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Who makes the highest quality tube gear?

One scale of 1-10, 10 being best designed and constructed technically, personal sound preferences aside, who are the 8s, 9s, and 10s?

VAC, ARC, Atmasphere would seem like likely candidates I can think of. Are they ?

Where does Decware rank? Rogue? How about others?

SOme technical facts to help support any claims is appreciated please.

Durability and reliability matters to me here as much as anything. I would want my tube gear to continue to work as reliably as designed years down the road as well as up front.

THanks.

Thanks.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xmapman
trcnetmsncom
431 posts
 
BAT would have to be near the top of this list in my view.
trelja
3,215 posts
 
I would give 10/10 to only two (both Japanese) companies, Air Tight and Kondo/Audio Note Japan. High praise indeed.

Atma Sphere, Jadis, and VAC merit the 8/10 and 9/10 in my book. Still, a lofty lot. I might include BAT as well, but I might not.

Take a step or two down from there for the likes of ARC, Ayon, Cary, CJ, Manley, VTL, with Quicksilver and Rogue slotting behind them.
philb7777
401 posts
 
My vote for the new ARC Ref series tube gear. Quite impressed.
donjr
1,311 posts
 
Octave is the best I've personally heard and the build quality is spectacular.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
Worth noting that some manufacturers make tube gear at a really wide range of price points. Rogue comes to mind as a good example. In these cases, it doesn't make sense to talk about a brand across the board, since sacrifices have to be made to reach certain price points.
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