I used to think the same many years ago, ie Made in China = lousy/unreliable. Later on I joined a big US firm which sells leisure electronic products as PM. Part of my job involves sourcing for companies in places like China and Indonesia for manufacturing and assembly of products. This is when I found out that no matter where the product is made/assembled, it still have to pass the same global/regional recognised certifications, as well as my company's own internal stringent quality and reliability tests/checks. IMO if u're buying (especially bigger and more expensive) products from a big MNC, there's nothing to worry about even if it's Made in China. Big MNCs are very concerned about their branding and reputation. But buying a China brand or some other lesser known brands is another story...