Obscure companies making excellent speakers?

I'm amazed that no one has mentioned Silverlines. They do not advertise. They do go to the shows, and they have had quite a few of their products favorably reviewed in the mag's and on the 'net. So they might not be as obscure as some of the others. Essentially a 'one man show' though.

I never heard of Silverlines, but even if I had they still belong on this list, they are not as well known as Maggies or Quads. The idea of this list is to see how many options are out there, where they are coming from and also to discover the variety in concepts and materials of these new cutting edge designs.
It's not our responsibility to get the word out to the unbeknowest p*nk I mean citizen, but obviously this industry is certainly fragile, and can use help in any way possible.
As much I like to support the family owned bistro and THE LA Trattoria when funds allow me to, I would like to do the same with audio equipment, Sony and Mcdonalds will not be disappearing any time soon, but these small companies hang on a string.
The future looks bleak when all we see is Duane Reades, Payless and Wendys. I used to cross the streest to avoid walking past these chains (think of all the outgassing) now I have to walk down the middle of the street, then I run into Mr. Softee what do I do then?
I wonder if those guys selling the Shish Kebobs on the streets of nyc are running a chain they all taste the same? Thank g*d for the internet, wait that's not run by a family is it? (Actually it is run by a family, they live in Switzerland and handle your money for you, well not your money, or my money or even U.S. money. If it was really your money you wouldn't be charged tax on it.) But I can't go back to morse code or pidgeon carrier, they got us now we are doomed!!! Those chips they plan on inserting into our brains will be made by a big corporation and not your local butcher, oh well it'll probably be cheaper. (Too bad if it came from the butcher we'd be getting glandulars(I live in an ethnic neighborhood) and that would extend our lives, good thing glandulars are still available in supplements). I see those chips coming, I hope it'll be analog I would hate to think in digital, we have to fight for analog chips with some tubes so when we light up nobody can tell if it is an idea or it is the tubes?
Just think about it, we won't have to do any thinking, we will be just like the masses who are glued to the tv following orders without even knowing it. Believing everything they hear and read. When did they start the subliminal messages? I hope it never made it into the vinyl, but if it did I bet it started with.. wait vinyl came after relig ,,, Got to go.

Thanks for starting this thread, Pedrillo. I and the other small companies appreciate the acknowledgement and are encouraged by your efforts here to raise awareness and interest. And most of us are friends with each other. One of us (Dale Pitcher of Intuitive Design) was quoted as saying something like this:

"I'm not trying to take market share away from these other small manufacturers; I'm trying to take market share away from B&W!"

As the number of two-channel brick-and-mortar stores dwindles, and as audio shows and internet word-of-mouth plays a larger role, the playing field between the little guys and the big guys may be levelled out a bit. And I think many of us can give 'em a real run for their money on sound quality.

Ascend Acoustic is another company that doesn't advertise and follows the sound quality over looks philosophy. They concentrate on the budget market with their most expensive offering being their Sierra 1 monitor that is under $1K. The Sierra 1 is likely the first consumer price level bamboo cabinet speaker. I know Escalante uses bamboo cabinets too but wouldn't consider them to be consumer priced.

Escalante should make this list too. Very neutral and balanced sound.

Duke,Well said as always: