Grant Fidelity purchasing manager, Rachel Zhang, explained that her company wants to bring “a self-servicing, consumer electronics distribution model to high-end audio.” All of Grant Fidelity’s products are available factory-direct; and, instead of the traditional dealer network, Grant Fidelity utilizes private, home-based demonstrators. The goal is to make available more affordable products for a younger and more varied audience, Zhang said.
I listened to a simple system: Grant Fidelity LS3/5a monitors ($980/pair; and based on the classic British model), Shengya A-216 hybrid amplifier (150Wpc; $1850), and Shengya CD-16 CD player ($1850), all designed and manufactured in China, under Zhang’s critical quality control. “Quality control is extremely important,” Zhang said. “It’s easy to make one good product, but it’s not easy to make 100 good products consistently.” Grant Fidelity is the exclusive North American distributor for Shengya, a company that has been around for 18 years (and as OEM for 15 years), Zhang informed me. The products all had a substantial and familiar look and feel, and together produced a smooth, relaxed sound.
