Audiophiles in China on what brands they like, who they trust, and music

We had this great chat at the New York Audio Show last weekend. Rachel is moved for China to Canada 18 years ago. Her company Grant Fidelity offers a wide variety of tube amps, headphones, and other goodies, grantfidelity.com/site/
Follow me on Twitter @audiophiliacMan
#Chinaaudiophile #audiophile

[@JImmY1982MinG]

I believe this is my first time writing a comment here after being subscribed for a while. Love the video, mostly because me being a fellow Chinese audiophile and I can confirm what Rachel said here is about 99% true. A few things I also wanted to point out: the most popular speakers are often the small book shelf speakers due to the size constraint of people's living space in China. And one of the most discussed model is HIVI M1, which is pretty much a copy of the SWAN M1 from Canada; because SWAN is now owned by HIVI. Different from the SWAN M1, the HIVI M1s are considerable cheaper in China, probably because of the lower reproduction cost. China also has a few good tube amp manufacturers, to avoid the shipping cost, I had brought one from China back to the states. It was a struggle but you do get to save some money in the end and it is great for DIY'ers who like to upgrade their gears. Overall, I feel that most of the Chinese people are very cost-centric, meaning they want to spend the least amount of money to get the most out of their purchase. And there's not many great review channels in China, most are hosted by people who are relatively new to audio, or drive by their sponsors. If you could ever get your video translated in Chinese and set up the captions, I feel that you will be able to help lots of fellow audiophiles in China. It would be a lot of work, but it is well worth the trouble.

[@MasterofPlay7]

i bought the fm300a clone recommended by the german youtuber, is very very good!

[@ck8420]

Her partner Ian Grant passed away a few years ago. They were a great audiophile couple. I brought some equipment from them and was treated royally - very genuine people.

[@DonHamlin]

Thanks Steve, that was a fascinating discussion. She was really able to articulate the cultural differences.

[@fredpasta6488]

and then I scroll down and read yours ... 😜

[@wa2368]

a) Greedy BillyBob uses cheap labor from China to make his products there and increase his profit margin from 30% to 300%. b) Bigoted JimBobs spew hate on China when it was good ol greedy BillyBob who moved manufacturing out there in the first place c) Bigoted JimBobs refuse to blame greedy good ol' BillyBob for their woes because he shares the same skin tone and facial features as them. That's all that matters for JimBobs in the grand scheme of things really d) Whoopdidoo (And that's the story of BillyBob, China and JimBobs folks, China got caught in the middle)

[@nl_2652]

Agreed, this was a very interesting video!

[@denroy3]

@@wa2368 you sound like not only a clown but a bigot. Hey, why don't you just say you hate whitey businessman? Like KZbin and Google are good ole boys...but you didn't mean them, did you?

[@denroy3]

@Fat Rat you two are prime examples of "bigots"...

[@kvrhifi]

Her thought process is excellent. Well judged all aspects

[@scottygdaman]

Apparently this is a 'needed" method

[@joppepeelen]

yes she seems to be on the money ! and has allot of knowledge about the workings of it ! great interesting information, especially if you would love to get into the speaker market !

[@sakuranegi577]

I lived in China for over a decade. From my experience of talking with audiophiles, the reason that US and Japanese high end brands (accuphase, eso) are less popular than British and German brands is standard power supply of 220V. Smuggled products are so much cheaper than from the dealers' w/ import tax, so if you get a dCS or Chord product smuggled from Britain, you can just plug it in to Chinese wall sockets, which you cannot do with most jp products.

[@AudioBacon]

Rachel's incredibly raw and articulate. Such an insightful interview, Steve. I love how she explains that just because you're adept at playing an instrument, doesn't mean you would appreciate music at the level of plain "music lovers." I honestly think a part of this applies to sound engineering as well. For some, it's just about practicality and technical goals. But for an audiophile, it's always about emotional impact.

[@bbfoto7248]

All of the audio engineers I know in the U.S. and E.U. are in that field or profession because they LOVE MUSIC first, not just the technical aspects. You'll find that many of the best Mastering Engineers are/were professional or accomplished musicians.

[@1999zrx1100]

She was riveting, very knowledgeable for her young age. One of the best guests you’ve had in a while Steve. Thanks 😎

[@athathsonty2925]

Brilliant Lady, role model for audiophiles. Thought provoking analysis.

[@athathsonty2925]

This Lady is undoubtedly very knowledgeable, intelligent and smart ; at the same time, it is not at all fair to generalize.

[@mikelove9832]

One of the best interviews you have done ! Five Stars Thanks Straight Ahead

[@mesonto]

Best interview you have had yet! Fascinating.

[@andolink]

Yes indeed. "fascinating"

[@ozzyaquanut8903]

i was about to comment that this video was one of your best Steve... but it seems i'm not alone! It was fascinating to listen to her views on the different cultures within the audiophile community. Thank you Rachel for your insight!!

[@amb3cog]

"But that's what's confusing my brain" You're a lovely lady. And you did an amazing job explaining the differences between our two audiophile cultures. Thank you for sharing with us. ✌️

[@JG-gg9wk]

Charming, engaging. Good interview. Love the way she ended this. Chinese just listen. Get that, so many are so into chats and graphs and measurements. Never got that, I just listen, I trust my ears. Thanks Steve.

[@harriglnola7655]

Steve, This was an absolutely fascinating video!!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I loved learning about the different view points and level of exposure of the Chinese to audio, high end audio and music in general. LOVED IT!!!

[@shunpillay]

Wow! Most interesting audiophile KZbin video I’ve watched in years. Your guest is awesome! Hope you interview her again soon.

[@jamiesmith6838]

Wow. This was a great and informative interview Steve! I clinged to her every word! Your guest is very articulate like most of us audiophiles are. She nailed it with how audiophiles, in particular are reaching for the emotional connection to the music. (Even knowing a lot of recorded music's moment of event can take place at different times and locations during recording!) I'm guessing that's when our brains "homogenize" the end result? With note, the better the retrieval system, the better the overall effect. One thing for sure, Hi-End music reproduction allows us an infinite number of possibilities to that enjoyment! Thanks a ton SG!

[@herwiggielen9838]

You keep surprising me Steve with what you come up with. The scope and depth of your topics and the quality of the people you present, sets you apart from any other KZbin audio file channel. You always find really interesting people. This lady was brilliant. Very intelligent, clear in her thought processes, knowledgeable and also very likeable. Thanks for doing all this. Love it!

[@DistroUser]

One of the more interesting interviews you have done. Cheers!

[@darrellbissing]

In your KZbin life, Steve, this was your most fascinating interview. A special thanks from me for this one.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks!

[@josealfredfernandes]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Hey. Please let me know if Tonewinner AT 300 any good?

[@josealfredfernandes]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac please list out trustworthy Chinese audio companies.

[@06mukhtar]

I always enjoy your show, but this is a very good episode. Absolutely loved the “transparent” discussion ;). Was enlightening to hear and get a glimpse of different cultures. You did a wonderful job of interviewing and she had done an excellent job to provide well thought out, deep responses I thought.

[@york824]

I am a mainlander born in 1980s. I would say most people from my generation are quite eager for different kinds of music growing up. I have some hundreds of CDs including anything I was interested and accessible, all purchased when I was a teenager and many of my friends who love music have some collection as well. And also we don't have much barrier finding information (like watching some YT videos) if we really want to. We are culturally different for sure though. Western music has been dominating in China for a long time and it's going to continue. But not all kinds of music are appreciated equally as in the west that's for sure. Sometimes I (and many many Chinese) listen for the purpose of studying, for example the music from Childish Gambino is not pleasing to hear at least to me but the meaning in the songs are quite interesting, helps me understand a bit more about your society.

[@thisisnev]

It's fascinating to hear how both music and audio are appreciated differently in different parts of the world, and how it changes with the passing of time. Thanks, Steve and Rachel!

[@travesurasymusica8900]

How informative! Love the way she speaks about emotional connection to music. Thanks Rachel.

[@yanrad]

this one a great interview, Rachel was so welcoming and willing to share her experience. I learned a lot. thank you Steve!!

[@wilcalint]

Outstanding interview Steve. Well done.

[@sawcp]

Really an eye opening interview, hopefully Steve can do more of this kind of interview about audio culture in different country.

[@buckleyyung7949]

Fantastic interview! How I wish this was part of an official panel discussion in the program at the NY Audio Show this year. It would have brought some back some much needed buzz.

[@samuelreggio1611]

Really enjoyed her perspective. Thanks so much for doing this interview!

[@OrganNLou]

This was very enlightening, THANK YOU RACHEL!

[@jusjash]

So many lessons in this interview. EXCELLENT.

[@gilesforrest3945]

Great video steve really enjoyed listening to her knows her stuff wished she had mentioned the brands of Chinese hifi. Keep up the great shows you put out great for our audiofile community

[@MrRad21]

Fascinating interview, great video

[@jamesemmettryan5968]

High water mark for your interview series, Steve. Thanks for this fine discussion.

[@mikecees2230]

Good interview and happy to see that Rachel and her company are doing well. I bought a relatively inexpensive power cable from Grant Fidelity many years ago. When I received it I thought it had somewhat of a DIY look and feel to it. At first I was a bit disappointed...until I hooked it up and compared it to others. Shunyata and Siltech came and went but I still have the Grant Fidelity cable in my system.

[@rsdokc]

What an interesting discussion. Thanks Steve for sharing this.

[@3lueant347]

Best episode so far. I will watch again, her insights are beautiful and true. Thanks Steve.

[@mankepoot9440]

Excellent interview. It shows you need to watch over the wall to understand your own garden.

[@fazzxides8429]

I really enjoyed Rachel’s insights and her attitude is just great, wonderful interview, thank you both

[@firstgeargreg]

I really appreciate Rachel's candor. She explained to me well what i'm seeing when i look for audiophile equipment that is listened to in China. I also see some similarities in the gear i see online that is in Vietnam and in some instances Malasia.

[@Audiofreak71]

Very fine review Steve , I find that I actually learn more and more from your reviews and I thank you for that .

[@gordrand]

Oh man she knows her stuff. Great interview thank you.

[@weeooh1]

Very intelligent, articulate. The cultural backgrounds of China vs U.S., access to information, market differences, etc, all fascinating, like she has a degree in social anthropology. Awesome guest!

[@Projacked1]

What a fascinating interview indeed Steve....wonderful.

[@jlmain5777]

Incredibly interesting interview. Rachel is a wealth of knowledge Steve. An inside look behind the Great Wall. Kudos.

[@WarinPartita6]

This​ woman​ is​ so​ intelligent and​ interesting.... And​ very​ humble too.​ I​ adore​ this​ type​ of​ people.

[@maureenwassermann767]

She's speaks English, which I assume is not her native tongue, better than many Americans. Very impressive.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

no, I sharply disagree with this statement. Yes, it is amazing she knows english and also her native tongue. But America has 400 million people in it, and a VAST majority of us do speak a second language. Its more the norm than you think actually, especially with alot of first gen immigrant kids here and on down. Were not perfect here, but were alot further along than you'd think in that department.

[@bosuacjafari2337]

maureen wassermann ok boomer. We all know you’re talking about black people and Hispanic people.

[@legoworldfan]

@@bosuacjafari2337 Yeah, those two groups cannot speak proper English whatsoever.

[@technoxtreme178]

I met her at an audio show many years ago...I believe she is western-educated with an MBA from U of T. Language aside, she is quite articulate with a good sense of the subtle and not-so-so subtle nuances required to marketing hi-fi in North America vs the growing domestic Chinese market.

[@DJ_BROBOT]

this was a facinating and amazing into the mentality of the Chinese audiophile and or music lover. This explains alot into why we get flooded with many items from a blinding array of brands in China.

[@richardtetreault3767]

Hello Steve and Rachel, thank you for a fascinating and thought provoking interview. It was great to hear about cultural differences from someone who actually lived on both side of the " firewall". Steve, thank you for all the services, knowledge and expertise you are sharing with the audiophile and music lover community.

[@airwatersun]

Pay this woman! A very articulate assessment, and kudos to you for choosing such an interesting topic.

[@pauld7069]

Great interview Steve. Rachel is awesome. Super interesting to hear about the Chinese audiophile marketplace.

[@g.d.1722]

I raise my hat to this lady! Intelligent, insightful, knowledgeable, and precise in her analysis of Chinese hifi culture and differences to the west. Very informative! Excellent interview!

[@miguelbarrio]

Amazing!!! So interesting to see this... She is very knowledgeable! I would love to see some of these contrasts with Japanese audiophiles (they love physical media!!!).

[@hushpuppykl]

Miguel Barrio ... and 4w SET amps with 100+dB speakers. 😬

[@Landoverse]

...And have no space to put either!

[@ricardod70]

Late to the party but Rachel was a terrific guest and offered great insights into both Chinese and Western culture in a very nuanced way. I learned a lot from her and I have been traveling to China for work for over ten years. I would live to hear more form her in a classic podcast studio interview format.

[@RasheedKhan-he6xx]

She's fantastic and I dare say far from confused! Thank you so much for posting this.

[@StellarAudyssey]

Excellent. What a fascinating interview. Thanks 👍

[@broadhurst5000]

Amazing lady. Very connected and observant of modern culture. Thanks for great interview and letting her say her thing.

[@vicg5323]

Awesome statement. "Hi-Fi is one of the finer things in life". So now I know why I spend so much time and money in this area.

[@ewandocherty3082]

What a great interview and so interesting. Makes you think about our musical appreciation.

[@gg0297]

What a fascinating discussion. She was very informative, on point. Really interesting. Great video.

[@liamo4]

Thank you Steve and Rachel. Very interesting.

[@philpembroke5373]

I purchased a valve headphone amplifier, called Dark Voice, made in Chengdu (where Pandas come from). Sounds pretty cool. I use it with Senheiser 650 headphones, and a Dragonfly dac plugged into my phone.

[@The_Story_Channel]

Grant Fidelity is located in the city that I reside which is Airdrie, Alberta. I have never purchased a product from them but one day I most likely will.

[@rasardo1]

It was excelent, congratulations Steve. Beeing an audiophile in China does have some nuances, but apart the "Google Barrier", they are able to discover and find better ways of enjoy music as much as we do, in the west.

[@harpalchauhan428]

Wow thought I wouldn't be interested in this topic but watched to end so much learnt and nice to know.

[@wally6193]

Interesting interview, I've been in the audiophile scene in Calgary for 40 years and I've never heard of Rachel or her company. Her website says she is in Airdrie which is 10 minutes out of Calgary. Maybe someday I'll run into her but not having a store front...maybe not. I'd like to meet her someday.

[@astolatpere11]

Another gem. Thanks for this.

[@redstarwraith]

Good interview! Rachel is very articulate and intelligent person. I was rather surprised that the topic of personal listening devices did not come up. I mean, she did speak to the fact of China being crowded. Given that, it seems to follow that Chinese audiophiles would be headphone fanatics.

[@djclass005]

redstarwraith John Darko of Darko audio did a podcast with a guy from a coffe and headphone shop in Singapore that was also interesting to hear the cultural differences between the west and Asia, China does seem worst because of the way internet is not free there!

[@clintonyap4150]

She’s describing much deeper foundational cultural differences vs younger generation way of enjoying music (head FI). Head FI phenomenon doesn’t feel unique to Chinese, global trend.

[@michelbesedin7081]

Rachel, thank you! Please do More talks like this, Steve. Looking forward to hear some thoughts from Japan, India, Arab regions.

[@rajugupta-chaudhary6467]

Amazing explanation something v rare. Detailed and truth very rare interview. What an educated lady and from a lady wow. Loved it

[@kennith.]

Very interesting, that was a great interview.

[@zogzog1063]

Thank you Rachel and Steve - that was an education.

[@Bork0r]

Great interview! She seems to have a great personality.

[@chrispicquet733]

Very interesting interview! Chinese audiofiles tend to be much younger than in the west.in the early 2000's,I liquidated most of my vintage McIntosh tube equipment, JBL/ALTEC horn stuff via Walt Benders Audiomart.i had two Chinese buyers that cleaned me out.all was being shipped to Hong Kong.anyway,there is high quality stuff coming out of China at very good prices.

[@Lv99Slacker]

Wow. Fascinating insights into the general differences in western versus Chinese "audiophile" market that's very much influenced by their authoritarian government, and also the manufacturing/distribution/retail side as well.

[@scubaman2546]

This was indeed a fascinating conversation. The Chinese Sound, the British Sound, The German Sound. She knows her stuff. I also appreciated her gentle but firm rebuff about what brands she exports into China. Smooth. :-)

[@stevejones8660]

A very astute lady and a joy to listen to. I was surprised on my business trips staying in Zhuhai the sale and availability of tube audio equipment. 4 blocks from my Holiday Inn was a large mall with many gorgeous tube amps displayed at many of the stores. Most were branded Zhuhai Spark which I found out later was the lower end domestic product of Cayin. So searching the internet for their address and found their HQ in a building about 5 minutes away by taxi. They showed me their listening room with WILSON watt/Puppies and other acknowledged high end speakers. Spent a great afternoon listening to their tube products there. Too bad they would not sell me an amp with a 120V transformer to take home. Later, shopping for DVDs at street level shops around the hotel, I found one that carried an assortment of Chinese made audio vacuum tubes. Never bought any, as I suspected they were probably factory rejects.Still pretty cool to run into that.

[@artsabound7627]

interesting video Steve , your guest was very cool and well spoken . Lovely .

[@lorenbanks8852]

One of the most informative interviews I’ve heard in years. Her remarks confirm my resolve to buy as few products as possible made in China. I’m so blessed to live in the United States and I’m from Vietnam.

[@jctai100]

All your American brands have more Chinese (and vietnamese parts too) than a lot of the branded-Chinese gear itself. Literally almost everything is made in China because of strategic decisions made decades ago.

[@scaryperson27]

Very cool. Glad to see a very different perspective from someone like myself who lives in the US.

[@nicolashulgich5281]

Very interesting interview. Good work Steve

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

Ni hao Rachel & Steve, great video. The firewall of China made me laugh.

[@matthewpaul01]

Great interview and very interesting.

[@fredmclaughlan7574]

great interview Steve!!!

[@thepogue]

Really REALLY enjoyed her insight!

[@gil3green]

WOW! Interesting in so many different levels!

[@ginopagnani7286]

Fantastic interface, thanks Steve!

[@GP52408]

I loved listening to her insights. Thank you.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

That's an old one, thank you so much for watching.

[@jenrione]

Thanks Steve. Clever Lady. Very interesting discussion.

[@think2023]

LOVE this lady!!!! SMART!!!! Best audiophiliac video yet!

[@stockmarketman]

I have bought from Rachel’s company Grant Fidelity and her products are second to none. Great high end tubes and amplifiers.

[@cwinfrey7077]

thanks Rachael. very informative

[@D.E.E.P.Y.]

Very good interview! Like her opinion on Chinese Tube Amps. Line Magnetic/Muzishare ones are amazing bang for the buck.

[@TorToroPorco]

Excellent interview on many levels. She was wonderfully nuanced and insightful. It was interesting to hear the practical implications of what living in a closed society with controlled access to information has on daily life such as one’s hobbies. Although the middle class is growing in China and prospering many don’t have a higher education and aren’t necessarily inclined to be inquisitive or are able to independently gather and analyze information in a sophisticated way. Of course this is also due in large part to the way the government programs and indoctrinates their citizenry. One also gets the sense that the liberal arts are not widely taught in their universities or school system, at least not in the way that we are used to in the west in terms of scope and openness.

[@rhwinner]

Such a fabulous insight into China in these turbulent times....

[@skipgordon5382]

Great interview. She did a good job of describing the differences between the consumer of China and the western world. I have lived in SE Asia for 11 years (Hong Kong &n Vietnam) and been doing business here since 1986. The space available for a sound system is another big issue. The living space is very confined. In Hong Kong and Vietnam (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh) there are many stores for listening and comparing audio Hi End products. Thanks for sharing.

[@scottlowell493]

That I have observed: (correct me if I am wrong) The Chinese have a plethora of vacuum tube gear, from very basic to quite elaborate. Analog+ tubes. They seem to favor for more delicately voiced speakers like cabasse, Vandersteen, Sonus faber, and similar. Magnepans and stats seem to be good sellers. I base my findings on English language posts of China based individuals.

[@vivekgovekar6342]

So knowledgeable and she explains it so amazingly well.

[@lorigetz4489]

What a fascinating interview

[@mikem4214]

That was pretty dang good...are you going to review any of the products from Grant?

[@turiddu9]

She's really insightful! A brilliant and down to earth business person. Very fascinating interview Steve.