Top of the Line Tube Amplifier Companies?

[Colt12]

I am familiar with the top of the top (cost wise) solid state amplifiers and am wondering about the top of the top tube amplifiers?

I am well aware that cost does not equal best and best sound is subjective. I am curious about which companies use the most over the top and advanced manufacturing techniques to make their tube amps as premium and “luxury” a product as possible.

VAC and Kondo come to mind. Maybe Conrad Johnson ($40k reference amp) and Jadis as well. Einstein audio, too? I am thinking of counterparts to Goldmund, CH Precision, FM Acoustics and the like. Do any more besides the ones mentioned exist? Mostly just curious. Which tube manufacturers utilize the most expensive and sophisticated manufacturing processes?

I recently watched a factory tour of CH Precision on YouTube and was wowed by the excessive lengths they go.

 

[ACHiPo]

I'd definitely include AtmaSphere in any list of top-quality tube amps. I've also heard great things about CAT. Of course there are a lot of highly regarding flea-watt SET amps for the right system/speaker. Audio Research, BAT?

 

[Bachtoven]

I would add Ayon Auido to the list.

 

[docvale]

Nagra, since you mentioned lots of Swiss brands, and VTL and Lamm for the American ones.
Together with Kondo, Audio Tekne from Japan

 

[LL21]

My favorite tube amps (that I have heard) are:
1. Zanden Ref Monos. Their special edition references: Seikoh, Chukoh, etc are apparently stupendous. Amadeus here has their Preamp.
2. CJ...but have not heard their latest 30 reference amps
3. VTL Siegfried II Monos
4. Shindo (but its a very personal approach to sound)

Other amps I am intrigued most by:
3. Lamm
4. Atmasphere
5. Kondo
6. Aries Cerat

 

[microstrip]

(...) I am well aware that cost does not equal best and best sound is subjective. I am curious about which companies use the most over the top and advanced manufacturing techniques to make their tube amps as premium and “luxury” a product as possible. (...)

IMHO you will find that most companies making what many find to be the best sounding tube amplifiers are artisanal manufacturers - and no one will give you details on the development techniques, just a few general comments with marketing objectives.

I think that at best you will get a list of our members favorite tube amplifiers, irrespective of manufacturing technology. The more technological tube amplifier I have owned and own is surely the VTL Siegfried II - all static parameters are controlled by microprocessors, includes several advanced microprocessor diagnostic and protection systems and even two time counters - non resetable manufacture and resetable tube play time!

 

[Nemal1]

Air Tight, Absolare, Art Audio are three others that jump to mind and this is just A!

 

[moby2004]

Viva Audio and Riviera Labs from Italy !

 

[Fishfood]

Lamm for sure.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Welcome colt12 to wbf.

 

[mtemur]

- Kondo
- Komuro
- Lamm
- Shindo
- Audio Tekne
- Tenor (Old)
- Air Tight

(Not in any particular order)

 

[joaovieira]

I’d add Audiopax.

audiopax.com

 

[Daverich4]

No one thinks Audio Research belongs on the list?

 

[miniguy]

My favorite tube amp - Air Tight ATM-3211 monoblocks.

 

[Salectric]

Custom amps made by Aldo d’Urso in Italy using Western Electric transformers and other vintage parts.

Emotive Audio Vita

 

[GuillaumeB]

IMHO you will find that most companies making what many find to be the best sounding tube amplifiers are artisanal manufacturers - and no one will give you details on the development techniques, just a few general comments with marketing objectives.

I don’t know if this is helpful at all:

Lars Engström’s secrets to perfectly balanced Scandinavian Sound - Boyer Audio: Hi-Fi Brand Distributor in the UK

Lars Engström has spent many years listening to different components. Tubes, transformers and capacitors are all important to the sound. A balanced amplifier has an open and detailed sound. You don’t need to brighten the sound up with silver or exotic transformer cores. We have tried some of these m

www.boyeraudio.com

In addition here is a basic circuit description of the ERIC Encore which came from Lars himself and which I think I am ok to share:

“At the input there is a switch to select between RCA, XLR and DIR. RCA and XLR go through a input transformer. DIR is bypassing the input transformer. After the transformer there is a gain stage which is a long tail differential amplifier with EC8010 triodes. The gain stage is capacitor coupled to the driver stage. We use tin foil and Teflon capacitors. The driver stage is two 6L6GC in balanced configuration. The driver stage is transformer coupled to the PA stage. The PA stage is 845 power tubes and output transformer. There are two separate power supplies. One is 1000V for the PA stage. This is made up of two mains transformers in series, a bridge rectifier with four 6CJ3 tubes and a filter with two chokes and three 1500V polypropylene capacitors. The other power supply is 400V for the driver stage. This has its own mains transformer, GZ34 rectifier and a filter with choke and a polypropylene capacitor. The power supply for the gain stage is made of a non-feedback regulator from the 400V. The gains stage has choke filtered DC filament supply.”

Cheers,

Guillaume

 

[djsina2]

Mostly just curious. Which tube manufacturers utilize the most expensive and sophisticated manufacturing processes?

I would say this has little meaning in relation to sound quality.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

My favorite tube amp - Air Tight ATM-3211 monoblocks.
View attachment 82081

Got to love these tube amplifiers.gorgeous

 

[Cellcbern]

Angstrom Audiolab, and Thrax Audio:

-https://angstromaudio.com/quantuum/
-https://angstromaudio.com/integrated/

-https://www.thrax.bg/Spartacus300.php

https://www.thrax.bg/Libra.php-

 

[Carlos269]

Herr Thomas Mayer

Thomas Mayer Products