Tubes rule

There are many discerning audiophiles who place their faith (and money) in tube-based equipment and will swear that the sound quality thus generated is far superior to anything that transistors can produce.

Yes - tubes, those glowing bulbs that take maybe 30 minutes to warm up before proper listening can begin, emit plenty of heat and could well inflict painful burns on inquisitive fingers who might be tempted to try and touch them when in full operating mode.

So much so that there are dozens of hifi manufacturers who specialise in tube amplifiers, CD players et cetera, perhaps none more well-known than Japan's Audio Note, which because of legal issues with the UK unit, now sells its gear under the Kondo brand name.