You could work for any manufacturer, past or present...

I think for me, I would pick a manufacturer who is doing cool and innovative things. I don't mean they do great in the market, but that something unique is happening.

So, anyone with their own CNC machines, like Magico or YG would probably interest me. Early days of theater sound, so JBL and Altec Lansing.

Working with Snell and his curved baffled in the A models. Genesis with the line arrays.  Apogee making giant magnets and ribbons.  Not a maker, but I wish I had actually gotten a degree at GA Tech and been able to do graduate studies with Dr. Leach. Maybe Jensen transformers, and whoever was making the earliest op amps in tin cans.

Best,

E

Past manufacturer 
a/d/s/
I actually still have two of there PQ20 car amplifiers that I have set up in my garage with a deep cycle battery and a 90 amp 12 volt power supply. It is my second system and it rocks back in the 80s they were the best  car audio components. Period

Peter Snell.

yuk, yuk

This is easy . I had occasion to meet many but one guy sticks out . Stu Hegeman was a wild guy who drank a bit but had more original
thoughts that anyone I ever met .
I meet him at the big Chicago show in ’70 , ended up eating lunch with him and he actually built one of his Hapi preamps for me himself .I kept it alive for 40 years !