??? Established Manufacturer or Take A Chance ???

Depends strictly on how much and one’s tolerance for risk.  Personally with bigger ticket items I always shy away from smaller companies with little or no track record.  But the devil is always in the details so anything possible.  Customer service and support matters when talking big bucks in particular. 

If you already picked speakers, then your choice of amplifiers is limited to those that have "audible chemistry" with them, and will give you the end sound that pleases you.

Absolutely established... if you are looking for nuanced quality sound. When a manufacturer has been around for decades, they have attended to the minor aspects of sound as well as first blush characteristics. If you are buying high end equipment you will be discovering nuance deeper and deeper into the sound as time goes on. You want that nuanced performance. 

As I have gotten older, I have appreciated the nuances of well reproduced sound, the gestalt, proportion and musicality. These arnt’ things you get right in the beginning. If you are looking for slam or details for the money... then newer companies. 

I have worked in manufacturing for most of my career as well. Same thing here. Learning to manufacture well is part art and science. Knowing not the put some part next to some other... even though it "should not" make a difference comes from experience... it can effect sound and reliability. 

You earn becoming a well established brand and manufacturer. This happens over time delighting many customers. Additionally, over time you establish processes and best practices that help keep you on top, again, over time. There are many “flashes in the pan” that do things well for a short period of time and who knows if they can keep it going for lengthy time. I am a firm believer in buy it once. Therefore, I would buy the trusted well established product knowing that it has earned its place at the top. 

Due Diligence is no harm done, it is the equivalent of giving priority to Caveat Emptor when making a purchase.

My situation is such, I don't care about resale value, anybody who knows their stuff will immediately see where the spends have been done in my audio equipment.

Purpose produced Schematics, not copies of others designs are the fundamental.

Topology is the creation of the Builder Designer, no dimensions controlling the selections of the components, if the casing has to be 18"W x 18"D x 8"H and be produced from a certain gauge of Metal Sheet, with 'X' amount of Ventilation catered for, then that is it, or choose a different design for an Amp or other device if the mass does not work out.

Hand Wound Bespoke Produced Tranx's both Power Supply and Output are not normal and when done as mine are and at my present age, have gone from a One Person Handling to a Two Person Handling if injury due to weight is wanted to be avoided.

Point to Point Circuitry and voicing of the End Sound with End Owner having an influence on which components are the critical ones to be maintained in the final assembly is where the service really comes to the fore.

If the End User wants to tweak the BOM by trying out a range of components and pay the Designer Builder to assist with this investigation, there is a lot on offer, to the point an exchange of the device may never be sought anymore, well that my experience.

My First EE/Designer/Builder was met in the 90's and they have produced Three Builds for me, and are working on the latest at this current time.

My Valve Input/ Output Phon' is built by an EE/Builder/Designer who was producing Phon's as a side hobby, and I was encouraging them to take them to Bake Off's and Exhibitions attended by the public. These Phon' designs were well received and at a later date adopted by a well known UK Company selling into the Analogue Market, where models were to be marketed at £10K+.  

My DAC was produced through an intermediary and was built in Hungary by the EE/Designer/Builder on my behalf. It is now quite a few years old, does it matter if the Original Builder is still accessible, for me No, any warranty is long expired.

If one wants a guaranteed chance for a sale of a item at a pretty much easy to learn market value, then Branded Products are the way to go, even buying used items from well exposed Brands, is a way to reduce the cost of entry into a certain level of audio.

My methodology of purchasing audio equipment is one that is most likely more cost friendly than buying used items, and has the option of creating a personal preference for voicing, (very very attractive option) on a build that is already of to a very good start as selected schematic-Topology-BOM for audio equipment.