Notable very small loudspeaker companies (other than Tekton!)
Let's give a shout-out to those very small speaker companies that make excellent products. I'm thinking of true one-man operations (owner-designer-maker) as well as very small ones (owner-designer + a very few employees).
My nominees: Ryan, Prana, Philharmonic, Fritz, Watkins, Vaughn, Chapman, even Daedalus, Salk, Selah.
Who else belongs in this list?
How do they manage to compete with the "big boys", in quality if not in quantity?
+2 for Tyler Acoustics @twoleftears It’s been too long since I’ve listened to Dunlavys to compare, but the Tyler D2’s I owned were very open and clear sounding. Maybe not the deepest bass but top to bottom a great coherent speaker. I thought the price to performance ratio was off the charts. Only sold them to try something different and a little smaller but I just might go to Ty’s Highland line.
A name that is familiar to some is Bob Smith of TDSS parts upgrades for Nuprime and Nuforce amps. Bob did a level 3 upgrade to my Nuforce Ref 9 V3 SE mono amps. I've used them with 5 different systems and speakers that are friends of mine. In each case the sound was absolutely stunning in all ways. He also had an awesome sounding speaker called the SP Tech Timepiece which receive nothing but raves several years back. Bob is coming back with a new speaker very soon, possibly the end of May or June under the Aether Audio name. I've heard his prior speakers he made, and while very good, Bob says the new ones will be his finest speakers to date. Here is the real good news: he has a solid financial backer to get him back to building speakers again. Those that know of his speakers may want to get the early ones as they will be an outstanding value in addition to sounding extremely dynamic with bass no speaker of its size should be able to do, deep, powerful with great texture. The speakers I heard that Bob made are extremely clear, detailed with NO etch whatsoever--a tough combo to pull off. His new speakers will be along the Timepiece in size, so a little larger than a standard monitor.
Bob--a very satisfied customer and now a friend, too. Otherwise I have nothing to do with the company.
I forget Eminent Technologies. Bruce Thigpen is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of speaking to. His innovative designs are unsurpassed for the money.
Source Technologies. They don't advertise or demonstrate at shows. They just make good under the radar speakers for their customers and other companies. www.sourcespeaker.com
I would like to reinforce Legacy Audio and Bill Dudleston, I’ve been contemplating the Aeris and I had several questions to ask Bill,It took a couple of days and through a weekend but he called me back early that Monday and took the time to completely answer my questions and also provided me more info related to that speaker.
Just a super nice guy that’s very smart as well but still talk in simple terms that the average aphile can understand.I’m sure he has always worn many hats in his company.
+1 for Reference 3A. This Canadian company makes incredible speakers that sound way expensive more than their price would indicate.
Also, Decware Speakers. More known for his components, Steve Deckert makes several very good speakers. How does he compete? By maintaining a balance between hobby and business; by not every getting professional reviews, and by having a large, devoted cult following among audiophiles.
I just bought a pair of Alta Audio Rhea Floorstanders and they were not made in UTAH believe it or not. They were made in Connecticut. Based on what I have heard and read, they make extremely good speakers. $1500 to $250,000 range.
Of the ones on your list I've owned Salk, Philharmonic, and Selah. They compete by using off-the-shelf drivers (or slightly modified), excellent crossover design and, with Salk, phenomenal custom woodworking. On the finance side, their R&D department is their own time/sweat, their marketing department is their customers and, finally, they sell direct.
So the questions remains, how do many of these tiny companies rival and sometimes surpass the likes Revel, B&W and others? Is it the genius of the individual designer? A speaker "auteur", rather than a gaggle of cooks.
Fritz. Last show I went to he had among the best sound, was praised by musicians associated with Blue Coast Records. Very high quality parts at reasonable price points.
He will basically whip something up or change it to your particular tastes. Bespoke speakers are not really something you can find at Best Buy prices anywhere else.
Two others I like:
Selah Audio: Top shelf drivers, carefully optimized over time with top shelf crossover parts. http://www.selahaudio.com/
Taylor Acoustics - If you like a kit but dont' actually want to build anything, or need a high quality cabinet: http://www.taylorspeakers.com/
I get what you’re saying about service. Dennis Murphy of Philharmonic Audio posts extensively and is always happy to answer questions from owners and potential buyers over at AVS.
Jim Salk may use off-the-shelf drivers, but his custom cabinets are beautiful, and the way he integrates everything into a finished product turns it into more than the sum of its parts.
Ar the same time, I can’t help but profess my love for the sound of Revel speakers. They’re part of the largest audio company in the world, but those resources allow them to develop, design, and test products at a level that one man shops just can’t. With their anechoic chamber, listening lab, blind tests during development and science-forward philosophy they’re doing something special.
I'm glad I found Horning Hybrid (Tommy Horning/Denmark) and GR Research (Danny/Texas). All my gear is like this, because of the incredible personal service.
Some critics will say that these tiny speaker companies use cabinet kits and then pop-in other company's speakers. Tommy rebuilds drivers and tweeters extensively and designs and builds his own cabinets. Hand-crafted beautiful work. Danny holds patents in what he's designed working insync with Rythmik. I use his subs combined with custom built cabinets. I picked out and ordered the veneer and got to see the progress of the assembly. I also got involved with some DIY.
For me, this has taken the hobby to a new level of enjoyment and interest. I've been long done with the big brands, heavy marketing, and promises. Kenny
Most definitely as others have mentioned is Joseph audio for sure for his crazy good designs,customer service,and is just a genuinely passionate great dude.
I would also like to add,Lawrence Audio and Silverline Audio, I own Speakers from each and without question they are both long term keepers for me.
More to follow,and to the OP thanks for starting this None Tekton thread, Kenny.
By your definition I think Joseph Audio would qualify. Probably smaller than most people think. They do it by offering speakers that sound great utilizing proprietary technology, and then they bring them to shows where the product speaks for itself and consistently generates positive press/awards and word of mouth advertising. Sometimes I wonder why they haven't gotten bigger, but then maybe that's by design.
Another would be Sjofn. Anyone who's heard their "the clue" speaker at shows probably knows why I'm mentioning them. Probably somewhat undermined by one of the worst and most irresponsible reviews I've ever read that appeared in Stereophile. Anyway...
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