What are some smaller names that compete with the big names in Audio?

Some of these can be bought as kits. In no particular order ----

Selah Audio, Tyler Speakers, Odyssey Audio among others.

Sanders makes great speakers, with limitations. I haven't heard his latest electronics but in the distant past the preamps, made by Coda I think, were meh. :) Coda I believe was started by some ex Threshold engineers.

There's Linkwitz open baffle speakers, of course.

For those who don't mind getting their hands dirty there are kits from Meniscus and Madisound, as well as some great small kits from First Watt (Nelson Pass) you can build.

All the best,


Erik

Check out Classic Audio Loudspeakers. I've had many high end speaks through the years but these things blow me away

I also didn't want my system to be duplicated by 39 different people. 

So you don't want people buying products from the small manufacturers that need support...?

Most all "BIG" names in High End audio are small companies, i.e. less than 100 employees.

And yes, a lot of newer audio companies do not last even 5 years, leaving customers in need of repairs.

MHDT

Be wary of small companies....they can go out of business tomorrow (or later today)....no hope of support.  The reason why the bigger companies are bigger, is that they have found success.....I know - support the little guy...but I would gladly send a 25 dollar support check, and not hundreds of dollars for a black box that's not quite right.

In answer to the original question: Sanders and Janszen are two firms making electrostatic speakers, neither is a big name, and each makes excellent products.

I will be up all night thinking about that one.

Cool. I bet I would like them. Interesting the Canadian importer lists Piega, which has a fairly similar design but with ribbon tweeters.

Yes I think they do. I'm very happy with the speaker.  Airy treble, glorious midrange and agile bass.

I am sometimes frustrated by poor product distribution, like with Brodmann and dc10audio. I liked Brodmann’s piano and piano vocal demonstration, but of course they should be great at that type of music. The design is a little funny, so not sure if big problems will show up with other material. I have interest in dc10audio, but their pricing and marketing makes me scratch my head. Otherwise they are kind of remind of me of Harbeth but less boxy and more dynamic.

Does Gato use scanspeak revelators? Except of the absentee bass I like the old YG Carmels a lot, but that was sealed design. (I’m not a fan of ports.) Thanks for the intro; I would like to hear them someday.