ARC Ref 75 vs. Ref 75 SE

07-15-15: Bifwynne

Have tubes arced and taken out bias resisters?? Yes!! But how often?? Maybe once or twice a year. And since I've been using KT-120 and KT-150 power tubes, tube arcing has been a very rare occurrence.

Cost of repair is about $100. There's an ARC authorized tech who lives near me and who makes house calls.

Bifwynne, do you keep track source of tubes that arc? Results will justisfy whether one should pay premium for ARC tubes.

07-14-15: Bdp24
Do you ever get the feeling that ARC deliberately leaves out the circuit refinements that they end up offering for each of their models a year or two or three after each new model is introduced?

I get the same feeling with Porsche 911 evolving 50+ years. Why can't they just build a 2016 911 back in 1950's and close shop?

I propose a new law companies only allow to build ONE model version and close shop. There are no innovation ... just ripping off customers.

As a cynical way to create business in between truly new models?

IMO, a company is offering what the consumer wants is smart business. An audio company not only produces excellent products but is operated to stay in business. The fact ARC has been in business for a long time speaks for itself.

The Music Reference RM200 is available, by the way, with transformers (the heart of every tube power amp) hand-wound personally by Roger Modjeski, something I don't believe anyone at ARC is capable of doing. They don't offer that option, at any rate, no matter how much you pay for one of their amps.

So Roger is the only person on earth that's skilled enough to wound a transformer to spec and he wants to charge additional $1000 for it? What does this say about his amps with transformer not wound by him? I guess he never had an issue with self image.

Why does ARC needs to offer a bogus option to rip off customers when stock transformer sounds fine? Are you serious?

07-18-15: Don_c55
Bifwynne

ARC's service center is a profit center.

I have been to the factory, and the service team is large for a company of 80 employees.

I've own many components and have learned reliability is as good as the service. Everything eventually breaks. ARC has one of the best service.

I argue most companies need to expand their service team so repairs don't take forever.

07-19-15: Don_c55
Bifwynne: Why are you in every ARC post?

Same reason you in most ARC post.

WE know you are a ARC cheerleader!

WE know you are a ARC hater!

07-27-15: Bifwynne
Knghifi ... that's a lot of scratch for tubes ... be it Upscale or ARC. Ironically, Upscale charges about $50+ for a KT-120.

When time to retube, was planning SE upgrade but my mono already got some SE parts so will just buy the tubes. I'm leaning buying from ARC.

If I have a "next time," I might check out a Pass or Ayre solid state rig. Both have earned high grades. In the meantime, I'm all ARC.

Not sure how you listen but I've always had both. I usually leave my system on and when a great tune catches my attention, I'll go listen.

You should buy a SS amp. I like my Hegel H30. Checkout Luxman M-900U, Constellation ... The new PS Audio BHK is interesting. It's designed by Bascom King who also designed the Constellation Hercules. If SQ anything close to Constellation, it's a steal for the price.

07-20-15: Bdp24
Knghifi- The Music Reference stock transformer is just fine. Excellent, actually, being an original Roger Modjeski design he has manufactured to his specs. But the art of transformer design, and hand winding them especially, is a dying art. Roger has made a lifetime study of transformers, and by hand winding his design he is able to extend it's bandwidth to a high frequency impossible in a machine-wound transformer---his, ARC's, or anyone else's ...

If the transformer is superior to anything on the market, why all the reported humming problems with RM200?

To me, the real crux of the ARC update/improvement matter is this: Let's say about ten years ago you had ten grand to spend on a pre-amp (must be nice!). Amongst your choices were the EAR-Yoshino 912 (designed by Tim Paravicini, a man very much like Roger Modjeski) and the ARC Reference whatever...

Then buy an EAR? Why are you so hung up on ARC? Who is forcing you to buy ARC? Where do you live? IRAN? Is there a new Obama / Robert mandate I should know?

07-26-15: Bifwynne
Knghifi ... not really. The last couple of re-tubes came from ARC because the bias spread on power tubes sourced from a reputable tube vendor drifted too much. Btw, I may have overstated the times tube arcing has taken out bias resisters. I was being conservative and may have overstated the issue.

I have 850 hours on orig KT120s in my REF250 so trying to decide where to buy the KT150s. $1600 from Upscale or $3200 from ARC. Hmm!

I already have NOS TS 6550s, Winged C and 6H30-DR so only need KT150s.

The main point is that power tubes may arc on occasion. The result cold be a blown bias resister. Also, at least with ARC amps, bias needs to be manually checked and adjusted on a periodic basis. This type of care and feeding may make ARC tube amps a non-starter for some. And that is a rational reason to consider another tube amp brand or a solid state amp.

In my case, it's not a big deal. I like the other pluses that ARC brings to the table.

Just saying.

Well, some people appreciate the precision of Ferraris, Porsches ... that requires additional maintenance and some only concern is getting from point A to B. :-)

I've had many different tube amps and they're all PITA compare to SS.

MQA is a digital thing, isn't it?

I guess it's obvious dweller is not an EE?