The survival of the fittest.

The original OP is narrowed to high-end speakers, but the answer applies to business in general.

1) Businesses require time, resources, effort to run in a non-fixed market conditions (changes over time).  What sold well this year may not be the same as the next
2) High-end audio is a small niche market heavily influenced by advances in technology/performance.  3) if a manufacturer came out with a new product consumers expect it to be an improvement over the previous model all else being equal (similar prices) or better if it cost more.  Notable exceptions are speakers “within their price point” remain competitive even with minimum/no further innovations (efficient Klipsch Heresy/Cornwall/Klipschhorns, Ohm Walsh).  Speaker designers often keep bringing new/improved versions into the market to stay relevant (Elac, Magico, etc)
4) initially speaker design/manufacturing is a labor of love- few/nobody gets rich.  5) Speaker designers/manufacturers have different ability and/or interest in growing a business which in any business is no easy cakewalk.  6) if the speaker designer/manufacturer doesn’t pass along his knowledge before he exits the market the company will disappear 
7) if the speaker designer/manufacturer is successful in passing along his knowledge & delegate his responsibilities & people running the company is competent & has the resources to keep running the company & that there is a continued demand for his products & people in the company successfully meet the market innovation demands & the market demands his products (profitable enough), then the company has a chance to continue beyond the founding speaker designer/manufacturer

@ mahgister
Sansui? They folded many moons ago!

@ mahgister
Sansui? They folded many moons ago!

Yes but they are sold used for the last 50 years with glorious review to this day, not bad for a company that is no more for the last 20 years.. .... I own 2 amplifier Sansui....one of the alpha series and the older Au 7700....

They are very good each one  and offer more flexibilities than almost any contemporary amplifier....Particularly my AU 7700...( separable pre-amp section that is very good, filters, tone controls of quality, and many other possibilities too numerous to list here)

Soundwise i cannot fault them....

I will upgrade who knows when, for a Berning amplifier but ,but for 150 dollars versus many thousands dollars, the quality and appeal of the Sansui is without doubt one of the best deal i ever make....Look at my link below what this experienced reviewer say about the AU 717 which is soundwise between my AU 7700 And the so called superior "alpha" series :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsTIDagHbMI&t=149s


Sansui lost when their time and "timing" plays no more in the good direction around 1995....Their history is interesting...

Vintage does not equal lower quality by no means....

I dream sometimes of my future Berning amp but i am in no urge and perhaps i will die with these 2 Sansui.... Except for the Zotl Technology anyway i would be afraid to upgrade Sansui with anything under 10,000 dollars.....The Zotl technology should beat the Sansui, that i am pretty sure...

For the speakers it is more difficult, in my small room on a desk, the 50 dollars almost vintage Mission Cyrus 781 are so good on all counts, that i am also afraid to upgrade.... Which small speakers will give me 45 hertz clear bass, liquid mid range, non fatiguing highs, imaging perfect and holographic soundstage (thanks to my embeddings controls also for sure) ?

I sold my 2 pairs of Tannoy dual concentric after 40 years because they were too big for my desk.... when you are older the house decrease ... :)

The Tannoy speakers were more than good speakers but alas! i did know nothing about embeddings controls at these times and i never listen to them at their optimal output, like most people dont even know what S.Q. their own audio system can output because they do not embed it at all or not enough....




Small Tekton perhaps ? The designer Erik seems very interesting creator like Berning is.... I am fond of new tech..... 😎

I am glad that you are enjoying your older Sansui gear. But the topic was speaker manufacturers survival not vintage gear. All the best to you!

I speak also about Tannoy, a brand name actually living strong, not only a vintage brand, that sell easily( i sold my 2 pairs of dual concentric gold paid 400 dollars 45 years ago 2,000 dollars)...

Their dual concentric tech was new and very amazing and the timing right...

Why do Tannoy succeed and go on living so long? For me the 2 essential factors are design quality/pricing and timing, amongs others important factors (advertising, esthetic, workers and transmission of technology, innovative new produtcs, standadization of line products etc).

If an innovative technology works , it can work even better for ever, magneplanar tech for example....When a new tech, is so revolutionary, then the product is unique, irrepleacable it can even grow stronger.... Magneplanar is an example...

Perhaps the new Tekton technology with an array of drivers is on the same road.... Electro-acoustic speakers are.... Horn speakers also....

It is the reason why design quality/pricing and originality is one of the most important factor in longevity.... All the others factors for me are subordinate to the timing factor, except perhaps the transmission of skills in a new generation of works....This tradition of transmission of skills with all his requirements were no more possible in the case of Sansui  and were broken, amongst other factors, by the exigencies of the new emerging competitive mass market at the times....The same forces act and plays for or against any audio product, speakers or amplifiers....

My best to all....