What brand is most recognized by non-audiophiles?

My response to the OP's question would be (besides Bose)
* Adcom
* Polk Audio
* Boston Acoustics
* Cambridge Audio
* Sony
* Onkyo

these are brands readily available at Best Buy, Tweeter, Circuit City (when they were in biz), Crutchfield, HHGregg, and J&R. That's where a lot of the masses shop.

THey just don't give a hoot about traditional audiophiles. They tend to be more forward thinking and targeting the masses in regards to their products.

that's right! 'coz us old audiophiles are a cranky, nit-picky lot that turn our noses up if the audio item does not cost $$$$$. We say in our own minds " if it's not expensive then how it could sound the best?". Just the kind of words that audiophile equipment manuf wanted here to mark-up their gear to ludicrous values!
Bose realized quickly that $300 for a Bose Wave system from the masses would fetch more revenue that making, say, a $600 system & selling it to a niche audiophile market. The masses would appreciate the "better" sound more willingly than the audiophiles who needed convincing that Bose would compete with their existing hi-faluting systems.....
Piss as much as you want on Bose systems, their marketing dept got it right. You have to give the Devil his due.....