Regarding ARC. They do charge a lot for their tubes but if you're buying this class of gear, you had better be able to afford the maintenance and upkeep. And by the way, you DO NOT have to buy the tubes from ARC. I bought mine from an independent tube dealer for much less and everything is working just fine, thank you. Also consider the number of tubes. I don't know how many or what type are used in the VK-75 but there are 8 6550's and 8 6H30's in the ARC VT100MKIII and that adds up in total tube cost. How many tubes in the VK-75 to keep this comparison fair?
As for ARC service I have absolutely no complaints at all and nothing but high regard for their people. I've contacted them on a few occasions and got nothing but top notch service and support. I got first class "technical support" over the phone AND free copies of documentation and schematics via fax. All that, and I'm not even the original owner of the gear. They didn't ask for serial number, proof of purchase, etc. They just answered my questions and were eager to help.
As for ARC service I have absolutely no complaints at all and nothing but high regard for their people. I've contacted them on a few occasions and got nothing but top notch service and support. I got first class "technical support" over the phone AND free copies of documentation and schematics via fax. All that, and I'm not even the original owner of the gear. They didn't ask for serial number, proof of purchase, etc. They just answered my questions and were eager to help.