When most of us think about the folks who populate the high-end audio industry, we tend to conjure up the designers&mdash;the names above the titles, as it were. Or, in many cases, the names that <I>are</I> the titles: <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/688vandersteen">Richard Vandersteen</A>, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/221">Jim Thiel</A>, Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson, Mike Creek, to name just a few.

When most of us think about the folks who populate the high-end audio industry, we tend to conjure up the designers&mdash;the names above the titles, as it were. Or, in many cases, the names that <I>are</I> the titles: <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/688vandersteen">Richard Vandersteen</A>, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/221">Jim Thiel</A>, Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson, Mike Creek, to name just a few.

When most of us think about the folks who populate the high-end audio industry, we tend to conjure up the designers&mdash;the names above the titles, as it were. Or, in many cases, the names that <I>are</I> the titles: <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/688vandersteen">Richard Vandersteen</A>, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/221">Jim Thiel</A>, Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson, Mike Creek, to name just a few.

RCA's time-honored 6SN7 may be the coolest tube of all. The octal-based dual-triode has its own Wikipedia entry&mdash;something not even the 2A3 or 300B can boast&mdash;along with its own <A HREF="http://www.6SN7.com">website</A&gt;. The 6SN7 is chunky, rugged, and handsome. Best of all, it's <I>available</I>, probably because people keep coming up with very good uses for it. In that sense, the 6SN7 is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup of the tube world.

RCA's time-honored 6SN7 may be the coolest tube of all. The octal-based dual-triode has its own Wikipedia entry&mdash;something not even the 2A3 or 300B can boast&mdash;along with its own <A HREF="http://www.6SN7.com">website</A&gt;. The 6SN7 is chunky, rugged, and handsome. Best of all, it's <I>available</I>, probably because people keep coming up with very good uses for it. In that sense, the 6SN7 is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup of the tube world.

RCA's time-honored 6SN7 may be the coolest tube of all. The octal-based dual-triode has its own Wikipedia entry&mdash;something not even the 2A3 or 300B can boast&mdash;along with its own <A HREF="http://www.6SN7.com">website</A&gt;. The 6SN7 is chunky, rugged, and handsome. Best of all, it's <I>available</I>, probably because people keep coming up with very good uses for it. In that sense, the 6SN7 is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup of the tube world.

RCA's time-honored 6SN7 may be the coolest tube of all. The octal-based dual-triode has its own Wikipedia entry&mdash;something not even the 2A3 or 300B can boast&mdash;along with its own <A HREF="http://www.6SN7.com">website</A&gt;. The 6SN7 is chunky, rugged, and handsome. Best of all, it's <I>available</I>, probably because people keep coming up with very good uses for it. In that sense, the 6SN7 is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup of the tube world.

RCA's time-honored 6SN7 may be the coolest tube of all. The octal-based dual-triode has its own Wikipedia entry&mdash;something not even the 2A3 or 300B can boast&mdash;along with its own <A HREF="http://www.6SN7.com">website</A&gt;. The 6SN7 is chunky, rugged, and handsome. Best of all, it's <I>available</I>, probably because people keep coming up with very good uses for it. In that sense, the 6SN7 is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup of the tube world.

There are many colorful characters, many high-profile movers and shakers, in high-end audio, but there are only a few whose influence extends far beyond the promotion of their own brands. One of this exalted and mighty handful is Robert Stuart, chairman and technical director of the UK's Meridian Audio.

There are many colorful characters, many high-profile movers and shakers, in high-end audio, but there are only a few whose influence extends far beyond the promotion of their own brands. One of this exalted and mighty handful is Robert Stuart, chairman and technical director of the UK's Meridian Audio.