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Audio Research Reference Linestages

Just want to hear if anyone else have a similar experience that I do.
Some 8 years ago I bought my first ARC Ref linestage.
It was Ref2 mk2, which I first enjoyed very much, but soon I found the bass to be to close in the soundstage and the treble too far away which never allowed the soundstage to get really homogenous and create the real music event.
When comparing with a Conrad Johnson LS17 it was very easy to hear that Ref2 mk2 had some issues with it's soundstage.
But I'm a fan of ARC's high energy "big" sound so I bought a used Ref One (later model with Infinicaps and detachable powercord), and it easily beat Ref2 mk2 in every way.
There I had the perfect soundstage with great dynamics.
It simply sounded more complete and homogenous than Ref2 mk2. Still not the last air in the highest treble that C-J LS17 have, but the rest was much better with Ref One.
Recently I tried to replace my Ref One with Ref 3, but after 3 months I gave up.
I found Ref3 to lack dynamics and the perfect soundstage of my Ref One. It simply sounded less involving and a bit lame compared to my Ref One.

Anyone else that have kept their Ref One simply because the find it to sound better than later ARC Ref linestages ?
flex2

Showing 2 responses by jafox

jafox
1,470 posts
 
Flex2: I am not surprised with your results at all. I still prefer the performance of 6922-based line stages over the 6H30 tube.

I had the LS5 MK II for several years when the Ref1 came out. I immediately compared the two and much preferred the LS5. And two other ARC fans did the same thing and we all preferred the LS5. The LS5 MK III came out a year later with greater tonal coherency and more resolution but the overall LS5 magic remained. If you really like the Ref 1, you should try to audition the LS5 in any version.

I wanted so much to investigate the Ref2 II with Amperex, Telefunken, Mullard or Valvo tubes. But a short time with the BAT 31SE and then onto the Aesthetix Callisto Sig., there was no going back to 6H30 based line stages. And now the Aria WV, first with Amperex PQ 6922 and now with the RCA 12BH7, is so far ahead of the others I had, that I have no desire to bother with 6H30 tubes.
jafox
1,470 posts
 
Flex2: Yes, exactly. I understood that the LS5 III was an update due to things learned in the Ref1.....most notably the audio circuit....and a reduction of gain from 30db in the II to either 12 or 18 on the III based on a change to 8 resistors as I recall. I do not think much was changed to the LS5 PS.

One flaw I felt about ARC products was their wimpy power supplies, especially the power transformer. It's incredible how much a preamp's power transformer can affect the performance. I learned this when I had the Counterpoint SA2 stock transformer changed to a Plitron. Swapping between the two external boxes was truly incredible. There was so much life to the music that was simply squelched by the older and pint-sized transformer. I have thought to do this with the ARC MCP-33 that I also own. I know that GNSC did this to a few select ARC updates. I can only imagine the incredible effect it would have on the ARC preamps and line stages of the 80s/90s.
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