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Who makes the highest quality tube amps?

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.
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bobheinatz
479 posts
 
Auntjenof2,

Thanks for your detailed reply. I am going to take a serious look at the 45 & 300b amps.
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I use a tube power amp because it has a characteristic that most well regarded solid state amps claim to have: It's "tube like."
thankful
181 posts
 
I have great results with the Bob Carver 180's. They are outstanding performers.
mapman's avatar
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mapman OP
15,679 posts
 
Thanks for all the responses.

One thing I gotta ask is how much does looks/appearance factor into your tube gear buying decision?

Gotta admit that I love the distinctive industrial/laboratory/retro look of a lot of tube gear so the appearance is something that I think matters for me as much as all the rest. Meters that serve a useful purpose are also a plus for me in terms of aesthetics.
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
I LOVE meters...I often keep my Squeezebox Touch in its "meter mode" because it looks so cool. I think all amps should have glowing little needle meters...Pass does it...Cary, McIntosh, D'Agostino...I was looking at 2 new Rogers amps in a shop the other day...they look like 1956 Buicks...great stuff.
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