Audio Research versus McIntosh tube amps: anyone experience or compare both?

The contemporary Audio Research Reference and VT amps have audio biasing and soft start. So, no fiddling is ever needed.

I agree with Docknow. The Audio Research Ref 150 was the best value in audio I have ever had.  Great bass, sweet but detailed midrange and accurate highs. I recommend finding a used one. I currently have the Ref 160 Mk 2 mono amps which are 15% better at 9 times the cost. In the past, i also had the Ref 110 which was not nearly as good as the Ref 150. Docknow refers to the 150Se which is slightly better than the Ref 150. They are both tremendous values.

@bobbydd since you asked a leading question, you will get answers which are obviously this or that. What you are looking for is a great sounding tube amp which has the bloom but not slow or colored. Check out Rogue Audio Stereo 100. It has everything that the Pass does well + warmth and naturalness, without any voicing. Both ARC & Mac are voiced. Rogue Stereo 100 and Apollo Monoblocks sound natural and unvoiced. They both have a triode/ultralinear switch. I always preferred the triode mode. Natural, harmonic, and transparent. Here is a review comparing Rogue Stereo 100 and Pass XA25

https://www.stereophile.com/content/rogue-audio-stereo-100-power-amplifier

@bobbydd

If you decide to try a more modern ARC, don’t get distracted by the other amps, like the REF 150. The REF 75SE would be all you need. It checks all your boxes for simple, fewer tubes and easy to bias from the faceplate. The 150 you have to remove the cage, and get your volt meter out with the probes on the board. It may not sound like that much from simply describing in a post but as a former owner of both amps it gets really old, FAST! Being able to turn the knobs on the 75 and stick the little tool in the hole is so convenient to give you the peace of mind that things are in good shape. I put the REF75SE up against a solid state Mc, the MC462 and it provided the same output and better/more musical sound. I haven’t ever heard a Mc tube amp but as others have stated, you are already an ARC fan so you owe it to yourself to try a 75SE. Get one at a good price and you can always resell if you want but I suspect you won’t sell it until you are ready to move up the ARC line to their newer auto-bias models. Have fun!!!!

I am actually somewhat surprised that you didn't like the Pass/Pulsar combo.  I had  Pulsars in my music room and to me they are a warmer speaker, which I paired with a Prima Luna DiaLogue HD tube amp.  I thought that that combo sounded very nice.  Nonetheless, I wonder if keeping the Pass and getting an ARC REF 6 preamp might be the ticket.  I have a REF 6 and a Pass 250.8 for my Wilson Sabrina X's and it really hits the spot.  Let your ears tell you what sounds best!