Anyone offering this overall advice should not be taken seriously.

Cheap Chinese parts are everywhere and they have a place in very affordable equipment, Bluetooth speakers, soundbars etc. But there is a reason Bluetooth speakers and soundbars die after just a few years and I’d suggest that any technician telling you that cheap Chinese parts are perfectly OK in quality hi-fi gear is probably not someone you want to use.

“But Mike, Musical Fidelity uses cheap Chinese parts!”

Yes, they do, as do many manufacturers including Cambridge Audio, NAD, Redgum and many more. That doesn’t make these decisions good, it verifies why they are bad!

The single most important reason manufacturers use the cheapest Chinese parts is to save money. Many parts are now manufactured in China but not all of them fall into the super-cheap category. There is no good reason to fill boards with the very cheapest parts, other than to save money. That applies to manufacturers and repairers.