I recently upgraded from an ARC LS27 to a Ref 5SE. I had the opportunity to listen to it along with an LS 28SE at home in my system. The Ref 5SE won hand down in my system for my musical tastes. You can see my system in my virtual system. Very musical indeed.
Audio Research LS28/SE, Ref 5/SE … what do you like better?
It’s time for me to upgrade my preamp and I have heard both LS 28SE and Ref 5SE and was very impressed by the following:
- Full bodied, lifelike, soulful vocals
- Resonant, warm, engaging wood instruments
- Top end accuracy, without edginess
- Clarity around each instrument
I have listened to a few different preamps in comparison to the AR’s (Margules 220SF 20th Anniversay Edition, VAC Signature Renaissance Mk 4, VTL 7.5 Mk2 and direct via the preamp in my dCS Rossini DAC) but each of these fell short of the AR’s.
Knowing what I like sonically (see above) is there anything that I should try to hear before pulling the plug on one of the AR’s? My budget is under $10,000 Used or $15-18,000 New.
System comprises Raidho D3.1 speakers, VTL S150 amp, dCS DAC/Streamer, Jay’s Audio Transport.
PLEASE only respond if you have heard/own an Audio Research LS 28/28SE or REF 5/5SE.