[TheChairGuy]

Stereo / 2 channel / audiophile market is so small small in the overall scheme of things they're nearly ALL boutique entities that supply to us these days. The vast majority of the companies many of us patronize are well under USD$1MM yearly.

VPI, Grado and Mapleshade Records strike me as having providing good product and backed it with help as needed.  There are many more, too. 

[TF1216]

If we are talking about headphones please take a gander at Moon Audio (moon-audio.com), Ray Samuals Audio, and Woo Audio.

[jazdoc]

Experience Music (Jeffrey Jackson): http://jeffreywjackson.com/products.htm

EMIA (Dave Slagle/Jeffrey Jackson): http://www.myemia.com/Prod.html

Found Music (Scott Sheaffer): http://found-music.com/home.html

[timind]

Resolution Audio gets my vote. Very helpful if you need them and you'll probably talk to Jeff if you call.
Like most here, everything I use is from small companies. PS Audio is the largest manufacturer I use and they would probably qualify.

[geowak]

Not all under the radar, but:

Dr. Lloyd at Mapletree
Hugh at AspenAmps
Vlad at Audio Mirror
Louis at Omega
Dan at Modwright
Vinnie at RedWine
Wayne at Bolder
Dave at PI
Frank at AVA
John at Bent

There is a good reason we hang out here - being able to connect directly with these folks who make audio their living and who value us as customers and friends.


LOVED the Coconut Audio link 

Yes Wayne at Bolder is just tremendous. He has always been helpful and professional with me. Great products. He is almost as good as Coconut Audio. But they are hard to beat...

[harley52]

Vapor Audio/speakers is my vote. Ryan nor Pete tried to sell me anything. The  Aurora speakers did the speaking for them. That was the easiest decision I've ever made in this hobby, b ut going in, I knew I wanted the midband of the Apogee Stage w/o being so far out in the room.

[nature boy]

Boy this is a tough one with so many great small companies out there.  Here are my favorites:

Decware - Steve Deckert & Crew - can't wait to get a CSP2+ preamp to mate with my amp.
Omega Speakers - Louis is great, super well designed single driver speakers that mate well w/ SET amps.
Daedalus Audio - Lou makes beautiful, great sounding speakers.
Kaplan Cables - Paul's cables are some of the best I'ver ever heard.  Give them a listen!

NB

[jarcher]

Stereo / 2 channel / audiophile market is so small small in the overall scheme of things they're nearly ALL boutique entities that supply to us these days. The vast majority of the companies many of us patronize are well under USD$1MM yearly.

VPI, Grado and Mapleshade Records strike me as having providing good product and backed it with help as needed.  There are many more, too.

So true - even a relatively well known name like Rega has only about 90 employees, per the latest Stereophile.  And that's probably grown somewhat from before because of the vinyl revival. 

So I guess by "boutique" we'd have to go even smaller & more obscure. Don't have a lot of personal experience owning / hearing products from these companies, but one I have is Woo Audio, and I'd put them on the list, though don't know how "under the radar" they are now.  All US / Brooklyn built to a really high level & sound great.

[simoon]

George Warren Turntables, without a doubt.

I think his TT's are the best in the $4K range, and they get no mention here at all.


http://www.george-warren.com/