Audio Research REF 80S Reviews/Comparisons

@charles1dad  

Thank you. As to writing, right back at you. I promise further listening impressions.  

@fsonicsmith

Thanks for your comments. You are in for a treat. If I haven’t mentioned this, you can expect mediocre performance for for about 100 hours… pretty good til around 120… then flipping back and forth between good and bad… then after 150 hours good performance… getting better through 600… and while the slope of improvement decreases, the amp continues to improve through 1,000 hours.

I can’t imagine anyone leaving the cage on the amp. It is great seeing the tubes. I must admit to really liking the meters… I know it is just for show… love the show.

@fsonicsmith - agree with ghdprentice re change in sound refinement.  The 80S will open up.  In my experience, ... just like ghdprentice said.  I look forward to your comments on the 80S in general after 200+ hours and also how the 80S compares to the 150SE.

Enjoy the amp.  I think you will be pleased.

BIF    

@fsonicsmith - can you share some updated impressions on the Ref 80S.  How does it compare to the Ref 150SE?

Thanks

BIF 

Here is what I wrote in the "Devore" thread (Speakers) that I think also, even if partly, answers your question;

I don't want to give things away before the final vote tally is in, but the O/93's simply sing holistically, organically, and full of joie de vivre with my ARC Ref 6 and 80S fed to them with Cardas Clear SC's. Previously with my Ref 150 SE in the same system I heard a slight discontinuity between the woofer and tweet, a minimal but nagging dry spot and woodiness with male vocals, alto sax, and similar frequencies in the midrange band. That small niggling misgiving has completely vaporized with the ever-so-sweet Ref 80S. I have only 100 hours on the new amp and it reportedly needs 300-500. Dynamic synth drum attacks along the likes of "Get Innocuous" from LCD Soundsystem's second album "Sound of Silver" are still sounding soft and not as sledge hammer on iron spike precise as with my former Ref 150 SE (which fwiw I am holding onto for the heck of it) but I am confident that with more time that precision will arrive too. 

The point of this post is simple; don't underestimate how utterly great the O/93's can be in a small room with the right synergy. Pat Martino's guitar work in "East!" is thrilling with this combo. 

I only have about 100 hours on the 80S so far. I am hearing great things already. The sound is simply more coherent than the 150 SE. The 150 SE kept a better grip on synth drums and lower bass in general. The 150 SE always struck me as presenting a soundstage with placement of instruments/sounds and images that did not seem quite natural and instead a bit exaggerated (and I believe the Ref 6 preamp does this a bit as well). An artificial spaciness if you will. The 80 S does not have this characteristic and seems to be a better match with the Ref 6.