Then, things were designed in Japan, but manufactured elsewhere, due to rising labor costs at home. Well, China has made it past the time when their products were considered low quality. They make high quality items for companies all over the world, including USA companies like Velodyne. Probably by the end of the 21st century, labor prices will have evened out in all countries, and we will go back to manufacturing everything at home. The enclosure is made of thick MDF, and the vinyl wrapping seems flawless.
Rounded edges help to reduce diffraction.
It is the sort of thing that consumers will really benefit from. Now, there are some people who might think that a small speaker cannot deliver a big sound. That is just not true. Think of the CHT as a speaker enclosure that just contains the tweeter and mid-range drivers. They are not designed to produce the bass.