In one group of buildings workers were making polished knobs for a well-known luxury Japanese brand. In another they were machining, sanding, and polishing amplifier heatsinks.

If you own a piece of Chinese-made hi-fi, there’s a good chance the metalwork was done by ETKG.

The company also makes complete turntables and boasts of being the world’s largest turntable manufacturer. I saw many familiar high-end brands being manufactured here but cannot publish the brand names.

In one building huge “logs” of aluminum stock were being cut into thin slices and then machined into turntable platters.

The machining operation is divided into two areas, a relatively clean area for high-precision parts such as turntable spindle bearings, and another for parts requiring less precision, such as heatsinks.

ETKG has just launched its own turntable brand called Amati. The six models in the line range from the LP-90 (about $2500 with a Rega 250 arm, Ortofon cartridge, and phonostage) to the $6800 LP-600. Some come with a Rega arm, some with no arm, and some with a Japanese-sourced arm. The line has just become available in Europe, with North American distribution scheduled for early in 2008.

Next: Original CD-Player Factory

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