Fo Audio Research Ref 10 owners, Best Amp?


What amp did you find worked best with this pre amp?

Did it depend on wattage? I am currently using 250 per channel.

Do I need more?

Or is it the synergy with a certain amp?

I know I am not getting all the potential of this pre. Something is holding it back.

And I know my system is capable of so much more. The problem is I had auditioned somebody's ref 10 and it sounded miraculous. The walls of my apartment disappeared and I wanted to listen to all of my many many cds again. It got difficult just leaving to do the things I needed to do. Ever feel that way with your system?

The kicker is I don't remember which amp I was using! I was trying out many amps and not keeping notes. It was a long time ago. Everything else is exactly the same-transprt, Dac, Speakers. 

If any of you are so inclined let me know what amp you found goes best with your ref 10 and let me know if you've found that nirvana I ever so briefly enjoyed.

Thank you for your time.

roxy1927

250.8 has nice but not great depth and little width and sparkle.

I had the 350.8 which I liked a lot(maybe it was this one because of the extra wattage.) But it was a heavy beast to have in an apartment though now I wish I had figured out a way to keep it.

30.8

Hegel 300 and a couple of others I can’t recall.

The AGD Duets and Audion are getting great reviews and in terms of weight look ideal. But would they do justice to a Ref 10 due to their size?

 

 

You can mix and match other brands with ARC components, but for the best system synergy, it has been my experience to stay within the ARC product line. They really do play nicely with each other. Save time and headaches and just get the best ARC amp(s) your budget will allow and never look back.

I've thought about it but I often read that they get so hot they need a fan behind them or they have a fan built in and when the music goes silent you can hear the fan! I am so sensitive to that kind of sound no matter how low. When there is no sound I want there to be no sound.

I’ve tried also the Pass xa 25 and the VTL S200.

Now the VTL was fantastic it was a keeper however I bought it as a demo and when I called them with a question the first thing I was asked very sharply was where I bought it from. I have never dealt with such an unpleasant person in all my years in buying audio equipment. I dealt with her once more and then I knew if I ever needed a repair she was going to do everything in her power to make it as unpleasant an experience as possible so I sold it. When you deal with Pass or Audio Research it is always a pleasure. And they don’t care where you bought it from. They don’t treat you like a criminal.

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