American Made Speakers

#1

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 8:29am

Greg.G
offline

Joined: March 2004
Post Count: 55

I justed wanted to get an idea of what American-made speakers are out there on the market. I only know of SVS but what are the others?

#2

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 8:36am

PaulT
offline

Joined: October 2002
Location: B.C., Canada
Post Count: 932

That is difficult to say without some caveats in these days of Globalization.

Do you mean American Made with American Parts (SVS uses Canadian Made Plate Amps), American Assembled with all Imported parts, American Designed with parts and Assembly outsourced, etc etc. You see what I mean.

"One of the problems of taking things apart and seeing how they work--supposing you're trying to find out how a cat works--you take that cat apart to see how it works, what you've got in your hands is a non-working cat." -- Douglas Adams

#3

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 8:47am

Lew Crippen
offline

Joined: May 2002
Location: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexíco
Post Count: 12,060

What Paul said—it is pretty hard to know where each component is sourced. Plus the sourcing often varies from run to run.

ACI has a reputation of being an American-made company. I know for sure that their very excellent cabinetwork is done in the US—except for the ELT system. I have no direct knowledge of where they source their components.

There are plenty of US-based, custom speaker companies—many of them one or two man shows. Once again it is difficult to know where they source their components.

¡Time is not my master!

#4

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 8:53am

Alan Pummill
offline

Joined: July 1999
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 1,248

MAGNEPAN.....AMERICAN MADE!!

SLEEPY AL
MAGGIE MAGIC!!

#5

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 9:13am

Tony Genovese
offline

Joined: October 2000
Post Count: 814

Vandersteen, Thiel, some Infinity, some JBL, McIntosh, M&K, Merlin, Martin-Logan, Boston Acoustics, Phase Technology among others. That said, most good drivers come from Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway).

#6

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 4:01pm

Brett Frank
offline

Joined: March 2004
Post Count: 9

Theil, Infinity, Jbl, McIntosh, Martin-Logan, Boston, Phase Tech all have part made overseas in some of there product (mainly cabients)

#7

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 4:09pm

John Garcia
offline

Joined: June 1999
Location: San Jose, Ca.
Post Count: 11,130

Joseph Audio.

GR Research

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so." - Mark Twain

HT: Marantz SR-8300, MA500 mono, Audiosource Amp300, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Oppo BDP-83, RC2000MkII, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, PS3 60G (250G)...

#8

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 5:15pm

Danny Tse
offline

Joined: November 2000
Location: Castro Valley, California, USA
Post Count: 3,141

Some Boston speakers are made overseas. Same goes for some NHTs. Polks are made in Mexico, and same with some JBL. Although you would be surprised that some Pioneer speakers are designed and build in the US.

SACD not listed at sa-cd.net (updated 8/26/2009)

#9

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 7:06pm

Nathan Porteous
offline

Joined: February 2003
Post Count: 109

Why would you want american made speakers when everyone knows "CANADA MAKES THE BEST SPEAKERS IN THE WORLD"

#10

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 8:06pm

phil.deckers
offline

Joined: October 2002
Post Count: 1

Meadowlark Audio makes some excellent speakers in western New York state.

#11

Rating: 0

4/26/04 at 10:20pm

Dave Moritz
Dave Moritz
offline

Joined: July 2001
Location: Whittier, California
Post Count: 2,598

For myself I plan to buy some comercial JBL drivers and crossovers and build a custom enclosure for them. This is all to match a custom center and rears to my american made A-7 Altec Lancing Voice Of The Theater speakers. I will at that point build custom dual JBL 18" subs

Crowded Public Theaters, Who Needs A Stinkin Croweded Public Theater

1080p High Definition SupporterLossless Audio Supporter Current Library: 221 DVD's / 70 HD-DVD's / 181 Blu-ray's (251 HD Titles)

#12

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 1:47am

Nathan W.
offline

Joined: April 2004
Post Count: 142

It's amazing the performance you get with very inexpensive drivers these days from places such as Taiwan. I have a pair of BIC America DV-604 bipolar towers and a pair of DCM CX-27 and a pair of CX-17 monitors and all of the drivers are made in Taiwan and obviously low cost. But they have suprisingly good sound and the DV-604s go deep - below 30Hz.

These inexpensive drivers can sound really good in a properly designed cabinet.

#13

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 2:10am

Andrew JC
offline

Joined: November 2001
Post Count: 86

Snell Acoustics are made in America.

#14

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 5:40am

JamesCB
offline

Joined: February 2003
Post Count: 440

Quote:

Phase Tech all have part made overseas in some of there product (mainly cabients)

I have to correct you on this one, Brett Frank.
Phase Technology is entirely manufactured in their Jacksonville, FL facility. All cabinets, drivers and their components, and crossovers are produced in this facility. They wind their own voice coils and crossover parts in house. I just wanted to clarify this. They are one of the few TRUE American made speaker manufacturers.

As a matter of fact, the Altec Lansing "Voice of the Theater" speakers Dave Moritz speaks about contain drivers manufactured by Phase Tech's parent comapany: United Speaker Systems.

I believe you are also incorrect saying McIntosh has parts made ovrseas. Don't quote me on that, they might these days, but not in the early days.

#15

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 5:52am

CalvinCarr
offline

Joined: December 2003
Post Count: 512

Wow,
I live in Jacksonville and didn't even know they were here. Another point for the Super Bowl commitee.

#16

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 6:53am

Tony Genovese
offline

Joined: October 2000
Post Count: 814

Quote:

It's amazing the performance you get with very inexpensive drivers these days from places such as Taiwan.

Cabinet and crossover design are critical. In the 80's, John Dunlavy had a company called Duntech (in Australia) that made two very high quality wall mounted speakers (the PCL3 and PCL5) that Bert Whyte raved about in Audio magazine. These used the Audax TW010E1 which costs around $6. Driver cost doesn't always equate finished product goodness (or lack thereof).

#17

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 9:26am

Shawn C
offline

Joined: May 2001
Post Count: 1,434

Well, aren't most of the Klipsch speakers made in Arkansas? I'm pretty sure their reference speakers are are still made there. (Well, ASSEMBLED in AR. might be a better way to put it)

I believe that Legacy speakers are made/assembled in the USA. http://www.legacy-audio.com

#18

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 9:37am

Tony Genovese
offline

Joined: October 2000
Post Count: 814

I think the only Klipsch still made in Hope are the Heritage line (probably one guy making every one). The Refs, I believe, are assembled in Mehico.

#19

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 12:57pm

JoeHard
offline

Joined: March 2003
Post Count: 136

When I purchsed my Def Tech BP2002's in '97 they were made in U.S. When I bought the CLR 2002 in '02 i was disappointed to see MADE IN CHINA on the box.

#20

Rating: 0

4/27/04 at 4:20pm

Mike Dzurko
offline

Joined: April 2000
Post Count: 78

For the record; with the exception of the ELT, all ACI cabinets are made in one of three shops within a 40 mile radius of La Crosse. Crossovers are built here in La Crosse from U.S. and European parts. Subwoofer amps are manufactured for us here in the U.S. Subwoofer drivers are manufactured in California, with most of the other drivers being Scandinavian. All final assembly, testing, and packaging is done here in La Crosse.

FWIW: In my experience, there are many quality vendors and suppliers around the globe. Point of origin doesn't necessarily indicate quality or lack of.

Have a great day!

Mike Dzurko
miked@audioc.com
www.audioc.com

#21

Rating: 0

4/28/04 at 1:37am

JohnSmith
offline

Joined: April 2003
Post Count: 554

Where are the resistors, transistors, power supplies and wires sourced from? What about the screws?

;-)

#22

Rating: 0

4/28/04 at 7:15am

PaulT
offline

Joined: October 2002
Location: B.C., Canada
Post Count: 932

Quote:

FWIW: In my experience, there are many quality vendors and suppliers around the globe. Point of origin doesn't necessarily indicate quality or lack of.

Well said.

"One of the problems of taking things apart and seeing how they work--supposing you're trying to find out how a cat works--you take that cat apart to see how it works, what you've got in your hands is a non-working cat." -- Douglas Adams

#23

Rating: 0

4/28/04 at 8:53am

Jesse Sharrow
offline

Joined: July 2003
Post Count: 745

Dunlavy speakers were made here in colorado springs. I dont know if they were 100% U.S. built.

#24

Rating: 0

4/28/04 at 1:03pm

Lee-c
offline

Joined: September 2000
Post Count: 483

VMPS speakers are 95% made in the U.S. according to the designer/owner/builder Brian Cheney.
A few parts are imported because that's the only place to get them, but the rest is U.S.
The only exception I know of is the RM30 speaker, which has the cabinet made overseas.
Our VMPS RM2 speakers were made right here in the U.S., cabinet included.

And the sound quality
is simply world-class, and for a price that makes the cost of most other "high-end" speakers
laughable by comparison. VMPS is the SVS of main speakers, IMO, superb quality and performance
for a fantastic price. This applies to their ribbon stand mounted monitors all the way up to their
large ribbon floorstanding models. All of which share the same basic sonic character and quality.

Check the official web site as well as the forum below for more details.

http://www.vmpsaudio.com/

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/v...ddb50aa0fd01e7

#25

Rating: 0

4/28/04 at 2:01pm

Fred_Krampits
offline

Joined: September 2001
Post Count: 81

There is Ohm Acoustics, an American made speaker company that while not that well known makes some impressive products!

ohmacoustics.com

The Man who coined the phrase \"Maniac: The Citizen Kane of Horror Movies\"

My DVDs

#26

Rating: 0

11/5/04 at 6:01pm

Lee-c
offline

Joined: September 2000
Post Count: 483

Shawn C: Those Legacy Helix speakers look awfully cool.

You can see them at the link below.

http://www.legacy-audio.com/2003/helix.html

#27

Rating: 0

11/5/04 at 10:15pm

StephenHa
offline

Joined: September 2003
Post Count: 364

talking to some speaker reps (one of them a manufacturer) the parts are not entirely available from the US (pole pieces are no longer made in the US as well as some other small parts) but truthfully unless your concerned about helping the US worker it doesn't make a better quality speaker

#28

Rating: 0

11/6/04 at 5:11am

Eddie Horton
offline

Joined: May 2004
Post Count: 237

I have Ascend Acoustics speakers and they have a plaque on the rear of the speaker which says, "Designed, engineered, and manufactured in the U.S.A." As for where the components originate, I couldn't say.

Save the whales! Trade them for valuable prizes.

#29

Rating: 0

11/6/04 at 7:02am

Seth_L
offline

Joined: April 2002
Post Count: 1,553

A lot of Infinity speakers are made in Mexico.

#30

Rating: 0

11/6/04 at 8:23am

Bolivar G
offline

Joined: July 2002
Post Count: 318

I just bought Klipsch Reference line speakers so I have the boxes still siting in front of me. The only thing I could find on the boxes was, Manufactured in Hope, AR. Coporate office in indianapolis, IN.
Looked on the speakers themselves, couldnt find anything and also found nothing in the manuel.
You sure they are made in Mexico??

My DVD Collection

Tags

Related Forum Threads

Other Threads

Recent Reviews

What Users Want

Got Facebook?

Already a User?

Create a New Account

Recent Discussions

Recent Reviews

Recent Wikis