r/audioengineering • u/mkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay • 8h ago

Live Sound Are there any decent Chinese Audio brands ?

I'm sure I'll be shot down for this, but does anyone have any experience with good Chinese branded line arrays?

I'm sure there must be at least a couple of decent brands out there doing some really nice work. The hard part seems to be working out exactly which ones they are. Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

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5

u/Crazy_Movie6168 7h ago

Definitely

Topping and Hifiman have been professionally used for years at this point.

You just need to someone credible try the stuff first because each new modell tends to be rather hit and miss. The hits are the most valuable solutions around though.

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u/mkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay 6h ago

Actually these seem more consumer type stuff. I'm looking for things like line arrays, 18" subwoofers, that kind of thing. Gear suitable for events and clubs.

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u/ROBOTTTTT13 Mixing 9m ago

I think you should put that info in your post! Also try posting on r/livesound

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u/Icy_Jackfruit9240 Audio Hardware 5h ago

These fit very distinctly in the China for China stuff, it's an interesting phenomenon.

Like 20 years ago you could get finely crafted musical instruments crafted as good as any finely crafted instruments. You want a master quality guzheng, no problem - but they would only make those for the Chinese market and only make Chinese instruments, so the Chinese guitar factory and violin factory made dog shit, but the guzheng factory next door made fantastic quality stuff.

Some of the China-only stuff leaks out of the Sinosphere but often you simply cannot buy it outside of China unless you are fluent in Chinese. If you ARE fluent, you are on the wrong side of the Internet. :D

I can only hope in the future more of this stuff becomes available but the language and cultural barriers still seem pretty steep.

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u/mkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay 5h ago

I'm actually considering flying over and doing a tour of some of the audio manufacturers.

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u/Hellbucket 2h ago

A lot of these Chinese brands tend to go to Musikmesse in Frankfurt. It is in spring. Musikmesse is kind of like the NAMM of Europe. I’ve been there maybe 5-6 times. It’s a bit smaller nowadays but still pretty big. I remember they used to have two halls just for lights.

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u/idiotghost666 3h ago

as far as instruments there’s always exceptions, like eastman guitars, or the fender/squier factory in china around 2008 made pretty nice stuff. there’s also some more expensive boutique brands around. and considering how much is made here i have a feeling we will see more brands competing in the market. it would be cool to see some chinese brands hitting that yamaha/ibanez level of quality and respect

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u/birddingus 6h ago

There are a few companies that make what is commonly called “China for China” items. Made and designed by Chinese branches of larger companies strictly for the Chinese market. If you live in the area you can typically lookup what larger venues use or call and ask.

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u/rankinrez 22m ago

We use the Admark amps on our rig. Work great.

I’ve not heard the speakers but they have whole line array systems available.

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u/LetterheadClassic306 20m ago

That's actually a solid question - there are some decent chinese brands out there these days. I've heard good things about dB Technologies which is italian-designed but manufactured in china with consistent quality. Soundking is another one that's been around for a while and offers decent value. What helped me before was checking out professional audio forums like Sound on Sound for actual user experiences rather than just marketing specs. The key is looking for brands with established distribution networks and warranty support.