small companies making today's best products

consider competition.

a small company, initially has the onus of convincing its patrons that it will be around and provide service.

if the small company can provide a superior product at an inexpensive price point, it might convince consumers to take a chance that, in absence of service in the future, the product can be repaired by an experienced technician.

also, small companies are under less constraints than large ones, especially if the income generated is not their main source.

certainly larger companies have produced fine products, as have small ones. i just think that a small company--designer and a couple of employees may have a certain ethic and pride which is missing in larger companies. the designer may be willing to experience failure and continue until the finished product satisfies his own (hopefully) high standards. however, one cannot generalize.

my own experience as a reviewer, motivates me to respect and admire the persistence of designers who own small companies. i have heard many products from small products which i consider fairly priced and offering a level of sound quality that is competitive with higher priced products from larger companies, some of which have been named by elizabeth. I think this is especially relevant to cable companies, where the initial investment may be less than that of a company which manufactures electronic equipment. although i am sure we can think of the names of designers of electronics which are representative of small companies, such as steve nugent, john tucker, dan modwright, gary dodd, jerry osman, gordon rankin etc., who produce fine products .

note i am using the term "small", in terms of number of employes, not sales revenue.

let me add another issue here. the advantage of a company, usually small, that does not depend upon the income generated from the sale of his products as the sole source of his income to pay his bills, is that he can take his time, search for the best parts and achieve the sound that pleases himself firts before placing it up for sale.

i'd say quality control is better, though it may seem counter intuitive and the deisgner is usually a "craftsman" and takes great "pains" and pride in his effort, producing on a smaller scale and not having to please reviewers, necessarily, can rely on other audiophiles for their opinion before releasing the product.

i think, with the exception of ps audio and vtl, which may not be considered large companies, but do rely on sales as their sole source of income, i find the smaller companies producing higher quality products. they are not bound by as many constraints as larger ones and can hand select those parts which may be more expensive and sound "better", without worrying about the bean counters who would tell thenm that using costly parts will multiply the retail price to a level greatly exceeding the price associated with an inferior part.

why are there so many modification companies out there ?

mainly because some designer chose less than ideal op amps, capacitors, wire and other parts.

as i previously mentioned gordon rankin of wavelebgth has produced many fine products, that can compete with any of the larger companies. admittedly his amplifiers are not high powered , but he along with david berning and the designer of the aria amps, the previous owner of counterpoint, mike elliot, are excellenet examples of small companies . many of these companies can customize their products bto the taste of their customers. lartge companies usually do not do that. decware is another example of a fine small company.

as far as audio dealers.

i will contest any dealer to configure a stereo system that i will like better than one i configure myself and put money on my stereo system over his/hers.

a dealer is limited by its product line, whereas i am not. i have a greater variety of products from which to select and i will always be more in tune with what i like than any audio dealer.

no audio dealer can get into the mind of a consumer. he can only be guided by what the consumer tells him or her.

configuring quality stereo systems is no great mystery and does not require a degree from harvard.

i'm not saying dealers are ignorant, but no dealer should have the attitude that they know better than their customers. that attitude is the surest way not to be successful.

taste is subjective and dealers should not inssult the preferences of customers. they should be subject to the wishes of the customer, not the other way around.

mr. dealer, are you up to the chanllenge ?

you guys are still overlooking the one thing that separates small from big companies:

designing products from scracth for you.

ask a big co. to make an amp, preamp or speaker to your specs?

not going to happen.

some small cos will do just that.

who is more likely to offer customized products, a large or small company, and in which case do you think a consumer will be better satisfied ?

the advantage of some small companies is that they are willing to modify their designs. try asking mcintosh, audio research or cj if they will replace a capacitor, or change the tube compliment.

small companies may be more oriented to pleasing the customer by altering the design slightly to suit the nedds and taste of their customers.

mike elliot of aria will make significant changes to his aria wt 100 amp.

changing op amps, resistors, caps and wiring can significantly alter the sound, same with the connectors. suppose you want to create a certain flavor, the big companies would not change the parts in their designs.

i think there is another company that will design an tube amp for you , i think the name is nightshade. he makes a dac called the lampizator.

do you think ralph will design an amp from scratch ?

how about roger madjeski ?

the purpose of designing to satisify the customer is to produce a product which is consistent with the tastes and preferences of the buyer. since no product is perfect, the idea is to build a component with a certain sonic signature.

those who think components should be as accurate as possible, need not consider this idea.

it's like telling a chef how you would like him to prepare a dish. very few will do this.

since all do not have the same idea as to what a stereo system should sound like, customizing a component as like getting a suit made for you.

o think my intention of this thread is to imply that small companies that sell direct have an advantage over others which have a dealer network.

companies which don't have a dealer network don't have to contend with the problems which dealers may present to a manufacturer.

they may not have to be concerned with the need for a review, they may offer an audition for a period of time, only requiring the potential purchaser to pay for shipping.

dealers may or may not offer audition periods, other than some stores which will lend a component for a day or two.

in addition,it is nice to be able to chat with the designer and ask questions which many dealers do not or cannot answer