That D-115 idles at 400 watts. That is a lot of heat. It is rated at 100 watts which is quite a bit of power for a tube amp. Tube and component life would be shortened if your only avenue of ventilation is from the front and back of the cabinet. If there is an option to place it on TOP of the cabinet it would be the way to go. As Reprince notes, I would certainly look at the compatability of the ss pre-amp with a tube amp first before committing. The ARC should provide long term enjoyment and retain its value as well. As Frap notes, it better be a Mk2 for that price. I currently use one in my system and to help dissapate the heat and extend tube life, I have removed the black cover.
Audio Research vs. Aragon
I'm in the market to add a serious 2 channel amp in addition to an existing 5 ch. Adcom, as my new house has a large great room approx. 20'x 30' with 10' ceilings. I'll be driving a pair of B&W DM-640i's backed up by a 12" Paradigm PS-1200 powered sub, controlled by an Acurus ACT-3 pre-pro, and connected with Audio Stream cables and interconnects. I'm mainly an audiophile (jazz), but enjoy home theater every now and then. I was very close to buying the Aragon 8008BB (200 w/ch) for $2,400 when a recent visit to my local high end dealer uncovered a totally reconditioned and re-tubed Audio Research D-115 (130 w/ch?) for $1,500. I auditioned it on a pair of B&W CDM 7NT's. It sounds great, but I'm concerned about the excessive heat that tubes produce as it will probably go inside of an open back entertainment unit. Which way should I go? Any advice would be much appreciated.