doing something for the sheer love of it.

some of these remind me of small independant stores that pop up, make no cash and disappear never to be seen again.

I think they are all british...(in origin)

naim
quad
creek/epos
nva
sonateer
lfd
ion
arcam
rega
exposure
linn
dpa
chord
cyrus/mission
musical fidelity
inca-tech/tresham
pink triangle
atc
sugden
moth
eca
crimson
talk electronics
emf (creek)
audiodrab/tag
michell/trichord
tom evans
dnm
marston
meridian
orelle
onix
john shearne
alchemist?

choices...long live small audio companies!!

 

cyrus/mission two different companies

 

They are now anyway

 

don't forget
audio synthesis
b&w
ruark
spendor
harbeth
the 'other' chord (cables or amps take your pick)
omiga
ecosse
townshend
tom evans
cheers


julian

 

You forgot Tannoy, they are owned by a Danish company but still based in Scotland.

 

Two more

Nytech
Avondale (Grad pre amp, 260z power amp)

Mr Perceptive

 

HF+ said that Quad ESLs are now made in China. Doesn't that make them non-Brit?

 

Mana

 

Soneeter arn't british either

 

READ the top, it says mostly solid state amp makers.
Its more harking back to the mid-late 80s, as well, so bear in mind.
sonateer? didn't realise, certainly minimalist

 

Possibly 2/3 worth a listen out of that list though

 

"mostly"

 

You did miss one 'Class' amp though not s/s the Anthony Mathews 'Soul' amps, rather special too and made not far from mo either!!

 

Don't you mean the Tom Evans amps

valve amps, I would be here forever if I tried to list everything. I tried to keep it to s.s.

 

Who's Tom Evans?

 

Eh,
WM I think you will find Sonneteer are British - built in Surrey

 

Really? I thought they were european?, Zic was looking into them a few years ago, with view to be a distributor?, he always said they had to come from abroad?
Well I've learn't some thing new today, thanks Andy

 

There's AVI too...

 

Hi,

What British Bashing?

There has been a lot of British HiFi & audio companies over the years & most of them have bitten the dust. You got to ask yourself why alot of these companies disappeared. True enthusiasm and dedication may get a product off the ground but many reasons can make it fail. Poor reliability, poor looks, poor build quality, poor business sense, poor sales, poor market research, poor markets, poor customer service, poor dealers & poor business plans are some of the reasons a hifi company can fail. The Hifi press and dealers have to hold their hands up as well. Don't get me wrong, I have have owned a fair number of British items & still do. But at times I feel that some of these companies have let themselves down or have been let down.

The Hifi industry is a very small industry. This is one reason why a number of companies branch out into other fields or remain small. It is also a nother reason why many have gone under. A large number of British companies now have foreign input (design, investment, management, manufacture) to keep them going. But you stil get a number of British companies who have cut a niche. Get it right you are onto a winner.

Here are some more companies, some large, some small, old and new, current and obsolete.

Avid
Border Patrol
Audionote (UK)
Nottingham Analogue
Garrard
Lowther
Castle
Living Voice
EAR
Art Audio
SJS Electroacoustic
Audio Innovations
Croft
Graham Slee
Gamma
KEF
REL
PYE
Royce
Walker
Voyd
QED
Audion
Cambridge Audio
SME
Helius
Alphason
Transcriptors
Leak
Streatham
Heybrook
Lentek
Rogers
Wharfdale
STD
Audio Vois
Quantum
Ariston
Dunlop Systemdek
AVI
Kelvin labs
Amstrad
Revolver
Monitor Audio
Armstrong
Papworth
Bush
Logic
Mordaunt Short
Deltec
Roksan
Alba
Originlive
Royd
JR
Decca London
Haddock
Goldring
PMC


SCIDB

 

Alba? Are they really British? I'd always they were based in the far east somewhere. What an embarassing state of affairs if they are a British audio company .

At the other end of the scale, Wilson-Benesch are British aren't they?