"Phoren" Speakers With Indian Drivers

[Rabepobemababe]

I wish to compile a list of foreign brands of audiophile home speakers (not car speakers) that employ drivers from India. These days, there seem to be a few of them.

To start with:

PSB Alpha T1 (towers retailing in the U.S. around $600 per pair)

Link:

Drivers from India - used in this PSB speaker???

Onix AV 123 series (towers as well as bookshelves)

Link:

AV123 x-mtm Tower Speaker Review | Audioholics

I would be grateful if the esteemed forum members can help me with some more names.

 

[magma]

Sir

there are loads of speakers using drivers manufactured in Seepz Mumbai

You can call them drivers manufactured in INdia

However the holding company may or may not be indian

the thing is many drivers have the name of the parent company ( which is Phoren )
however where that particular driver was manufactured is many a time not released

the AV123 tower is an offshoot of the AV123 bookshelf reviewed here
http://www.stereomojo.com/Small Speaker Shootout 2007/SmallSpeakerShootout2007Part1.htm

 

[Rabepobemababe]

Thank you for the information.

Are courtesies like a, "Made in India," sticker extended in case of these products?

After all, a Yamaha or Pioneer manufactured in Thailand contains a sticker informing of the same.

 

[magma]

Thank you for the information.

Are courtesies like a, "Made in India," sticker extended in case of these products?

After all, a Yamaha or Pioneer manufactured in Thailand contains a sticker informing of the same.

Finished products are required to have the sticker

the drivers that are "raw products" dont always carry these stickers
you will be surprised to know many companies have theri drivers manufactured here

because few places in China accept orders for smaller qty of custom drivers

In fact i know of two real "biggies" who use INIDA as their R&D playing field
get their prototyoes done here
test the waters
then as their demand grows
shift to PRC

 

[Rabepobemababe]

For the benefit of fellow members of the forum, and for the sake of catering to the academic curiosity of folks like me, the "biggies" can perhaps be named.

I know that in the car audio segment, Illusion Audio, U.S.A., makes use of Peerless India drivers, and Dakshin Speakers Manufacturing Private Limited, Chennai does speakers for the likes of Sony and Alpine. I once witnessed Mr. M.P. from Pune making a statement on an Indian automobile forum that he assisted Audiiobahn in their subwoofer R&D. He was subjected to such ridicule on the forum that I never saw him back on that forum. But for all I know, he might have stated a fact.

 

[spirovious]

Amphion speakers also use Iwai drivers.

 

[Rabepobemababe]

I see that Amphion is a Finnish company much like Genelec, and Denmark (the home of Vifa, Scanspeak & Peerless of Denmark) is in their very neighbourhood. It is a surprise that they chose to use Iwai drivers from India in some of their speakers.

Somebody also mentioned that Jordan JX92 full range driver is being made in India. But considering that full range, single driver speakers are few, not many international brands may be featuring this driver.

 

[magma]

peerless
has operations in Seepz - mumbai

however they wont sell you a single custom driver that the Oems use
at any price
without oem persmission

 

[keith_correa]

however they wont sell you a single custom driver that the Oems use at any price without oem persmission

And so it should be. It would be very unethical to sell drivers that they are producing as OEM's. And I don't think they sell their generic drivers too.

 

[keith_correa]

Also, I've always wondered how Peerless India drivers are available for sale through Jeetubhai. Anything produced in SEEPZ is not allowed to be sold domestically. Someone once told me that the Peerless drivers available locally are the ones that fail QC. Don't know how true/false that information is.

 

[kapvin]

Also, I've always wondered how Peerless India drivers are available for sale through Jeetubhai. Anything produced in SEEPZ is not allowed to be sold domestically. Someone once told me that the Peerless drivers available locally are the ones that fail QC. Don't know how true/false that information is.

For me that has been a bit of a puzzle too. why only one dealer? why only certain skus?

the markups in India by that dealer are tremendous, because many of these drivers occasionally pop up on parts express et al as buyouts, and they are almost always less than USD 10 (more like under USD 4).. when they include the cost of shipping from India .and. parts-express markups. (shipping is by wt. and not ad valorem)..

But i'm just cribbing, we we should be grateful for the fact that a shop lamington road sells them; as it is a huge favour to the starved Indian DIYer

 

[keith_correa]

<snip>we we should be grateful for the fact that a shop lamington road sells them; as it is a huge favour to the starved Indian DIYer

Not if they have failed QC

Actually it depends on the parameters they have failed in. If it's because of something that's just cosmetic or a minor niggle then IMO, they are good enough.

 

[kapvin]

Not if they have failed QC

Actually it depends on the parameters they have failed in. If it's because of something that's just cosmetic or a minor niggle then IMO, they are good enough.

I was being ironic. To me it makes very little sense to purchase these drivers at these prices even if QC Was passed. For a failed qc driver, would need to understand which parameter failed. But the discount should be more than substantial.

 

[keith_correa]

Actually i think i know why pe can sell peerless india drivers so cheap as compared to local availability. Peerless must be (is?) a 100% eou and so a lot of concessions kick in when they export (to pe or whoever). But when they have to sell locally, they need to get the goods unbonded (debonded?) from the customs folks, pay duty and then sell locally. I may be oversimplifying this but essentially that is what i think happens. Still does not explain why only certain sku's are only available locally.