Leak amps relaunch

Whilst we are veering way off base, I should say that I rejected my third Mini for "Demonic Possession " (that’s what both the dealer and I called it)

I have sadly come to the conclusion that the BMW engineering stayed in Germany and the British Leyland spirit lives on in my current car. After 4 Minis there will be no fifth.

Now back to Leaks …

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My brother had a new Mini for a few years. Loved it. Great fun to drive. But not built to last. After a few years of it falling to bits and not having the resale value expected, it was easiest to just intentionally park it in a dodgy area with the doors unlocked and walk away. Which is what he did.

They were built from the Peugeot parts bin, not BMW…inc engines. Not sure what their sourcing is now, but the cooling system on the petrol engines could be a bit of a nightmare.

For those who are objecting, would it make any difference if the resurrected brand were one that, in its heyday, had taken a particularly idiosyncratic approach to (say) amplifier design and the company doing the resurrection were faithful to the original idiosyncrasies whilst also taking into account modern components and needs?

As I understand it, there were a few brands before my time who took a very leftfield approach to all sorts of hi-fi matters and whose approaches were often forgotten about as everything went a bit more mass-market in the 80s onwards. Resurrecting a slightly eccentric older design might therefore not be as simple or indefensible as a cheap marketing ploy would be. As @feeling_zen says, it might have some brand enthusiasts in the background, not just faceless suits after a quick buck.

Mark

What makes you think they won’t be any good?

I think it goes back to my point about Technics being a continuation whereas this appears to be a marketing ploy.

It will come off the same lines as other IAG products such Quad Venna

I suspect the country of origin might be a factor…

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Of what?

The brand or the product ?

These may be 2 different things these days…

The new Leak products look like they have been forced to don a "vintage " look…there is something not aesthetically pleasing about their looks…

but that’s just me.

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Back to cars again, but does anybody really imagine that an MG purchased today has any relation to an MGB or an MG Midget?

This just looks like marketing, possibly aimed at the Far East. I don’t have any issues with IAG using their names , to me it’s a bit sad that IAG aren’t confident to create a new brand.

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I didn’t exactly say how good they’d be, but I doubt they will be particularly good. I base this on other ChiFi I’ve heard from companies like Ming Da and Shanling which I’d rate as mediocre at best (no doubt somebody liked them).

What I don’t understand is why not use a new name, why use an old established British classic name if it is made in China? The same was done with Wharfdale and the results are not great. Cambridge Audio is another, its products are not bad, but do not have the magic of Stan Curtis’s design. Even with Quad, I really don’t get on with modern Quad systems I’ve heard, but the Peter Walker systems were magnificent.

I won’t go out of my way to hear this new Leak, but I do not have high hopes for it. Of course, I maybe wrong and it’s the exception.

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Exactly

That’s the difference with Oppo who used a new name rather than adopt an old established British favourite like Amstrad.

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There’s a name for making assumptions based only on the nationality/ethnicity/country. Unless you know something specific about the company and/or the people that have adopted the brand, I’d not guess at the outcomes. I mean, some might have thought that Jaguar becoming and Indian brand would be less-than-ideal, but they’re now making the best cars they’ve ever made (objectively, at least - I get the nostalgia associated with E-types and old XKs etc)

And Oppo came from nowhere to be regarded as a premium brand

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And they’re still crap.

Yes the company that adopted the brand are using the name Leak and therefore trying to make people think there is some connection with the classic British company. There is none. Why not market it as a Chinese product? Consumers would then buy or not on its own merits rather than perhaps being misled into thinking this was a UK product.

There’s a name for making assumptions based only on the nationality/ethnicity/country.

Loyality? One who tries to help the local economy?

My assumption is based on knowledge of previous attempts to use a classic brand name for marketing purposes. Garrard in Brazil.

In any case, this is not a product for me.

I disagree. Look at the price tags. They are entry level products. These are clearly marketed as affordable lifestyle products. My guess would be hipsters. But even so, that’s just marketing. I’d reserve judgement on how good they are or aren’t until the units have had some exposure. I don’t understand why the race to write something off before anyone’s tried it.

People are behaving like toddlers that decide they don’t like carrots before they’ve even tried to eat one and throwing them off the plate.

P.S. That last one is not aimed at you @Ian2001

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They’re not, actually.

My “local economy” is no more deserving of my support than any other economy. At least not as a consequence of its proximity to where I live.

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manufacturing continues to be in the UK.