the need of NR/R wire is a problem for me too on the ithaca. high end devices, cheap clones. the AMP tank was full of issues when it first came out ( i don't know if they resolved them latter ) and everybody was willing to understand and forgive, but as soon as 15$ chinese mod has a problem many people start flaming everything china does down to the ming dynasty
Personally I own both high end and cheap Chinese stuff, and don't hate on either side of the spectrum. What I DO hate on is exactly what you are talking about, the double standard for high end stuff compared to Chinese stuff.
It seems many people are able to forgive and forget issues with high end equipment, yet nitpick the heck out of cheap Chinese stuff. I've heard people say certain Chinese products are inferior because they don't have adjustable center posts, have trouble threading with some devices, have small air holes, etc. But they fail to mention that some high end equipment has those same issues. The RSST had some issues with the 510 connection, and got bashed by some for it. Yet the (incredibly more expensive) AC9 that it's based on ALSO has threading issues. The trident, a rather expensive dripping atty, also has issues threading on some devices (even those from the came company) yet this is excused.
Airholes aren't a quality issue, everyone prefers different size air holes. People complain about loose top caps on some chinese stuff. Expensive zens have the same issue. Fixed center pins appear on both expensive high end stuff, and cheap Chinese stuff.
Being made in the US, the Philippines, Korea, or Europe does NOT make something quality. Being expensive does NOT make something quality. The materials, design, and execution of that design makes something quality. You can get Chinese stuff superior to high end stuff, and high end stuff superior to Chinese stuff.
Some Chinese mods have lower voltage drop than some high end mods. Some clones have design features superior to the original. It's flat out incorrect to say that "high end" equipment will be higher quality or perform better than clones or cheap China stuff. It varies device to device, sometimes expensive stuff is higher quality, sometimes it's not. It depends what's being compared.
I put my money into quality mechs because I love the way they look, and they offer features cheap mods do not. Attys, be they RDAs or gennys, have a much smaller difference in quality between the high end and low end, and it makes more sense to me to buy cheaper attys. My Cobra clone performs better, to me preference, than my Zatty did. But, the cobra clone looked like junk to me, and it was made of brass which worries me. I really like my AGI and AGATs, they are quality materials, with a good design (apart from the AGIs spring issue, which luckily mine doesn't suffer from) and I like the way they look. There are few expensive attys out there I think look better, and none that can claim legitimate reasons for a better vape. Geographical location of manufacture doesn't effect vape quality as some people believe it does.
It's all give and take, spending more money does not assure a better design, better materials, or a better execution of the design.
I've always been the type that's preferred having a handful of nice things than a ton of cheap things.
