2. misc-audio
  3. 153423-113867

Advantages of owning equipment from major audio brands vs. boutique shops?

As someone new to home audio, the many brands of equipment is overwhelming. I learn about a new brand almost daily. Today it was Valvet and their A4 MKII monoblocks. Is it correct to assume that advantage to owning equipment from the major players is a result of the dollars they invest in R&D and the company stability, translating to piece of mind via their warranty, and the ability to get a component repaired? I would think resale value also plays a factor.

Because the small shops often sell direct, cutting out layers of profit, there appear to be some good deals on well performing kit. Other than price, are there advantages to investing in boutique brand equipment? It seems the offset to a better price might be their instability in the market, resulting in possibly owning a very heavy, expensive paper weight should they close their doors and your component need service, and a lessor resale value.


kcpellethead
chasda's avatar
chasda
64 posts
 
I went through the same thing building my system. It's hard to choose components when there are so many choices and it's hard to hear everything. Reviews are all over the place and many times prefer boutique brands over major brands. I finally made my choices based on what I could hear, reviews and value for my money. I use a Yamaha integrated amp which I've read pros and cons on but it sounds great to me and was a good value. In the end, go with you gut. Enjoy the search.
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
A great example of a small company is Modwright. You can call and talk to Dan Wright or one of his wonderful staff. Small company, excellent products and excellent support. Dan talked me through tightening a bolt holding a transitor. It was loose and was shutting down due to overheating. He sent me photos and a detailed description. Tightened the bolt, problem fixed. I call Hsu about a sub plate amp. Dr. Hsu answered the phone himself and walked me through ordering a new amp. Those are the small companies I want to support. Same for PS Audio and Schiit. Try getting that from Sony or Denon. 
soeedbump1
2 posts
 
The larger companies are trying to offer products that will appeal to the greatest number of people, while using their purchasing power to offer a huge variety of features at different price points. The boutique companies will never compete on that level, and leaves them free to tailor their products to their vision of what the best sound is for the price point they are offering that meets what they feel their market audience is. Many times you will not find as many features thrown in, but offering higher quality components, richer sound, or better level of controls on the features they hone in on as most important. Others ( I’ll use Trinnov as an example here) May offer industry best standards. 
mahler123
3,362 posts
 
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is economy os scale.  A boutique company that might sell 100 units can’t make as much money as a larger company that buys parts in bulk and sells more units.  I’d rather save some money and get better quality from a repetuble major brand.  OTOH, sometimes the boutique brand busts their butt to make a customer happy.
terry9
2,342 posts
 
One advantage is innovation. The big boys are often stuck in a rut, like Hollywood studios: Lotsa Bangs 17.

It took a boutique brand to bring us air bearing turntables. It took a boutique brand to bring us low torque turntable motors. The best buy in high end right now is the Trans-Fi Terminator air bearing tonearm, $1000, and performing as well as anything costing less than a new car.

And, as @tgrisham says, try getting the president of Sony on the phone for an hour to talk about how his products might work in your system (my experience of Bryston). Finally, boutique brands are more likely to work with you to modify or upgrade their standard products. Try that with Sony.
More to discover