Chinese "Odin" cables

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MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Interesting point.
Hey Myles/Jeff/Kal/etc.
Be interesting to know if you ever heard rumours of competing manufacturers spreading false information, and not just for cables.
Only needs to reach a certain level of "information" on the web before hits critical mass and then it seems to become lore; such as Siltech and various sites/posters thinking they are manufactured in China.

I tend to think this misinformation is an unfortunate fallout from various credible articles that highlighted how many manufacturers use brand generic OEM spools/mass made in China/etc, but these articles never went out of their way to emphasise there are cable manufacturers who do use their own engineering and/or bespoke specialist manufacturing.
This then gained traction on various forums and then evolved with posters suggesting facts they do not know, I feel this is further compounded that some cynics buy such as Nordost/Siltech/etc but buy 2nd hand that are incredibly cheap and outside controlled environment (hence very likely using fakes).

I am very cynical; going as far to think some idiots would buy legit high end cable and then sell 2nd-hand a fake version using the original legit packaging with certificate while keeping the original cable for themselves.
I am sure this does not happen often, but there are idiots out there who do not mind screwing over others :(

Cheers
Orb

You mean the current HIFI Tuning vs. Synergistic Research fuse battle?


Of course there's a few manufacturers who are known for badmouthing other competitors products on the side. Or a speaker manufacturer who posted on their site why their product was better than Magico, Marten, etc. It's a shame companies can't let their own products stand on their own merit.

Then there's those manufacturers who give a product to someone in return for them spamming the net about how good the piece is. Those though, usually stick out like a sore thumb.
 
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howiebrou

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BUT..........
did anybody listen to the Clones?

I have had a fake Siltech Ruby Hill II power cord (which includes an exact copy of the Siltech certificate down to the signature and name as Siltech does) pass through my system and it wasn't that bad although i admit i did not do any painstaking double blind auditions. Nicely built although when you compared it to the real one, the gold colour was slightly off but you would never know if you only had one to look at.
 

Elliot G.

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Its very interesting to me that the fake watches, fashion ( women's bags and shoes, as well as high end sneaker fakes) and recently audio fakes
all comes from only one place. This is the same place that had fake baby formula, dry wall and even fake fentanyl.
The moral of this story if it comes from there one should be very very careful.
There is of course a sucker born every minute.
 

howiebrou

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Its very interesting to me that the fake watches, fashion ( women's bags and shoes, as well as high end sneaker fakes) and recently audio fakes
all comes from only one place. This is the same place that had fake baby formula, dry wall and even fake fentanyl.
The moral of this story if it comes from there one should be very very careful.
There is of course a sucker born every minute.

There are very few countries with the ability to manufacture to the same levels as China. Since they already manufacture most of the world’s electronics knocking off a few thousand copies would seem to easy to me. They have the skills set, the mindset and the manpower.
 

microstrip

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BUT..........
did anybody listen to the Clones?

IMHO people will be too ashamed of having bought Clones to share opinions on them ...
 

Bodhi

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Apr 20, 2014
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There are Chinese knock off Jorma Design cables being sold online right now at a fraction of normal msrp. They're pretty easy to spot for a seasoned audiophile, as for example they don't have a s/n engraved on the brass plate which is included on all their higher end models. I can't fathom the mindset of these Chinese shamelessly ripping of other companies intellectual property without blinking an eye. They must have no conscience..
 
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DaveC

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About 8 years ago I bought one pair of fake IC cables on ebay just to check them out. The cable was indistinguishable from the original brand and the plugs were close copies but the center pin was split while the real ones are solid.

The cables actually weren't horrible, but not great. I did not do a direct comparison to the real ones, but on googling the cable came across an audio reviewer who actually reviewed the fake version.

The Chinese copy everything with no shame, in fact I believe they consider it "clever". Even when I was working on industrial scale wind turbines, once European 2MW turbines were installed in China they came out with a new wind turbine company not long after with a very familiar design... I honestly don't understand how the world accepts this behavior from the Chinese with no repercussions.
 

Elliot G.

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There are very few countries with the ability to manufacture to the same levels as China. Since they already manufacture most of the world’s electronics knocking off a few thousand copies would seem to easy to me. They have the skills set, the mindset and the manpower.
But not the creative energy to design there own stuff. Trying to make money off of someone else's hard work, brand names and designs is to me CRAP
 
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Mike Lavigne

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But not the creative energy to design there own stuff. Trying to make money off of someone else's hard work, brand names and designs is to me CRAP

government sanctioned and encouraged intellectual property theft. woven deeply in their economy. and underpinned by low wages and environmental chaos. the darkest side of human nature in it's base form.
 

Elliot G.

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government sanctioned and encouraged intellectual property theft. woven deeply in their economy. and underpinned by low wages and environmental chaos. the darkest side of human nature in it's base form.
We as Americans and citizens of the world should resist buying their crap. It will keep our economy growing and create new jobs. This only wanting the lowest price is destroying small businesses.
 

Elliot G.

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There's a variety of social systems and organizations that don't value merit.
Perhaps however I for one will not support such behavior and it would be truly patriotic for others to stop worrying about only buying the cheapest and stand for something rather than righteous indignation on the internet. But that's just my opinion. People may resnt what some brands have done however allowing others to rip them off and disparage their efforts is to me awful. Maybe some don't like Rolex for example however there is a city in China that does nothing but make fake watches. My ex was there with her father and yet no one does anything to stop it.
 

thomask

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Not many people realize that China used to have more GDP than British or any other countries including Roman Empire until middle of 17th century.

They used to have also excellent manufacturing skills illustrated by Ming China porcelain.

During last 50 years, Main China had embarked upon " industrialization " stimulated by success of four small dragons, that is, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

During the process, they had ignored Intellectual Property rights of other countries on the premises that they may go without punishment as under developed country.

Major companies around the world had connived at such acts of crime afraid of losing potential big market of Main China.


I have favorable opinion about Ex President Obama, but he is not so brave to fight the crime of China.

I do not have good impression of Trump on his ignorance of "Global warming caused by excessive carbon dioxide release".

But he is right to fight the Chinese crime of Intellectual property right infringement.


I had been Patent attorney engaged in Intellectual right infringement suit.

But after retirement, I am writing books and taking photography in addition to enjoying music.;)
 
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howiebrou

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It would be an interesting experiment for a member of the forum to buy some fake Odins and compare them with bona fide cables of another brand that cost the same amount (i.e. not with real Odins) and see if they are competitive at their retail price. I would wager that they might be worth the price of admission...
 

audio.bill

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Most knock-off cables I've seen are made to appear like the targeted design to a casual observer, but are not necessarily made with the same type of conductors or precision manufacturing to truly emulate the original's electrical characteristics. There have been some brands reportedly which are made in the same factory as the originals during off hour production runs, and those could potentially be identical in construction. This is much less likely to happen with brands that own and manage their production facilities.
 

howiebrou

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Jun 29, 2012
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Most knock-off cables I've seen are made to appear like the targeted design to a casual observer, but are not necessarily made with the same type of conductors or precision manufacturing to truly emulate the original's electrical characteristics. There have been some brands reportedly which are made in the same factory as the originals during off hour production runs, and those could potentially be identical in construction. This is much less likely to happen with brands that own and manage their production facilities.

There is a lot of 'off hour' manufacturing in China...some 'on hour' too with the full knowledge of managers who obviously benefit.
 

microstrip

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It would be an interesting experiment for a member of the forum to buy some fake Odins and compare them with bona fide cables of another brand that cost the same amount (i.e. not with real Odins) and see if they are competitive at their retail price. I would wager that they might be worth the price of admission...

Do you want weekend circus for free? ;)

IMHO comparing cables needs a lot of time and effort and is a unreliable process - we need many data points of well known independent people to be of any value.
 

microstrip

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Measurements of resistance, capacitance, inductance and impedance carried in a fake cable compared to originals will show if it is a fake a not in one minute - I have measured a few and the differences were abysmal. Variations between 30 and 200% versus originals were commonly seen.
 

Elliot G.

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It would be an interesting experiment for a member of the forum to buy some fake Odins and compare them with bona fide cables of another brand that cost the same amount (i.e. not with real Odins) and see if they are competitive at their retail price. I would wager that they might be worth the price of admission...
the thought that any of you are willing to give credibility to a FAKE makes me sick!
If it was your business that was being compromised I seriously doubt you would think it was OK
Awful just awful and you should all be ashamed
 
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