Audio Research filing for bankruptcy?

True, ARC is an attractive asset and the receiver is there to sell it.  It will get sold.

But don't be so confident.  The real issue is who buys it.  These days many buyers of such assets are only in it for a quick buck.  They don't pay their own money, load the company down with debt, pull out the maximum management fees whether the company is making money or not, if anything's left over then it's dividends.  It makes no difference to them if the company survives, let alone prospers.  They just bleed it dry either way.  A few years later they spit out the pieces and move on to their next victim.

It's called private equity.  And it's evil and destroying good businesses.  Over here in the UK, they bought the water and sewage companies.  Instead of spending money repairing and improving the plant, they ripped it out and put it in their pockets.  The result is record levels of raw sewage in our rivers.  Nice.  Not.

I have a few ARC pieces.  Fortunately they are so well made I rarely get service issues.

@roxy54    I'm not sure ARC prices have moved ahead by much more than inflation.

I recall the SP10 was $4,000 when launched around 1980.  The Ref 6 is currently around $17,000.

$100 in 1980 is $360 now, so the Ref 6 ought to be $14,400, so not much less than its current $17,000 price.

Most people would say the Ref 6 is a better amp, but I can listen to my SP10 and there is much less difference than you might think.  I have to listen on my second system as my main system is balanced from stylus to power output.  The SP10 is definitely warmer, but then some who favour tube amps also favour 'warmth'.