Look also to top distributors to find top products. Two that I can recommend without hesitation are Musical Surroudings and Axiss Distributing, Inc. Both of these companies sell great products, have a network of dedicated retailers and stand behind their gear. Musical Surroundings, among other brands, distributes or imports: Basis (turntables); Graham Engineering(tonearms); Koetsu & Benz Micro (phono cartridges); and, Aesthetix (tubed phono stages. Axiss imports, for example: Accuphase (full line of solid state electronics); AirTight (tubed amps and pre's); and, German Physics (speakers). Two manufacturers which have provided me with exemplary personal service and consistently come up with innovative and highly-regarded products are Avolon Acoustics (speakers) and Jeff Rowland Design Group ( solid state amps and pre's). Even if you are just getting started in the high-end (I've been at it for more than 25 years), go with the best manufacturers, even if you can afford only their "entry-level" gear. Don't settle for mid-fi under any circumstances; you're much better served by buying older "classics" at used prices on this web site or from used high-end dealers. Of course, these are just my opinions. I could be wrong.
