I guess most of my system would fall into "boutique" category, except speakers (and some other stuff I used to own) which are by far the most expensive pieces and are from a major brand. Now, which brands gave me most in terms of service, support, communication, upgrade path, etc?? The so called boutique ones! Mind you almost all the stuff I own are second hand items and out of warranty. When I had a problem with my mega brand speakers the support was laughable, I ended up having a local guy, not affiliated with the brand at all do the repairs because the obstacles the major brand presented, was not worth it. Also it was quite a bit less expensive (although not easy) to acquire those boutique items than what I'd consider major audio brands. Boutique doesn't automatically translate to expensive, just less known. For example Wilson Audio is absolutely not a boutique brand to me at all but sure one of the most expensive ones (I'm sure their support is great btw). So a lot depends on your definition of the word.
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.