A vote for the little guy suppliers


Over the years, either by desire or luck, I've managed to gravitate to small volume gear suppliers, most of whom have extensive engineering degrees and operate without advertising or retail entanglements.

I think I have found (with much help from forums like this) the pieces I will be retiring with and I couldn't be happier or more content with my system.  Other than one final turntable change which I promised myself at retirement, I'm done.  

My speakers, phono stage, cartridge SUT, preamp, amp, and cables are all from individual designers, all made in the USA.  I have either met in person or have had multiple phone and email encounters with all of them.  I really like this approach and I'm convinced that great equipment at reasonable pricing can be had this way.  I've had to endure longer wait periods after ordering due to each of them not having factories behind them to mass-produce the gear.  None of them inventory product and most of the gear is really a custom order.  

Only my current TT/cartridge and SACD/CD player are from well known large firms.   

Anyone else like having relationships with their suppliers?  In case anyone is curious:

     Speakers      - JansZen Valentina/zA2.1 hybrid ESL

     Phono stage - custom build by Don Sachs

     SUT              - Bob Devices SKY 20

     Preamp         - Linear Tube Audio MZ2-S

     Amp              - Linear Tube Audio ZOTL40

     Cables          - Cerious Technologies Graphine Extreme speaker, power, and interconnects

My sources are both Marantz units.  The new TT will likely be Technics 1200G.  Current primary cart is a Lyra Delos

jsm71
 I've had good success with the smaller vendors as well. I was an early adopter of Red Wine Audio, Decware, Tonian Labs, TWL and Cullen Cables. I even had Stan Warren mod a Philips CD-80 way back in 1990, working out of his garage. All great sounding.

All the best,
Nonoise

Love Frank Van Alstine, a real no-bs guy. Also Bruce Thigpen of Eminent Technology, Keith Herron, Roger Modjeski of Music Reference, Geoffrey Owens of Helius Designs, Max Townshend of Townshend Audio, Tim de Paravicini of EAR-Yoshino, and Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere. And let’s not forget Richard Vandersteen and Jim Winey (of Magnepan, of course), two working-class heroes.

Also the small, independent hi-fi retailers like Brian Berdan of Audio Elements in Pasadena, CA, his mother Sheila (Brooks Berdan’s widow) at Brooks Berdan Ltd. in Monrovia, CA, and Randy Cooley of Optimal Enchantment in Santa Monica.

I've gotten wonderful products and have had terrific customer service from these "little" guys:

AVA Audio - Frank Van Alstine

Mapletree Audio - Dr. Lloyd Peppard

Audio Mirror - Vlad Bazelcov