Paul Hales Unleashed: The Realities of Global Audio Manufacturing

This week, SoundStage! Audiophile Podcast host Jorden Guth is joined once again by Pro Audio Technology owner/president L. Paul Hales, who shares his unique perspective about manufacturing in America and overseas, why different products for his different brands are made where they are made, how the current trade war chaos is affecting manufacturing and business decisions, and what the future may hold.

Sources:

“Marrying Hi-Fi with Pro Audio - Paul Hales”: https://www.soundstage.life/e/marrying-hi-fi-with-pro-audio-paul-hales-pro-audio-technology-origins-what-matters/

“What Do Knitting and Hi-Fi Have in Common? (Hint: It’s Politics)” by Dennis Burger: https://soundstageaccess.com/index.php/feature-articles/1339-what-do-knitting-and-hi-fi-have-in-common-hint-its-politics

Chapters: 00:00:00 Announcement 00:00:31 Introductions 00:11:13 Supply chains matter 00:14:48 Are trade deficits all that bad? 00:19:49 When American manufacturing makes sense 00:21:38 How tariffs actually work 00:26:59 Why this trade war is unwinnable 00:28:58 How tariffs could work effectively 00:40:42 Looking to the future 00:57:33 Outro music: "Baby I’m Stuck in a Cone” Ge Filter Fish