Audio Research Ref 3 Opinions

No....I took my unit to an authorized ARC repair man here in the Bay Area

ARC shipped both the replacement tube as well as the 4 bypass caps to him. He did the install in less than 1/2 hour. All I did was pay the $60 for the new tube. Both the tube and the caps are rolling line changes and not upgrades to the unit.

I completely agree. I am not a big fan of the 6550C either. I talked long and hard with the folks at ARC as to why they went back to this tube. Simply put....more bass. The four by pass caps have clearly smoothed out the upper end in my system. Ethann has heard my system and I am reasonably certain he thought it to be good

Interesting thread and how misquoted I was. All along I told guidocorona that only the 6L6GC tube would be replaced by the 6550C. I was somewhat surprised because I am not a big fan of the 6550C--however once the tube was swapped and the bypass caps added there was a distinctly deeper bass as well as a much smoother upper end.

What to me is the $64 question is what the unit would sound like by swapping the 6550C for a KT88?

Here is a look at my system with the Ref3

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1049587927&read&3&4&

http://homepage.mac.com/imacdoyou86/PhotoAlbum52.html

" I have no immediate plans to test NOS 6550 tubes at this time"

Guido

IMO there is absolutely no reason to do any tube rolling with this preamp

Only the very earliest Ref 3's did not have bypass caps and were added later by ARC at N/C if the unit was returned to them. All Ref 3's now have by-pass caps

As for tubes my strongest recommendation is that tube rollling is completely unnecessary with the Ref3

"I humbly disagree with Oneobgyn regarding tube rolling with the Ref 3."

This is what makes this hobby so much fun. One mans passion is another man's poison. I love the Ref3 just the way it is but perhaps next go around in tubes I will take you up on your suggestion.