ARC Ref 3 or VTL 6.5?

In consultation with Guido and Peter of Soundworks fame, I purchased a VTL 6.5 in mid April. I don't know if it has the newer circuit topology or not. After about a year of intense research, I had my selection narrowed down to the Ref 3 and the VTL. Both are magnificent. I am a tube guy all the way and opted for the very slightly warmer sound of the VTL. To my ear, the Ref 3 was a touch, but only a touch more analytic in character. I personally find Wilsons to be a bit too emphasized in the mid bass, but that could well be because I've never heard them properly setup. Based only on this experience, I might view the ARC as a better match for that system. I remain thrilled with my VTL 6.5, Bel Canto amps and B&W N803 speakers. I'm more of a jazz and female vocal listner; although, the system really shines with orchestral music as well. I'm about to replace some relatively long runs of Kimber 8tc speaker cable with some very short runs of Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun. I'm doing so partially to increase the "snappiness" of the system. The B&Ws while not slow, are not the fastest speaker in town and conceivably I'll replace them in the next couple of years with something faster such as Maggies or Quads. Bottom line on the topic question though is listen to both and pick the "flavor" you like better. Both are excellent!

I've had the opposite experience with VTL. I've called or Emailed Bea two or three times with questions and was handled very professionally and quickly. I haven't dealt with ARC customer support in several years, but my experience was that while efficient, they were not particularly folksie and the repairs were extremely expensive. As I said, I haven't worked with ARC in a long time, so my experience may not reflect the current state of affairs. However, I've had nothing but good will and superb sound from my VTL product.