Unfortunately both Jim and Duke lack scale of production to compete with Rythmik.
Just to clarify, it has almost nothing to do with scale. It has more to do with where the cabinets are made. Manufacturing cabinets in the US is simply more expensive. That's why the vast majority of speaker cabinets are made in Asia (China in particular) these days.
In years past, there were many speaker building facilities in the US. Today, there are relatively few and even some of the best names in the business are no longer manufactured here.
The cabinet is the single most expensive part of a speaker system. Having them built in Asia is quite a bit less expensive. But there are almost no finish options since all cabinets must be ordered without knowing who will eventually own them.
We decided early on that we would build here in the US. That allows us to customize each product to meet a customer's desire. Yes, it is more costly, but that customization allows us to do things that companies purchasing cabinets in Asia can't do. Need the dimensions of a sub modified to meet space requirements? That is no problem for us. Want subs to match your speakers. Again, no problem.
We build quite a few Rythmik subwoofers and have a great relationship with Rythmik. Customers who come to us want something Rythmik cannot offer. So there is ample room for both approaches. And believe it or not, some of our customers purchase from us just so that they can support companies whose products are "Made in the USA."
- Jim