I'll extend the rant
Russell should have a listen to my Roksan Xeres MC2000 setup. 25 year ago that was around £3300. Compare against Meridian active setup starting at 10k 23 years ago, mine was chalk and cheese.
Remember this was still in the day when Phillips brainwashed the untrained for near on a decade before being proven wrong in the 90's, but the damage was done. Forget the slogan but of the order perfect sound, well you cant have that if one DAC or transport is better than another.
Russ its also why many US and English companies the last two years are setting up manufacturing back in homeland. Chinese labour has massively risen to not that far off our own along with transport, lack of quality control anything will do attitude. Its far cheaper to write container after container load off rather than go through ordeal of sending the work back.
The only companies that do well out of this far eastern manufacture are homeland big brass standing over manufacturing plants. ie VW and the like they have their own chief whips stating how things must be done with no penny pinching or short cuts.
Its been well over two decades Myford stuff made in china, tell tale sign 1/2" extra bed length on ML7. Funny link above to Student 2500 is actually an M300 design from late 60's, Colchester always had hand wheel on other side of cross slide. Would I buy a new one, no, old yes even if it needed a regrind.
Harrison were much dearer than Colchester late 50's early 60's so I was told.
The final statement is why would a 3rd world of old country buy up everything going British to start manufacturing! They are not mugs ands don't want to keep on repairing machinery.