I work part time for a tech helpdesk, and have seen pretty much every make and model of LCD and CRT come through. As a semi-pro designer, I also have a very strict eye for displays.
I'd say in terms of absolute image accuracy, CRTs still hold the lead - graphic designers and publishers in particular are probably the biggest single group of CRT holdouts. Another key benefit of the CRT is resolution scalability; LCD screens only produce the best picture at their native resolution.
That being said, I personally prefer LCDs, because I think the technological gap is rapidly narrowing, and LCDs provide other benefits. Chiefly, an LCD takes up very little desk space as compared with a CRT, and is much easier on the eyes after prolonged periods of use.
Apple LCD displays are very good overall, but pricey. Dell actually produces very high quality LCDs at really good prices - the just discontinued 17" 1704 panel was particularly vibrant and colour-accurate. Samsung makes good value panels, but quality could be better. Their analog units are so-so, and generally seem to exhibit some ghosting around black text on white backgrounds that can't be fully eliminated using the on screen controls. Higher end digital-capable panels from Samsung seem to not have the same problem and are in fact very nice. Viewsonic and IBM panels are solid choices. I hear Formac produces stunning units, but haven't seen one myself. I'd say the "sweet spot" in terms of image quality, contrast, and resolution is in the 18" to 19" range these days. Larger panels seem to still have low contrast ratios (around 300:1) and the units I've seen appear to exhibit uneven backlighting.
As for CRTs, I think the champion remains anything based on Sony's Trinitron tube, though Mitsubishi Diamondtron units are also pretty solid. LaCie makes some great CRTs based on the Mitsubishi tube, and they are geared towards designers. Beware though - their 22" model is the size of a small oven, and probably produces nearly the same amount of heat! IBM and Dell units using Trinitron tubes are also worthy of note. Sony's high end CRT models are great. Other manufacturers, like Viewsonic and Samsung, offer good value, but the overall image quality leaders are I'd say Sony and LaCie, in that order.
The clincher? Any Apple user knows style counts, so how can you go with anything but an LCD unless you absolutely, positively need a CRT (and IMHO, nobody, not even designers these days absolutely postively need CRT - except maybe for budgetary purposes).