Strong 2nd on the George Wright stuff. Yes, he passed away, and the finish on some of his stuff is not so hot, but soundwise they're amazing.
If you're buying new, I'd avoid the cheap-ish stuff. SETs only sound as good as their output transformers, and there's no way to do those without $s (other than buying used). Fi, Audio Note, and Cary all make/made wonderful gear, and there are smaller manufacturers (like Final, noted above, and also the late George Wright) who only sold direct on the web, who offer solid products. I recommend buying the DVD with all the back issues of Sound Practices magazine and familiarizing yourself who's who in SET/SEP world.
If you're buying new, I'd avoid the cheap-ish stuff. SETs only sound as good as their output transformers, and there's no way to do those without $s (other than buying used). Fi, Audio Note, and Cary all make/made wonderful gear, and there are smaller manufacturers (like Final, noted above, and also the late George Wright) who only sold direct on the web, who offer solid products. I recommend buying the DVD with all the back issues of Sound Practices magazine and familiarizing yourself who's who in SET/SEP world.