I think the name is part of the marketing strategy they try to employ, to have a "sibling identification" with in a particular company. But more importantly, to me, is the look. I think when looking at gear I am drawn to the look of the faceplate. Some companies have a real knack for the "cool factor" in design. But in the end, the real acid test is the sound.
whats in a name?
when looking at the brands out there, and listed here daily i feel sympathy for the manufacturers trying to come up with names for their product lines. authors have trouble coming up with great titles for books. newspapers have to develop catchy headlines. likewise a name can make or break a product. i can see a designer/marketer working for a year on a new exciting product and then running into a brick wall trying to name it. iconic names like macintosh, luxman, accuphase, jbl, etc immediatly "mean" something to an audiophile. but some of these new companies really have to struggle to gain some traction. any thoughts? john