[TheChairGuy]

Audio Technica is Japanese, and though they may be built in China, I would think there are still copyright laws in Japan safeguarding design. I wonder if AT isn't even a division of Matsushita.........I don't have a clue. Perhaps your right, John.

W

Sorry for the tangent, Jazz-Vinyl...

Patents run from 17 to 20 years in the US (it changed to 20 years I think in 1995), so Matsushita patents for most things turntable related died by the late 90's/early 2000's as I'm pretty sure all R & D basically stopped with the advent of CD.

Audio-Technica is a Japanese company, the deck is likely made in China for lower labor/material costs to sell for under $300 (as opposed for $500 for the genuine article).  But is it an authorized clone or not?

Here's where the story gets interesting...anybody know who founded Audio-Technica in 1962?  Hideo Matsushita.....yes, a family member to the then-fledgling Matshushita Corporation (parent of Technics and JVC) 

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/24ca27d9a4b486fe/index.html

I love investigating interwoven situations like this 

John

[Listens2tubes]

To 'Listens2tubes' -

I guess your saying the DIY looks like crap?  LOL...

Well, that is okay, because once the lid is on, you don't see the innards and you SURE won't care because you'll be so busy enjoying what's happening at the stylus end of the T55C tonearm.

Someone earlier said that the KAB outbard power supply enabled everything (all the features of the table) 'to still work'.  The DIY T55C mod is the same.  All features of the table still work, you are just removing AC and the associated AC HUM from inside the deck.

Not at all crappy, I'm the first to DIY anything I can. Actually I was referring to the cost factor comparison, ie. parts and how KAB's unit has all new toroidal and stuffed board to your re-used elements with minimal new parts. Of coarse the final analysis comes down to the sound, which if Frank set you on this path I'm sure it turned out incredible.

[Jazz-Vinyl]

Ah, very good 'Listens2tubes'...

I have never known a 'Tube Afficiando' who was not into DIY to one extent or another!!

Cheers!!