Audio research 100.2 any good ?????

I have been lucky enough to own some of the best while working in the Audio business and before and after.  That said, the 100.2 is very good.  Of the two I had one had a transformer buzz that did not come through the speakers but was noticed at very low late night listening.  I had a decent system using this amp which included a CJ ART pre and MG-20 Magnepans and all Wireworld Gold Eclipse connects and wire.  It was one of the more enjoyable systems in my history. 

I ended up just getting a marantz pm11s3 

Thereis an AR 100.2 for sale right now. 

The sller had 2 and I bought the other one. 
Make him an offer, he seamed preaty reasonable and honest. 

Good luck.

Hello.  Funny, I've never responded to a thread here, only bought and sold equipment.  Don't forget some of the great tube integrated's available.  I turned my best friend onto the Rogue Magnus integrated with KT120 tubes, plus phono pre!  He has the KEF50 on stands.  I know, more dollars, but that is a killer stopping point for an integrated.  Btw, I owned the 300.2 with Proac speakers, and now Sonus Faber Liuto's.  At first I loved the 300.2 but slowly it was missing something.  Before that, I had some Quicksilver 8417 monos into an Audio Research sp6 (first real system for me). Now I am all audio research with a Ref 75 amp.  Just saying, don't discount the modern tube designs. They are killer, more musical, and relatively easy.  

+1 @stringreen .....I agree.  I owned the ARC 100.2 and although it was quite good in the day, I think it resting on its laurels now and has a nostalgia attached to it.  There are better amps out there now IMHO.   Ayre, Belles, Blue Circle to name a few.  That being said, I've always liked their preamps and tube integrateds.  Regards.....

ARC SS amps from early 80's were dogs, but not the SS ones from the 90's.

I never cared ARC SS digital switching (DS) amps though.

The early transistor ARC amps were dogs.....I wouldn't touch it.  Grainy, no depth, no air, no good.  The one you're speaking of may be different, but the one I know was not a good amp.

I would contact arc to confirm, they are very responsive in my experience 

WOW! ARC will no longer repair them!

I would pass on this one!

Does ARC still repair the D240, D400, D300????

They were good in their time.

I made the recommendation for the Belles on the Thread that I posted here for Nesto719 to review.  I agree,  Belles is huge bang for the buck pieces.  The Aria is 75 watts and the Coda that I posted above is over 300,  both are excellent pieces. 

Johnny R knows. If he promises and recommendeds it you can take that to the bank. And save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run. I personally know Belles stuff is very good.

Well the 100.2 sold before I could get it, so on to plan b I guess.

used price on the Belles Soloist 1 integrated about the same as a 100.2   It's a great integrated and since you do not have a pre...

I know, Belles would be my first choice!

I promise you the Belles Aria is more sophisticated and smoken good driving Vandersteen 2's and Treos. !

http://www.powermodules.com/Resources/HFC_412_Exotica_Belles_Reprint-LOW.pdf
  JohnnyR
 Audio Connection

There is a Coda CSI listed here on Agon right now.... Very nice integrated. 

If you are thinking about an integrated any one of the Marantz Reference Series integrateds would fill the bill.

@nesto719....what kind of budget do you have in mind?  Do you plan on hanging onto the MA for awhile?  What percentage of music vs  movies (h/t)?  This will help.  Thanks.

Yes NAD really!  Never said it was in the same league as the ARC!  I know; I use to own the 100.2.  Just helping the OP do some research and consider different avenues.  Don't forget, he doesn't have a preamp so buying a stellar amp may not make sense at this time.  I've heard NAD driving Vandersteen 2's and Treos.  You'd be shocked perhaps at the great sound being put out by them.  Wouldn't want the NAD long term with the Vandys, but it's a testament to their overachieving ability.  There is certainly nothing wrong with the Creek and Rega integrateds for a long term solution with the Monitor Audio speakers.   May also want to check out the new Belles Aria or Soloist 1.  By the way, I've owned all of these mentioned except for the Aria.  Good luck nesto179!

The reason I was hoping to incorporate my Marantz is because I don't have a dedicated listening room and use h/t and music listening from the same system 

What integrated amps do you suggest that will match the 100.2 in musicality ? What preamps do you suggest ? 

The 100.2 is great amp. I owned one and only moved to a bigger amp because of speakers that demanded more power. It will play just fine on you MA Silver 8's no problem and can reach a lot deeper than your current speakers. Parasound A21 is a nice amp but not as musical as the 100.2. NAD... really? I've owned NAD and very good for the money but we're not even in the same league here. The Parasound Halo Integrated is a good all around unit but it is not going to walk over a 100.2 with a great preamp. I had at the time a ModWright SWL 9.0 SE which was a great combination. Using your Marantz to drive the 100.2 will hold it back, so if that is your likely setup I'd consider an integrated as well but it's going to take something above the stuff noted above to outperform a 100.2. If you are thinking of a 100.2 you really need to mate it with a equally good preamp or you'll never hear how nice the 100.2 is. I know your speakers very well, so I can say with experience the 100.2 will likely have you moving up the Monitor Audio line so be aware of that. 

All great replies !!! Thank you . It's good to know that the 100.2 can't be serviced by audio research . That will definently help steer my direction beingbthatbthe amp I'm looking to purchase is online and definently won't be able to see it in person before purchasing . I'm definently gonna hang onto the speakers for awhile , so I will look into those integrated models . Thank you all again !

Seperates are certainly great, but not always better.  Depends on your long term goals and your system.   If you're going to keep your MA speakers for awhile I'd look into an integrated that has the features you like.  Creek, NAD or Rega is where I'd start.  The new Creek 50A or 100A integrateds are very smooth and accommodate future phono, tuner and Dac modules.  I had the 50A and it was very good driving Tannoy Precision 6.2. Your source and cables will make a difference as well.  Do a little research and better yet some auditioning if you can.  Try not to get overwhelmed.  The search can be fun.  Keep us posted.  Regards.....

I have a 100.2. Excellent amplifier. A couple of things to keep in mind is that AR will not service the amplifier (not even recap it) since the transistors are no longer available. If those transistors are damaged or stop working while in their care they are basically screwed and owe you an amplifier. Second thing is that the rail voltage is 50 volts and the power supply caps are rated at 50V instead of 63V. This will definitely shorten the lifespan of the caps. Replacing those caps are a pain in the neck as you have to practically take apart the amplifier. It took me the better part of two weekends to change out those caps so a professional shop is going to charge quite a bit to do the job.

Before you buy, you have to look under the top cover and make sure those power supply caps are not bulging on top or leaking.

I don't have a preamp yet , was thinking of running the amp off of my marantz 7008 for a short period . I really like the thought of integrated as well and demoed the parasound halo integrated and was impressed . Just was thinking that seperates might be a be better option . Just confused about this whole thing I guess 

Hi nesto719.  The ARC was sold new in the late '90s/early 2000 so if you could find one in good condition and at the right price, I wouldn't hesitate.  That being said, I would personally have it sent into ARC to have it checked out.  Caps can get worn, etc.. I guess I'd have it checked out just for peace of mind....that's just me.  Any of the newer NAD amps would work well.  Even their Integrateds like the 356/375 would work out very well.  Check out some of the older forums here on synergy with Monitor Audio.  Do you already have a preamp?  I wouldn't necessarily say there is better sound out there as that is quite subjective.  I just bought older Blue Circle gear that I am really enjoying.  Plus, it can be sent into Blue Circle for upgrades.  A tube preamp with a solid state amp may be just what you're looking for to give you some warmth.  Keep us posted.  Regards.....

When you guys say it's getting old  , would this mean that I would need to send it in to get serviced , or just that there is a better sound out there ? Also what Nad models match up well???

Agree with timlub, the ARC 100.2 is a heck of an amp, but getting perhaps a bit long in the tooth.  Back in the day, it was one of the best.  The Parasound is good.  Also, NAD matches quite well with Monitor Audio.  Good luck.  Regards...

These are both good amps, as long as there is enough power, I'd rather listen to the Audio Research.... This model is a great sounding little amp,  but its getting a bit old.