AUDIO RESEARCH VS VTL

You want great sound, reliability,  and great customer service?   Quicksilver Audio make great sounding no frills gear .....   

Quicksilver is midfi. Not knocking it. Well made and has a huge following.  But Quicksilver gear sounds like grandpa's old tube amp. 

I am strating to realize that VAC is the king of tube amplification. Solid customer service, great sound, great build quality, and very sought after.  VTL died when David Manley died or sold it to his son Luke. Horrible customer service with VTL.  ARC, is like the McIntosh of tube amps, big name but just ok sound. 

Well well JeffVegas. You answered your own question.  Which is neither ARC or VTL.

I personally feel there is NO company, tube, solid state or hybrid that is KING over the others.  Each has their own idiosyncrasies. Good or bad. Sometimes good and bad.  Even in between their own models!
I feel the same for turntables, cables, cartridges, speakers, tweaks... 
Every person seeks their own personal sound of their system.  King, Queen, Princes and Princesses.  Royalty in Your their listening room.