Rarefied air. That kind of sums up the Japanese house of Air Tight for me. The Osaka-based bespoke electronics manufacturer celebrated its 30th anniversary last April, which is no small feat for an esoteric tube amplification-based company. I’m sure a large part of their longevity is due to the fact that Japan is still home to what many consider the most discerning audiophiles on the planet. Audiophiles who make no apologies for their longstanding love of tube amplification. Even during the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s when transistors ruled the sonic-reproduction world, many long-time hifi gurus I’ve spoke with have said tubes were still staunchly qualified as “the best” for musical playback in Japan. Over the years Atsushi Miura, with his engineering partner Atsushi Ishiguro have expanded the company’s expertise to include pre-amps, step-up transformers, and low-output moving-coil cartridges. Their PC-1 Supreme ($11,000 USD)cartridge is a favorite of mine on the show circuit for it’s transparency, deft emotional touch, texture, and thought-provoking image presentation. So imagine how I felt when I saw the company’s flagship anniversary Opus-1 LOMC cartridge ($15,000 USD) on a modified Transrotor SME tonearm (5009JR $3,500 USD) pulling music from the grooves of an LP riding high on [...]