ct0517
I have always equated company flagship preamps, you know, the ones that really showcase a company’s talents, to preamps with isolated power supplies and adjustable gain. These features separate the men from the boys, imo.I’m not sure what you mean here. The SP-10, SP-11 and SP-15 were all two-box affairs, and they date to the early -80s. When ARC went to the Reference preamp series, it still used two boxes: One for the line stage, one for the phono.
The Ref 10 checks both these two boxes; but why did it take ARC so long to figure it out again after the flagship models of the past that had these features ? A change in people that do the thinking ?
I do see there is room in the REF 10, to put a phono stage. So why did they not do it; I mean if its a quest for the best sonics ?I’m not sure what you mean here. First you argue that a preamp should be two boxes, then you suggest they should squeeze more into each box.
IMO, A separate additional box, and more cables to hookup phono when dealing with that tiny vinyl signal is not a good thing ...It’s not a tiny phono signal once it leaves the phono preamp - it’s a line level signal just like any other. And there are advantages to having the phono preamp in a separate box, including being able to site it where it works best, such as close to the turntable.