What's the best EL34 amp besides 8b?

The ugly old Altec 1568B 40 watt monoblock is an incredibly fine amplifier by virtue of it's Peerless output transformers which are considered among the finest ever put in an amplifier. The power supply is somewhat primitive and could use some simple upgrades but it will be as satisfying to listen to as any overpriced vintage Marantz. I modded a pair which I used for five years until I was seduced by a Citation II - again, those superb transformers!

Also consider the VTL ST85. Google. Many good reports all over the WWW.

For me the Air Tight ATM3.
Mine will soon be an ex teen ager and still trouble free exept changing tubes when necessary. Sound is absolutely wounderfull. Really underestimated amps

Yes, the H/K Citation 2 is an impressive amp- my favorite from the classic era.

The Dynaco was introduced in 1959, and over 350,000 ST-70's had been sold when production finally ceased, making the ST-70 the most popular tube(not just EL34) power amplifier ever manufactured(though perhaps not, "the best."

The ST-70 is a good amp, but at full power the 5AR4 rectifier is under stress. They should have designed it for a pair of them.

There is an excellent thread on the ST-70 design over on Audiokarma.