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What's your favorite boutique speaker maker

Seeing a few discussions recently about Fritz made me curious about what other artisan speaker shops are out there. 

I'll cast my vote for Louis at Omega Speakers in CT. His high efficiency full range Alnico drivers, impeccable craftsmanship and very reasonable prices make a compelling option. I've had some very nice speakers over the years but these put a smile on my face like no others could. My search is over. 

No affiliation with him, here's a link to the ones he built for me the beginning of this year. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RE-f7JiW6/
treynolds155

Showing 6 responses by hilde45

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
I was very interested in those speakers but I wrote asking for home trial and he doesn’t do that. Customer assumes the full risk. So, because home audition is a deal-breaker for me, if I were to go boutique, I’d go Zu, Tekton, Omega, Ascend, Salk, Fritz, at least in lower price ranges. All of them, except Omega, allow home trial. Only Fritz has provision for shipping both ways.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
I was very curious about Daedalus but a bit steep for me and too big, I think, for home audition, shipping, etc.

I was also very curious about Legacy Audio; they have a dealer in Denver but he would not let me drive them 3 miles back to my house for a home trial and I didn't want to sit in a closed room with Covid (I have parents in their 90s that I'm helping out.) So, the door closed on Legacy, but I have heard they're amazing.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
@jayctoy I had heard good things, agree. I live in Colorado. So, when I got to the point where I thought of the many different ways I could spend my money -- and then thought of not being able to return one pair but being able to try and return Salk, I went with Salk. I realize now that many others speakers would also have let me try and return them. And I did try, in my home, Focal, Martin Logan, Klipsch, Dynaudio -- and none of them quite worked, but all were returned. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
@treyreynolds155 It sounds like you had a good experience. I was trying to get that assurance from Omega and I was told up front "no returns." If the speaker was defective, I'm sure I'd get good service. But the others on my list say quite explicitly as a matter of policy that you get to see if you like the speakers on a trial basis. Not everyone does this -- and not every customer needs this -- but I did. To each his own. Omega seems to be doing fine with their policy, so let 1000 flowers bloom, I say.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
Yes, I've heard Silverline are great. @dodgealum That's quite a bundle (in more than one sense)!
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,813 posts
 
+1 @douglas_schroeder , @jriggy 
The word "boutique" has a pretty standard meaning which may or may not align with high quality. Like the local one-of-a-kind restaurant in your neighborhood, it may or may not be good, but it is not mass-production, mass-market. Caveat emptor still applies, and the same criteria for decent sound (whatever those are for you) still apply.

As for this one:

Magnepan makes actual speakers

It's not a bad slogan, except for what it implies about everyone else.
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