i can sometimes be mistaken for a snob here because i truly believe in separate components. it's not liike my 1978 audio research SP3A1 isn't VINTAGE. and by now, my adcom amp is likewise. maybe even my SOTA tt. fact is, most components are made better than equivalent electronics in receiver form. most of the japanese speakers from the 60s-80s are horn driven and many times not smooth in response. hence, i prefer more of the speaker only maker's products.
AR, Dynaco, Fried, IMF, ADS, Infinity, Boston, and the like come to mind and only a few like some of the yamaha line may apply for work in my system. of course there are others, for instance i own maggie MMGs and spendor s3/5s but the fried RIIs are doing duty right now.
many times i try to help others make their systems sound better without spending money, speaker positioning, isolation, and the like. i have decades of experience and love to share it but i am willing to learn as well.