JA - thanks for the B&W lead. I haven't heard a B&W since 1995. They certainly have advanced the state of the art.
In Thiel history, B&W was a significant player. Being an imported product, they were at a pricing disadvantage, and having such luxurious designs and presentation, they appealed to upmarket customers. Thiel's niche was to surprise the more frugal customer with how much sonic goodness could be gotten from Thiel at a fraction of the price.
But B&W certainly deserves kudos for what it produces.