CES 2009

To judge by some of the comments that have been posted to this Show report, some American audiophiles resent the fact that so much audio manufacturing has been outsourced to China. But the fact remains that if you wish to be able to purchase high-end quality at rock-bottom pricing, manufacturers have little choice but to turn to China. The irony is that even when price is taken into account, the quality of Chinese manufacture is very often superb.

As an example, take the new ELS-8 ($495/pair), see here with US distributor Music Hall's Roy Hall. Basically an upgraded version of the best-selling ELS-3 ($299/pair) that Bob Reina reviewed a few years back, the ELS-8 features a better tweeter and wooden veneer rather than vinyl.