A great example of a small company is Modwright. You can call and talk to Dan Wright or one of his wonderful staff. Small company, excellent products and excellent support. Dan talked me through tightening a bolt holding a transitor. It was loose and was shutting down due to overheating. He sent me photos and a detailed description. Tightened the bolt, problem fixed. I call Hsu about a sub plate amp. Dr. Hsu answered the phone himself and walked me through ordering a new amp. Those are the small companies I want to support. Same for PS Audio and Schiit. Try getting that from Sony or Denon.
Advantages of owning equipment from major audio brands vs. boutique shops?
As someone new to home audio, the many brands of equipment is overwhelming. I learn about a new brand almost daily. Today it was Valvet and their A4 MKII monoblocks. Is it correct to assume that advantage to owning equipment from the major players is a result of the dollars they invest in R&D and the company stability, translating to piece of mind via their warranty, and the ability to get a component repaired? I would think resale value also plays a factor.
Because the small shops often sell direct, cutting out layers of profit, there appear to be some good deals on well performing kit. Other than price, are there advantages to investing in boutique brand equipment? It seems the offset to a better price might be their instability in the market, resulting in possibly owning a very heavy, expensive paper weight should they close their doors and your component need service, and a lessor resale value.