There is an old proverb about knowing a person by the company they keep.

We think there is a lot of truth to that. As a team, we set out to find brands to represent that we felt produced consistently high-quality products that were amongst the most reliable in the industry...and were partners to ensure that the customer was thrilled with their product.

Our team developed a list of brands we had sold, owned, or auditioned over the years. The list was large. Many manufacturers made very good sounding products. A large number had proven track records of quality over time. Some manufacturers continued to make products in accessible price ranges, some had migrated into price-no-object offerings -- and that isn't our vision.

The state-of-the-art today is so impressive that the sound quality provided by a reasonably-priced system can be arrestingly good.

The Venn diagram of what remained helped us to prioritize the companies with whom we wanted to engage. Then we started buying their products to evaluate them and how they fit in our vision of providing a Curated Audio Music System.

We evaluated products with our three foundational criteria:

• Sound quality that connects the listener to the music
• A software interface that was easy to use
• Works reliably -- high levels of quality control

When looking at companies, we also look at the company's history. Does the company have a sustained history of producing good products over time, supporting their dealers and servicing their customers. We are looking for sustained success -- no bleeding edge companies or flavor-of-the-month.

And we look for companies that exist in the world that we want to live in and serve. There are many, many small companies that make different components at $20,000 and more. They usually sound very good...usually...but that isn't what we are looking for in a partner.

We want manufacturer partners who make speakers and electronics in price ranges where more people feel comfortable. Several of our partners do make very expensive and high-end components, and that is a profound strength. The companies that we have selected in general create some uber-high-end components and then transfer that expertise to a line of products that is more accessible.

One of the truly amazing benefits is this -- the companies that start with a world-class product and figure out how to extend that design and production expertise to the less expensive products that they produce achieve spectacular results. The quality and value of a music system is subjective, everyone will have their own value system -- but when people remark that they think they get 95% of the sound quality for a small fraction of the cost of a uber-high-end system, we think they are spot on.

We firmly believe that we are judged by the company that we keep. We are so proud to represent our manufacturing partners -- and that will translate into a musical experience that is quietly luxurious.