Experiences with Audio Research Tube Amps.


I would like to hear of your experiences with Audio Research tube amps. Specifically the VT 130 amp. Will it have enough power to run any or all of my speakers(Maggie 2.7qr, ML Aerius and Thiel CS 3.6) to realistic(loud but not too loud) levels? How about the Cary SLM-100s?
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
jcatral14
No experiance with that model but I have several ARC pieces , they and the company are among the Best out there!
I had Rogue 120 Magnum amps (120 watts per channel) and they were underpowered for my Maggie 1.6s. It would achieve a decent volume but lacked impact and any sense of overhead.
I would recommend SS with Maggies instead.
Hello,
I had the VT130 for about two years driving Maggie 3.3 speakers. Much of the time, there was enough power but there were definitely times when the amp peaked out. But it was very much a soft clipping. Ideally, this is not a good match. I then tried the CL150 monos and they worked a bit better, but their protection circuitry shut the amps down which too became a pain. So I think if you want tube power with Maggies, you need to go with the VTLs with the switchable modes....triode for softer music .. otherwise make use of the much higher output power.
Ultimately I made the mistake of selling the Maggies rather than the amps!
John