Audio Research I/50

Balanced Audio Technology VK-3000SE (replaced by VK-3500 which is, I believe, same internals in a new box). I used Audio Research for ten years then switched to BAT and never felt I was missing anything. BAT is just pure music. 

@malibu457 , the reason there is no auto bias is because there isn't room to fit it , I saw a very interesting video on Youtube where they explain the ( few ) trade offs due to price but mainly design limitations in that chassis , which apparently wasn't originally an in house ARC design but elsewhere in the MacIntosh Group .

A great video that answers many questions regarding the I/50 . 

what U think guys comparing this to a Leben CS-600 or CS-600X? or with a traditional SET 300B or 300B XLS?

JBL 4349, Zu or Klipsch pairing.

I heard the i50 at the Florida Audio Expo last month and I knocked out by the sound. I was ready purchase the amplifier until I found out that amplifier’s balanced inputs are not compatible with a signal beyond 2 volts. Most every DAC that has a fully balanced design, sounds best from its balanced output and nearly all normally output voltages well over 3volts. According to ARC, normal balanced voltages will over drive its input stage. The i50 is not even compatible with Audio Research’s own DAC9 if balanced connections are employed. It was likely a design oversight to incorporate balanced inputs on the i50. This was disappointing news.