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Which British brands are still and truly British?

Old Shatterhand said:
Brands from the other thread:


Onix DNA


I don't know if they are all true British but it makes more sense then 100 posts with one or two names IMO.
Click to expand...

Not british!

"The trade mark ONIX has been acquired by Shanling Digital Technology of China
THE TRADE MARK ONIX IS NOW 100% OWNED BY SHANLING OF CHINA"
 
Of course, as many posts have touched on, we'd need to agree on what "still and truly British" means. It could be some combination of
  • does it matter where are they headquartered?
  • does it matter where their products are (final-)assembled?
  • does it matter whether most of their components are British?
  • does it matter whether they are privately owned (and if so, the nationality of their majority owners) or a PLC (shareholders may be transient/anywhere)?
  • if a division of something bigger, does that automatically make them "un-British"? Or if they are an autonomous division of something overseas-HQ'd does that maybe count?
It's either complicated or, no offence to the OP, a meaningless concept.

Most hifi equipment relies on a huge number of components which are imported, whether DAC chips, speaker drivers, cases, or whatever. Let me list a few "British" favourites, all preceded by AFAIK and followed by a question mark:

ProAc: Scandinavian drivers assembled in Britain into British made cabinets by an independent British-owned company
ATC: British drivers assembled in Britain into British made cabinets by an independent British-owned company
Sugden: feels quintessentially British (owned, assembled) but no idea where the components come from
Music First Audio: British-wound transformers assembled in Britain
dCS: not sure about components or cases but... British owned, HQ'd, assembling in Britain
Arcam: formerly British in most senses, then acquired by US company (for IMHO their product hay day) and now owned by Harman-Kardon
 
TheFlash said:
Of course, as many posts have touched on, we'd need to agree on what "still and truly British" means. It could be some combination of
  • does it matter where are they headquartered?
  • does it matter where their products are (final-)assembled?
  • does it matter whether most of their components are British?
  • does it matter whether they are privately owned (and if so, the nationality of their majority owners) or a PLC (shareholders may be transient/anywhere)?
  • if a division of something bigger, does that automatically make them "un-British"? Or if they are an autonomous division of something overseas-HQ'd does that maybe count?
It's either complicated or, no offence to the OP, a meaningless concept.

Most hifi equipment relies on a huge number of components which are imported, whether DAC chips, speaker drivers, cases, or whatever. Let me list a few "British" favourites, all preceded by AFAIK and followed by a question mark:

ProAc: Scandinavian drivers assembled in Britain into British made cabinets by an independent British-owned company
ATC: British drivers assembled in Britain into British made cabinets by an independent British-owned company
Sugden: feels quintessentially British (owned, assembled) but no idea where the components come from
Music First Audio: British-wound transformers assembled in Britain
dCS: not sure about components or cases but... British owned, HQ'd, assembling in Britain
Arcam: formerly British in most senses, then acquired by US company (for IMHO their product hay day) and now owned by Harman-Kardon
Click to expand...
Sugden : their electrolytic capacitors are Chinese in most of their amplifiers nowadays but eh, we are in 2021 !
 
cchean said:
From an ownership standpoint, with Bowers & Wilkins being American; Audiolab, Wharfedale and Quad being Chinese and Naim being French, what's left?

My first thoughts are Linn, Rega and Harbeth. Well, some might say Linn is Scottish but...
Click to expand...
Why do you ask oh hewhowasborninthe UK?
 
So it’s only the frame which is 100% British ?
Mind you, the seat post has never been changed and the ‘shifter’ ( ? ) is original.
A 3 speed Sturmey-Archer toggle.
And the handlebars, and crank, and spokes, and rims, and calliper brakes and so on...
 
Oh, sorry, I didn't know you mean that old with "old".:oops:
Most bikes use components from Shimano and Sram (and some road bike Campagnolo) which are manufactured in east Asia.
 
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