Yes the old Meadowlark speakers for the money, were nice. the other problem I have with some companies is that they discount their speakers. For most, you think that's great as you can afford them, but in hindsight, it also kills resale value and in the end, most lose money. Folks are buying and selling audio gear at a rate never seen in years past. That's what Audiogon, Ebay and USAudiomart have done (in the US and other sites in other countries). To me, I always cared about resale value and that's why it's very rare for me to purchase gear from mom and pops, along with all the reasons I have shared. Not taking anything away from what they are building, but they also don't have economy of scale, so how much are we really saving?
Take company A vs B.
A has been in business for well over 25 years and sells a ton of gear that is considered some of the best in the business AND sold for a fair price with pieces that constantly hit well above their price classes.
B is a mom and pop and has been in business for 10 years, but the first 7 or so were a hobby business. The owner, manufacture is also the head engineer and marketer. Using the internet, they market their gear and sell a bit. They have been great at getting their gear in the hands of the power writers who have great things to say about them. They have a very loyal base of fans who they sell direct to. They most often will discount their gear at large discounts, because they can cost it out higher and make it look like folks are getting the deal of a lifetime. In the end, their gear is selling for where it should sell at a store, but since it's direct and their marketing budget is basically giving their gear to a few reviewers and asking clients to blog and do write ups on various sites, they keep their overhead fairly low. They give good value for the price.
A has ads in pubs and also offers gear to reviewers. They may sell their product to the write if they want it at commendation cost (maybe around 50% off). They are selling many more pieces than B and have economy of scale. They also are a real company size wise and can pay a lot more for true R&D and have many engineers working for them.
Company A has only a 38% markup and not 45 or higher like some of the other companies out there.
A doesn't allow their dealers to give discounts on their gear. If a dealer does give someone 10% off list price, they are taking that from cables or other larger mark up items. A's gear usually keeps a much higher resale price vs B. B's gear is marked down a ton at the first sale and most folks realize this and offer even less than the 50% markdowns for second or more sales.
Company A's gear also has brick and mortar stores stand by the gear and allow you to bring it home to listen to it in your system. they offer all that stores offer for set up and their knowledge.
Where are you getting the best buy? There are always some exceptions, but I've been around audio for so many years now and I have been fortunate to know so many in the business and to discuss these issues. I'm close with a few mom and pop engineers too and love some of their gear. Heck, I love Steve Nuggent of Empirical. I've had so many talks with Steve about life, woodworking, restorations of homes as well as his take on audio and his products. I owned his DAC and LOVED it.
I have nothing against smaller companies, but for many reasons, I won't be purchasing from any in the near future. Again, that's just me. I'm as cheap as they come and need to save money to maximize what I can afford. I don't have a large wallet, but as Bob has shared, I do care greatly about having the best sounding gear for the price.
I dont' pretend to knowing it all. My posts may come off that way, because it's not easy for me to write in the tone that I'm feeling most of the time. That's a hard thing to do and most can't. that's why we often have major disagreements on boards, when in fact it's just banter over beers and we all respect where the other is coming from. Hopefully when folks read my posts they understand the passion behind them and the respect that I have for most (not all, lol). Thanks for reading if you have. Pete
