Sedond, regarding Thiel I think that is the definition of a reliable equipment manufacturer. A component failure every now and then is expected, as long as it is not too often. The key is how quickly you can get the problem fixed. I had a tweeter failure five years after I purchased my Thiels and they shipped a replacement all the way to South America, where I was living at the time.
Most reliable equipment manufacturers
I would like to know people's opinions as to which are the mist reliable manufacturers. In my book, reliability means: first and foremost, reliable and continued performance of the equipment over an extended period of time, but it also includes quality of workmanship, manuals/ease of use/design, shipping materials, upgradeability, customer service, choice of dealers, etc. For instance, in my experience I give Thiel an A rating, Sony a C.