Boutique or Big Brand?

@l1975r OP, you asked how the Salks sound?

I would describe their sound as accurate without being clinical. Their Be tweeters are very well implemented and, in contrast to other speakers I tried with a Be tweeter, these are clear and crisp without a hint of over-brightness. Cymbals ring out, violins are precise and distinct, drum hits have detail and resonance -- but there is no fatigue. The midrange is startlingly accurate -- voices are intimate and right-sized, instruments sound like themselves (e.g. including pianos, bassoons, etc.). The speakers are nimble, too, conveying transients and dynamics with a sense of drama. As for the bass, it was probably the most surprising element -- it’s incredibly full without bloat. Probably the front ported, transmission line design. I put on "Little Bit of Loving" by Shelby Lynn and the initial "thump" of the bass drum was really took me aback. At many points, I’ve had to go check that my subs were on while the Salks were playing.

Does that help?

Make the drive and turn it into a nice weekend trip. I liked the Eggleston I heard, KEF R-11, the new Paradigm Personna,  and several others.  But so much had to do with the electronics that were paired with them. I heard a pair of Spendor that had a surprising amount of lower frequencies being well produced.  But of course the smaller room will have it's own impact.  I would be inclined to save a couple hundred for room treatment as well. Enjoy the journey. Keep the mind and ears open.  

John Van has a new floor stander coming out very soon. http://www.vanlspeakerworks.com is about as boutique as you can get. He employs an ambient recovery system in his designs that allows the left and right speaker to pass information back and forth, resulting in an unbelievable soundstage. Give him a call and he’ll tell you all about them, 708-695-5769. One of the coolest and wisest dudes that has been making incredible speakers for a long time.

I came in to the hobby in the late 2000s and was heavily invested in boutique brands. They seemed to offer more performance for the same or less money.

While this may or may not be true subjectively, boutique brands come with what I now consider unacceptable risks IMO. 

1.) They usually are small operations that are one incident away from ruin. When this occurs support for the product disappears and anyone that had money invested towards a product is usually out of luck. Many online occurrences of deposits or payment lost when a small company goes under. 

2.) Because boutique brands are smaller in size their purchasing power, man power capabilities, and output can become significantly limited quickly. Again, if you look around there are a lot of instances of product taking many months or years to ship. Right now is crazy for everyone because of the pandemic and the supply chain. I doubt in 2017 many people were waiting 12-24 months for common speakers from Magico or Wilson. Nor do I think that any one person at either of those companies would bring shipments grinding to an extended halt. 

3.) Resale value is, IME, much worse for boutique brands, especially if the company has gone under. 

That being said I had a great experience with Salk when I ordered a pair of speakers back in 2015.          

If you are open to used, I'd suggest Goldenear Triton 1 (or maybe 2). You will never want for bass and the folded ribbon tweeter is really good.