Audio Research Factory Tour

I have to agree, astro58go. I’ve been working on keeping my opinions to myself, but have a ways to go ;-). My goal is to make positive comments only, such as this one: I consider Audio Research Corporation the most important and influential hi-fi company of the "modern" era, modern meaning the "new wave" of designers and their often self-owned small companies that sprung up starting in the early-70’s, creating what is now called the High End (courtesy of Harry Pearson). There are probably more ARC products considered classics than those of any other company.

The consumer hi-fi business as we now know it started right after the end of WWII, when the radio engineers returned home and applied their electrical engineering knowledge to the creation of an industry dedicated to offering products enabling the recording and reproduction of music. Those products used tubes, of course. The appearance of transistors in hi-fi products changed that industry significantly, and by the late 60’s tube-based products were history. Bill Johnson and his ARC single-handedly changed that! He bravely swam against the current, reintroducing the vacuum tube to consumer hi-fi products. He also taught us that the pursuit of as-low-as-possible test bench distortion specs was folly. I can’t imagine our current hi-fi without Bill Johnson.

It’s only natural that people fear Bill’s death, and the sale of ARC to a multi-national, may endanger the direction ARC takes. Though this video is interesting, it doesn’t assuage those fears. Time will tell, ay?

As time went on, Bill was less and less at the center of design at ARC, even long before he sold the company. He had a couple of other long-time ARC designers (especially Rich Larsen) designing more and more of the new products, starting with the first hybrid tube-mosfet pre-amps. It was those products (like the SP-11) that some feel ushered in a change in the ARC sound, from a traditional slightly soft/warm sound to a white/dry one; too much solid state, not enough tube.

Some ARC products of the last couple of decades had very little Bill Johnson involvement. But ARC still maintained it’s "Bill Johnson" image for years after it was a true reflection of who was actually designing their products. They have a great dealer network, and a dedicated, loyal clientele, who continue to this day to sell one ARC product and replace it with it’s new version in the company’s lineup. And the old models keep their value, making buying used, listening to for a number of years, then selling for little loss, a good way to get great sound at a reasonable price.

Who knows how long ARC can maintain their place in perfectionist audio, when no one knows who is actually in the drivers seat, design-wise. I wish Fremer had been able to talk with Rich and whoever else is actually responsible for new ARC products. Without that, ARC is just another faceless company, with no identity. To me, anyway. With a Herron product, I know who does the designing, and what he's about. Same with Atma-Sphere, Music Reference, Pass Labs, VTL, Lamm, Zesto, Manley, and the other smaller, designer-owned companies, like ARC once was. That's was being high end is all about, isn't it?