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Good question. Panasonic recently revived their Technics line, but it is no longer good value, IMO. Kenwood and Sansui are history. Marantz is still around, as is Denon. TEAC. Yamaha. Whether they offer real engineering value is a big question. Higher end brands should always be sourced from a dealer, who can be expected to offer you service if your gear breaks. But you will pay a lot for that kind of service, up front. It's why McIntosh has been in business since 1949. They have cultivated an established world wide dealer network, and value customer loyalty. Does any multinational company care about customer loyalty? That said, who can say if any company, even an old established one, will be around in 2029?Agreed. In the late 80s and early 90s the ES series was some of the best, from a mainstream brand.
Now I can, what mainstream brands can I turn to now?
Someone please name a well known multinational electronics brands thats building audio gear with a high level of excellence...
I've found that best value is in the pro oriented companies that are dedicated to building SOA products, for a reasonable (but not cheap) price. I don't want to sound like a commercial, but look at Benchmark. For five large you can buy a high quality low noise DAC/amplifier combination. World class specs. Compare Yamaha. For thirteen thousand dollars you can get their top of the line integrated amp/CD player combination. But they won't have specs as good as the Benchmark, I'll guarantee it. What will you get for twice the price? Nice meters, fancy wood side panels, and a lot of pounds. On the downside, if it breaks, no one from Yamaha will be there to talk to you (I'm guessing). You can call Benchmark up and speak to someone friendly, anytime they are open. And my guess is (it is only a guess) that the latter will fix your unit a lot quicker than the regional Yamaha service center. On the other hand, if you are looking for a dirt bike, or a piano, Yamaha might be the way to go.