Japanese Tube Holy Grail? Opinions, Please!

Here You have....I love this amp..amazing smooth 3-d sound compare with what I have had before(Karan i180 --> ec 4.7 and so on ). All tubes nos(siemens, telefunken, brimar) and also recapped(audio note, nihicon).
 

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I'll go with Luxman as well. I've only had a brief stint with an M68Q but that was enough.

The only downside to Luxman is that some use output tubes that can be tough to find.
 
There still isn't anything built that can equal a tubed Mcintosh. For vintage equipment only Marantz and Citation were in the same neighborhood. I wish Mac would publish results from the Mac clinics Davie Obrien conducted. Then you would know. Until current manufacturers learn how to build output transformers, Mac will always be the leader.
 
Like I've always said we all have distortions we wish to hear. Some like overly warm mid bass, others sparkly highs, some like a suppressed top octave, and some prefer disco bass or having subwoofers turned up to high. Some like point source speakers, and some of us like some Mac a few models and others we would have to pass on. You like your Japanese amps, I like Mac 3500's, 275 VI and 2301. But I wouldn't live with them. I'll stick with SS.
 
Wow, a thread on Japanese high end tube gear featuring some amps from companies that have been in the transformer business since 1925, top that McIntosh, and we have a member that says the McIntosh tube units can not be equaled, but goes on to say that that stuff is junk compared to his SS McIntosh gear. OK. that is why so many companies were able to make a go of it back in the day and the good companies are still around producing great gear, Some of the Japanese brands and McIntosh, included. Just not the place to be dissing the gear like you have and then dis that gear, too to extol the virtues to some sand amp crap that isn't even part of this discussion. But it is all good. Least you are not trying foist a Pioneer SX-1980 on us, we know better, about both that and McIntosh. I've had it, moved it on, and I'm not talking the Pioneer.
 
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The Luxman CL-38 is a pretty special preamp to match up with my MA-88's, super quality unit!

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Luxman and Sansui. I have a MQ-80 from 1976 so a little to new :)
I've heard that, tho I do wonder about the less common totl Mullard pattern amps that were offered by many manufacturers, Fairchild to Fisher.
No doubt in my mind that McIntosh was "the engineers' choice" amps for their thorough design and verifiable technical performance.
 
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For those who want to discuss McIntosh amps - please, no threadcraps - either start your own thread or go to the Mc forum. This thread is about Japanese equipment.
 
This Sanei SET amp caught my eye enough to snag it. It has 211 output tubes, Tango iron throughout.

Sanei_UV-211a.jpg
 
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