Original CD-Player Factory
The next stop was the Original CD-player factory in Zhu Hai. Original primarily makes CD players, with about half of its production slated for overseas markets. The company’s founder, Mr. Du York, had previously been involved in firm that made VCD players for the Chinese market, and had produced more than ten million units in a four-year period. After the heavily industrial appearance of the ETKG metal-fabrication shop, the Original factory seemed like a precision craft-shop. Original designs all its products in house, and has circuit boards “stuffed” by contractor. Original assembles the transports and electronics into the chassis, and hand-solders in tube sockets (in the tubed units). The finished products are tested and burned in before packing.

The circuit design and execution appeared to be of high quality; this is a company with the engineering skill and drive to create good-sounding components. I saw a prototype of a two-box CD player that exemplified this view. The outboard power supply is huge—three transformers with multiple secondary windings feed large banks of filter caps and regulation stages.

The audio circuit employs dual-differential DACs and fully balanced analog-output stages with Wima and Nichicon capacitors. A new clocking system was developed (fed from its own power supply) to reduce jitter. (Incidentally, there’s a growing trend among all designers of digital gear toward paying closer attention to clock precision.).

Original’s listening room for product evaluation was well treated with polycylindrical diffusers built into the walls. Loudspeakers were Usher 718s driven by Mark Levinson No.29 monoblocks. I came away from the Original factory with a good impression of the company’s desire to produce good-sounding, well-built gear.

Next: Dussun Factory, and One Serious Amplifier Designer

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