ARC Reference 6 or Cary SLP 05 with upgrade?

@testrun 

Hi testrun! Yes, we do have similar systems, so your input is particularly valuable. Thank you. The Voyager, aside from having gobs of power, is slightly on the warm side and is quite robust in the lower frequencies compared to the Audions (I had a pair). Same for the Fyne speakers, at least compared to the JA Pulsar II that I almost bought. So a concern I have regarding the 05 > Voyager > Fyne is perhaps too much emphasis in the mid bass. Maybe this is not something you can comment on. I am looking for a more etherial sound than I have now. A soundstage that puts me IN the music, not so much as a voyeur. Yes, I know, headphones. 

Are you still using the stock tubes? What 6sn7s does it ship with? Have you found the 05 to be sensitive to different interconnects and power cords? 

@testrun Did you get the upgrade in your unit? I was planning to do that but they do not allow returns if upgraded. The only reason I might return the unit is as follows.

My main concern is that this is a high gain preamp. The Bricasti, I believe, has a rather hot output (their output specs are not in volts and are confusing to me), the Voyager is powerful (350W), and the speakers are 91db sensitive. I am concerned that I will have a very limited volume range available to me. Like from 0-10 on a scale of 0-100. Your amps are 85W and your speakers are, I believe, 85db sensitive. So in that regard we are very different.

You can ignore my questions about tubes and cables, above. I think I have a handle on those.

Does anyone know what the gain is on the ARC LS28 and Reference 6? I think the Cary 05 is 17db.

@mazian 

I’m not looking for a fuller sound. The F1-8s are amazing with the Voyager amp. I have some minor concerns that it might be too full with the 05. But my much larger concern is too much gain. The 05 is a high gain preamp and I’m already restraining 350 watts > 91db speaker. 

@jmbumgarner01 

why not use the two input level controls instead of the Rockwells? Or are they in the line from your DAC so your phono is not attenuated? 

I think I have to get the Ref 6. It has 12 db gain balanced output. The Cary has 24db of gain balanced out! And my Bricasti DAC is a 4V out balanced. So everything is rather hot considering this, the amp power and speaker sensitivity. I'm afraid the Cary would just be too much. 

I auditioned an ARC LS28 in my system a few days ago. It has a gain of 18.5db on the balanced out, and it was definitely limiting the the flexibility of the volume settings. The useful range was 6-9 on a scale of 0-100. The Cary would be a good bit worse in that regard.

Just ordered the Reference 6SE. Thanks to all for your help!

@ditusa 

It has input gain adjustments L/R. Not the same. And even if it could really reduce the output gain my understanding is the quality of the pots involved are not great.