Shout out to a handful of audio companies/dealers

I've been putting together a new two-channel system from scratch and have been reaching out to a bunch of audio companies and dealers for advice/information.  It's common to hear about about companies and dealers who don't respond in a timely fashion to emails - or sometimes not at all - so I thought I'd give a shout out to a handful of folks who have been incredibly responsive and helpful. 

• Fidelity Imports - US Importer for Michell Engineering
  I've peppered these guys with dozens of questions about Michell turntables and tonearms and have received a prompt, friendly and informative response each time.  Great people to deal with and gave me the confidence to purchase my first Michell turntable.
   
• Audionation  - US Importer of Exposure electronics
  Similar to my experience with Fidelity Imports, Jeff at Audionation has been very helpful during my research of Exposure integrated amplifiers.  Quick, friendly replies, a great guy to deal with. 
   
• Tony Brady from Exposure Electronics
  I sent an email inquiry to Exposure on a Sunday and certainly didn't expect an immediate reply - and for sure not from the company's chief designer.  But Tony Brady sent me a response within an hour of my initial email.  We've exchanged several emails since then and each time a response came quickly, and contained the information I was looking for.  Based on these interactions and my experience with one of their US authorized dealers (see below), I confidently purchased an Exposure integrated amplifier. 
   
• Gene Rubin at Gene Rubin Audio in Ventura, CA USA
  I haven't counted, but I'm sure I've sent Gene at least two dozen or more emails asking questions about the Exposure 2510 integrated, its compatibility with a variety of phono cartridges and other various things.  Gene never failed to amaze me with the speed of his responses and his level of knowledge.  I've spoken to him on the phone a couple of times too and his phone demeanor is just as friendly.  I wouldn't hesitate to deal with him again.
   
• Michell Engineering  
  While researching turntables, I had several questions that I emailed to Michell Engineering in the UK.  Steve at Michell provided prompt, honest replies that really helped in my decision to go with a turntable from the venerable UK company.  It's nice to know that there are friendly people at the factory who make themselves available to you when you need their help.  Another reason I decided to go with a Michell turntable.
   
• Mike Hoatson at The Listening Room in Chestertown, MD USA
  Mike showed incredible patience as we spoke by phone, email and text on and off for well over a month before I finally made some purchasing decisions.  He continuously demonstrated his extensive knowledge throughout the process and provided me with great advice.  It's probably the best level of pre-purchase support I've had from anyone, in or out of the audio business.  I guess that's one of the advantages of dealing with a third-generation family business that's been around since 1978. 
   
• Peter at Symposium Acoustics 
  Peter is the most recent person I've reached out to as I've been researching racks and isolation platforms for my new system.  We've only had a handful of interactions so far, but I'm impressed with his responsiveness, level of knowledge and willingness to spend a significant amount of time discussing his product with a prospective purchaser.  If/when I decide to purchase some of their products, I have the utmost confidence that I'll have the support of Peter and the company for the long-term.
   
• Zoe at ProAc Loudspeakers UK and Bryce Allan at The Sound Organization (US ProAc importer)
  I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record by this point, but Zoe at ProAc UK and Bryce at The Sound Organization in the US have been incredibly helpful in my search for a suitable replacement for my long-departed Response 1SCs (selling them was one of the dumbest things I ever did).  They were more than willing to provide timely, knowledgable advice even when I asked them about now-discontinued models that I was considering purchasing used.  Both are terrific representatives for the storied UK brand.

I think that covers it.  Apologies for the long post.  Hope it was at least somewhat useful to some of you...

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