Bren may know of this, although it no longer exists, really, but we had an audio seller/reseller in town called McCulloch Audio. When first researching speakers he was recommended to me from a long stereophile friend.
Upon entering the store and chatting with the owner Bruce, i gave him a list of the speakers i was researching.
If i recall i had Energy, Axiom, PSB, Paradigm, Monitor Audio, B&W and one or two others (maybe Totem).
Bruce went down the list and said "they make a good speaker, these guys make a great speaker, you might want to look at specific models from this maker, ...".
It was the first and last time i have ever walked into an audio shop and received what i now know was a very honest and realistic opinion.
He also turned me on to Angstrom Audio (another side story). I do own a pair now and they are fantastic sound and for a price better than Axiom (model dependent and applies to their more expensive models if bought used).
