The ARC LS 25 I bought used last fall came with Amperex NOS tubes and Hal-O-Dampers. Only thing I can say: the dampers do look cool. Do they affect the sound? As you have all realised: I'm too deaf to know! One thing I can say about dampers is that the stock ones from ARC I also got with the line stage were installed in the PH 3 phono stage. Result? Damn I can't hear any difference! So I must be deaf, or else I simply lack that extra bit of imagination a true high-ender can't live without. Good day.
