Korean Job Discussion Forums

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Does it exist?

2000 I saw a pre/power amp combo system in a general electronics store.Kinda small-maybe 50 watts-going for 600K.

Had a student 2001 who made top end,money is no object amplifiers.Goodness knows what they went for....20-30 million?

Japanese brands like Kenwood,Yamaha et al have always maintained a Hi-Fi aspect.Do Korean companies do the same?

gsxr750r · Joined: 29 Jan 2007

Denon is a very well-known name brand. It's Korean.

gsxr750r · Joined: 29 Jan 2007

There's also a very high-end audio store across from Homever in Bundang/Yatap. It's next to the KB Bank, I think.

Also tons of Hi-Fi in Techno-Mart, and on the 2nd floor of the ETLand Building in Youngsan.

For the money, I've always liked Onkyo equipment, although their remotes have always sucked.

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

I like Denon.. Is it really Korean?

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Denon is a Japanese electronics company that originated Digital Audio technology, while specializing in manufacturing of high-fidelity professional and consumer audio equipment. For many decades, Denon was a brand name of Nippon-Columbia, including the Nippon Columbia record label. In 2001 Denon was spun off as a separate company with 98% held by Ripplewood Holdings and 2% by Hitachi. In 2002 Denon merged with Marantz to form D&M Holdings. The Denon brand came from a merger of Denki Onkyo and others in 1939(Wikipedia)

I'm starting to wonder,has Korea ever made hi-fi(separate to top end audiophile,cost-no-object gear)?

I don't think LG or Samsung have any history of making hi-fi,just cheap kickabout stereos,and microsystems now.

What other Korean brands have there been?

Surely Koreans have been able to set up big nasty stereos to terrorise the neighbourhood with in the past?

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Korean companies have been too scared to make high-end electronics because the Japanese have been so good at it for decades. They don't want to get into something where they have a more than likely chance of never being better than the Japanese.

I don't think the Korean Chaebol see it as their role to make niche products. They won't see the reasoning behind doing lots of research and product development to make something that will only sell a few thousand units at best. Korean companies would much rather sell millions of mediocre products. They don't seem to recognise that making high-end stuff promotes the name of a company and gives the company credibility.

I do have a Korean friend who is a member of an audiophile club. These guys have the real deal. The average cost of their systems would be around 50,000 usd. They buy American, European and Japanese stuff. Mark Levinson is a favorite among those guys.

gsxr750r · Joined: 29 Jan 2007

Wow, I was always told it was Korean. Now I know why the prices here aren't that far off from the USA prices... it's Japanese.

If it were Korean, you'd actually pay MORE for it here, most likely.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Out of curiosity I just called my audiophile buddy and he confirmed that very little high-end stuff is made in Korea. One brand has a bit of rep. April. I've never heard of it.

He gave me some websites that cater to the high-end user in Korea.

http://www.sorishop.co.kr/

http://www.hificlub.co.kr/

http://www.fineav.co.kr/

I would love a set of these B&W speakers but they're a bit too expensive and my wife would never let me turn them up anyway!!! Sad

http://www.fineav.com/shop/common/Product_detail.asp?p_no=db100084

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

There are quite a number of quality Chinese brands that are getting positive words on audiophile forums. I bought a pair of Swans speakers and they are amazing.

Some of our friends in China have some of the most outlandish setup I have ever seen short of a maxed out showroom.

gsxr750r · Joined: 29 Jan 2007

Best speakers I've heard for the money are Canadian-made Paradigm speakers. I have a pair of Mini-Monitors matched with a PDR-12" subwoofer. You can't even buy a sub like that in Korea. My movies sound awesome.

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

You can't buy a lot of things in Korea in the first place.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Looking at sites like ebay and trademe,there's a lot of good gear you can pick up at pretty decent prices.The truly top end stuff doesn't lose too much in value when you take it out of the showroom but that's a little out of my kin anyway.

When I go back to my hometown later this year,I'm gonna see what I can salvage from my old system.Carver sonic holography pre-amp,Ariston RD40 T/T,Kimber cables.....

Hi-Fi and perusing through record shops is something I've been starved of in Korea.Hi-Fi can become somewhat overdone and pedantic after a while
though.I mean,it becomes possible to not be actually "listening" to the music anymore.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

I had a Exposure Super XX paired with B&W 603s (maybe another number - big floor standers) fat cable and a Arcam Player and DAC. Gave them to my mates to take care of five years back.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

I'm not so sure about B&W speakers....with some friends they each blew a driver on separate occasions,whereas I'd just pop a fuse on my NZ Mclaren power amp-popping for that was commonplace though.

I've got to say,the B&W speaker model mentioned before going for 1.4 looks very,very tidy.

There's the hassle of moving them about though.....as well as concrete houses here just being echo chambers.