Top manufacturers!

I'll ditto the recommendations of ARC, Levinson and Krell. Certainly these manufacturers have produced excellent products and have a good history of customer support. These are vendors are "solid", kind of the McIntosh of the last decade (even longer). At the more inexpensive side NAD and Adcom must be given credit for very good products and in use results over the years. Speaker maufacturers are much more taste dependent, but I repect products from Magnepan and Vandersteen. Magnepan (I have never owned a pair) has been near state of the art since the late seventies and are a great value. Vandersteen (I have never owned a pair) has consistently been the best music/$ value over many years and hold up very well. While I don't own a pair of Vandersteens many of my non audiophile friends have bought Vandersteens after I recommended they give them a listen. Guess what, I think their reciever/integrtaed based systems sound damn musical and they LOVE them. I am less enthusastic about the high end products of B&W and Thiels as recommended by others and preferring to recommend the speakers offered by Avalon and Wilson. Both are exceeding good, sound different but still right, with the Avalon's requiring lot more power than the Wilson's. Have fun!

Hluker It goes to show you that the REAL REASON there are so many manufacturers of audio equipment is that there are so many varying opinions as to sounds good. It isn't an easy journey. The rewards can be great if you are a music lover. If you become an "Audiophile" (my definition is one who becomes enamored of the sound of system rather than a system that serves the music as produced on the recording) you might end up in the merrygoround world of the audiophile. That is changing gear like you change your clothes. What is most important is to assimilate all that you can and make your judgements based on YOUR happens is that you will be more influenced by Gerrym5

Top manufacturers (in my experience. NOT in order of quality): Amplification: Audio Research, Cary, Krell, Sonic Frontiers. Speakers: B&W, Martin Logan, ProAc, Thiel. Source: Magnum Dynalab, Krell. Cables: MIT.

Jeff Rowland Design Group,Cardas Audio.

There is one name which is not known among dealers yet a name producing most exquisite preamps in the world. I am referring to Mr. Don Morrison and E.L.A.D. standing for Electronic Line Amplifying Device. I invite everyone to visit http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/preamplifier/index_byrating.shtml as well as http://www.donmorrisonaudio.com/ I am waiting for my ELAD to arrive. I have been an audio enthusiast for the last 30 years and have not found better service than Don’s. Considering the performance, reference standard components – watch out (not to mention the under $1,000 price tag). Andrew G.