Modern computer simulation testing has empowered even amateurs to tweak well-documented tube circuits from the 40s and 50s. Add access to higher-grade parts that weren't available when these circuits were first developed. In many instances, commercial tube products of today are nothing more but thinly disguised rehashes of rather antiquated technology, repackaged in fancy casings.

From its cunningly christened Art Audio Diavolo debut amp, the company has pursued a different avenue. Eschewing stock transformers and circuits, each amplifier evolves from an output tube selected specifically for its sonic qualities. Lengthy testing then determines the precise parameters necessary to optimize its operating characteristics. The goal is always two-fold: Stable long-term performance; and maximized current delivery to drive even those speakers that traditionally elude the grip of single-ended amplifiers.

Based on this initial research, custom split-core transformers not usually employed for single-ended designs are specified. These are hand-wound to Art Audio's specification by a British master craftsman who has been with the firm from inception. R&D phases routinely go through various incarnations of output transformers before a final design is approved.