ARC VT200 vs. VTL MB 250??

I have an MB 185 and a friend has an ARC vt 100. In the first place the ARC is a stereo amp and the VTLs are monoblocks. Second, the ARC is not switchable to triode, and the VTL 250 is exclusively triode. While I enjoy the ARC, I am biased toward the triode sound. It seems to come from a quieter background and contains fewer artifacts. The ARC seems to be sort of like the old preamps that had loudness controls. They are impressive and sound good at first, but it doesn't wear well with me because to my ears at least, it does not sound natural. That said, the vt series is much better than the previous ARC's that I have heard. The ARC's seem more powerful than their ratings while the VTL's seem less, so be warned. Finally, the VTL really needs the MIT cap upgrade in order to compete with the ARC in resolution. I hope this helps.

Sorry, I'm a VTL owner, but can't help you with that comparision. I commiserate however, because it's very tough to find a dealer who will carry two different brands within a 'catagory', such as high-powered push-pull tubes in this case. By reputation and reviews, these two should sound distinctly different, so hopefully someone will come along who's done the auditioning.