I agree with the general consensus that each Bow company has their place. I am currently shooting a Hoyt Carbon Element G3 and it is by far the most accurate bow I've ever shot. As far as other bows I have owned, heck everything from the Mathews Outback to PSE X-Force GX, Bowtech and Diamond as well as Elite. Too many models to list, but each had something I liked and can honestly say I've never had a bow I didn't like. Now, that being said, if I had the engineering ability to turn my Element into a true 2 cam bow, I would have just about everything I wanted in a bow!
I think Hoyt and Matthews will always have a solid fan base and people who have been using them will almost always stick with a reliable brand. I do however think that there are some companies that are starting to expand their fan base and are starting to climb their way up the ranks. Personally I think Bowtech is making huge strides in the speedbow category and are producing some good looking bows alongside Obsession. In terms of accuracy, reliability and product support, I think Elite and Prime are making waves and building a solid reputation for themselves!
I'm all about Hoyt bows, but the next guy will be all about another brand. There are several reasons I chose a Hoyt. First off my local bow shop carries Hoyts, they are good people to deal with and I get fast and reliable service. I don't have to ship my bow out or drive hours just to get my bow worked on. I also like Hoyts, they feel right to me. My Hoyt CRX (2012 model) isn't the fastest bow on the market, but I got a hell of a deal on it and it's deadly accurate at any distance I'm willing to shoot a animal at. When I bought my bow I got a 50% discount on all other items I walked out of the shop with that day, so I got 24 Beman arrows, a speed bag, a broad head target, a hard case for my bow, a release and broad heads for 50% off. Plus the Hoyt CRX was a $900 bow and because it was the previous years model (still a brand new bow) I got it for $600. So a $300 discount on the bow because they just got the shipment for their new models and 50% off all those other items.. I would have been a damn fool to pass up that deal.
there are some awesome bows being made now and several are not your traditional house hold names... Obsession, new breed and Athens are three that come to mind... The new Winchesters are very good as well... And I love my new Martin Nemisis Nitro..
