1. "Maybe using fake parts, esp. the trannies. Having grown up in a third world country myself, I can definitely say that the temptation to save3 bucks by putting in fake parts is a big one."

Happens in all industries. That's pretty much the name of the game.

2. "Maybe using poor solder..again..saving a few pennies per amp, maybe unavailability of good solder."

Again, who's to say this is not industry practice? As a consumer we take alot of construction techniques for granted.

3. Maybe unreliable workmanship...always a problem when you are paying low wages.

Wages are relative, even in the USA the geographic region determines one's pay. Granted domestic wages are higher, but it's all relative to the standard of living. Moreover, I think I could argue the point that wages have little to do with quality of workmanship - pride in one's workmanship is directed by the company's atmosphere and commitemnt to quality.

4. No warranty coverage...at least not as reliable as a USA based company.

Again, this comes down to a commitment from management. If a company wants to offer and honor a warranty, the location of the company should be of no concern. Conversely, if a company does not want to honor a warranty, they could be down the sreet and it wouldn't help.

5. If you build an amp yourself, clearly that's most cost effective.

Not always true. Companies that mass produce have an economy of scale that the consumer does not.

Please don't take my responses as negative. I think it's going to be interesting over the next few years watching China and how it handles global manufacturing and quality issues. I remember how Japanese products (cars in particular) used to be considered crap. Now look at them - they have far exceeded anyone's expectation with regard to quality. I hope Chinese manufacturing has learned from other's mistakes.......Regards, Colin