Need to learn about Audio Research

If class D is a consideration reach out to Alberto Guerra at AGD and Ralph at Atma Sphere.  Both very good to work with and more than willing to share their experience and knowledge. I moved away from tubes to AGD Audion with Cary SLP 05 pre.  Driving Joseph Audio Perspectives.  ( not nearly the load) Anyway never thought I’d move to class D but could not be happier.  Just sharing my experience moving from all tube to class d w/ tube pre.  I think most of the “preferred” Class d manufacture's offer demo options.  I might start with AGD & Atma Sphere.

I've owned a PH-3 and PH-7 phono preamps. Both excellent for their time. I grew out of the PH-3 and looked in the used market for an upgrade and found a PH-7 in Canada. I didn't think there was anything new or used in its price range that was as good. I've also owned a number of ARC preamps, including LS 22, Reference 2 Mk. II, and Reference 3. I would have kept the Ref. 3 for the rest of my life but it blew tubes frequently. It probably needed biasing. Changing preamp tubes is difficult because I had to pull out all the interconnects attached to it and then replace them. I replaced the Ref. 3 with a top-of-the-line Pass XP-30. Three boxes, one for power and the others for each channel. The Pass is pretty equivalent to the ARC Ref. 3. For the most part (they have made lemonds, like the LS 22), I love ARC gear.

Most of the advice here is pretty good, except for going to solid state.  Tube equipment always sounds better to equivelent solid state, even today.  Here is an article that talks about why w/o all the drama.  https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-cool-sound-of-tubes    This is from IEEE, and it discusses this topic rationally, not with all the arguments and emotions.

Also my wife, who is a fabuluus singer, has perfect pitch, and could care less about equipment except for the final output, has never rated SS above tube all other things held equal.  You don't know how wonderful it is to have this type of person living with with regards to stereo setup and equipment selection.

Someday SS may be equivalent or better than tube, but I haven't heard it yet.

Now on observations on durability.  Unless you are running your tube equipment using high current setups like Jadis, I've found that tube equipment requires less repairs than solid state.  I still have my dad's equipment originally bought in 1961, and most of the tubes are original.  Now, I have had all the caps replaced and the switches and dials cleaned and rebuilt, but that was in 2006.  Every piece of solid state equipment I have owned has had more issues along the way, and I've had a lot of transistor issues after the equipment gets from 10 years (normal consumer grade) to 30 years (better equipment like what you're looking at).  It is a bit of a myth that tube stereo equipment is less durable than solid state.  I think that that concept came from the days of tube TV's.  CRT's required a lot of current, so tube TV tended to be a pain in the butt and burn out tubes.

I've never actually owned Audio Research, but I have friends who have.  It sounds quite good.  It is dependable and very well made.  The biggest problem I've heard from them is parts availability.  Unless that has changed with the current owner, you ended up having to go to them for repairs.  They wouldn't sell parts to third parties.  I was hoping when McIndosh owned them that that would be corrected.  Just don't know the current state.  I tend to keep equipment for a long time, and only upgrade when I hear a significant improvement or something breaks and cannot be repaired.

I also get a kick of people citing "recording professionals and musicians" for their blind tests.  How were they set up?  Who were the recording professionals and musicians?  What is their recording pedigree?  Do they even care about stereo equipment?  What are the parameters?  When I was a sceintist, I ran acrass many peer reviewed, double blind studies that were worthless.  They had poor controls that were set up to bias the wanted outcome.

Not all recording professionals are good at making recordings.  When I was in undergrad, I made better recordings using lesser equipment than the outside professional they hired.  He always messed up microphone placement in his intellectual quest to record the "true sound".  I saw that many times when I was a more active musician.

I've known a lot of professional musicians: classical, Motown, jazz.  I played duets in high school with this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Baer   Many of them, thie first being my contrabass teacher's wife in high school, really have no concept of a good sounding stereo.  She used to use a portable record player (mono) with many records stacked on its automatic changer.  This piece of equipment ws the worst of the worst.  That was her rehearsing studio.  Ten feet from her was a much better stereo.  A surprising number of pros just don't care about stereo equipment, and would be poor judges of equipment.  

At least in classical, I think I understand it.  When you are playing in an orchestra, the sound is very diffrent on stage performing than it is when you are in the audience.  In the example above, the mono player may have represented better what she heard when performing than what we listeners want, which is the sound from a good performance in a good hall.

They have some beautiful equipment....

You will only benefit from an upgrade, no matter which brand or type of amp or preamp, with careful matching. Which means you know your system well and can realistically predict how an upgrade is likely to sound in your system. Then you can buy the new (to you) item(s) with relative confidence. But, often, this is not possible, especially when making the magnitude of change you are contemplating in combination with not having experience with ARC. Hence the value of a trusted dealer. So an audition is needed. 
 

Recent ARC gear is very reliable and biasing is a breeze. A Ref 250 set is likely to sound fantastic and will have sufficient power. But, again, it will require an in-person audition or “audition through purchase.” 
 

My Ref75 SE is my forever amp. But I’m running a Linn Klimax DSM/3 direct in and I’m driving Thiel speakers so my experience does not help you. But I can tell you that the current gear is well-designed and very reliable. 

I've gotten good results in driving all my speakers, including Maggies with an ARC Ref 5se preamp driving a Hegel H590 amp, or a Class D Audio 470C amp.  The ARC preamp adds some tube sound (air, soundstage, detail resolution, etc.) - which sounds great with a range of speakers, which seems a bit better than all solid state gear (just the H590 integrated, Parasound, etc.).  Either of those amps with the ARC preamp sound superb with Maggies and Harbeths.  And the Class D Audio amp is superb for about $700 new.  He now offers great GAN amps - still a great price for great sound.  I really like the benefits of the remote control features of the ARC preamp.  And... I've had no problems with the ARC service - had to return a ARC Ref 150se amp for a minor repair of one of the speaker terminals about a year ago.  They provided great, timely service with no issues.    

I have rebuilt Maggie 3.3rs and have used lots of different amps on them, including Rogue Magnum 120s - pretty powerful tube amps. Maggies really like to slurp good quality high power. Ultimately they are at their best actively biamped with 200-250 wpc  (8 ohms) amps that double into 4 ohms.  

But you can't easily biamp the 3.7i, so I would look to an amp at least 200/250 wpc into 8 ohms that doubles wattage into 4.  Parasound A21 is pretty beastly and does that.  I would also consider supplementing with multiple subwoofers set very low in gain. 

I really enjoyed this dialogue. I too (soon), will be looking out for a tube pre-amp.

It's all good information. THANKS.

IAN.

@mclinnguy 

Thanks! Looks like mine is in better shape than the one in that ad, and I have the original box too.

@rubiconmike

Check on hifishark search the unit, click on sold/expired and that will tell you the prices others have listed it for.

The fellow from this ad likes to look at his Jeff Rowland gear so much he had to have it in the background in every picture

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649765369-extremely-rare-infinity-fet-preamp/

I have an Infinity FET preamp that I’m going to put up for sale. Back in the day, The Absolute Sound claimed it was one of the three best preamps in the world alongside the Audio Research SP-1 and the Mark Levenson.

Anyone have an idea of what it’s worth? It’s serial number 329, one of the last made. I’m the original owner and bought it directly from Infinity.

I have an ARC REF 6 paired with a Pass 250.8 that drive Wilson Sabrina X's.  I am very happy with the sound of the combo.  I get the great tube sound of the ARC and the smooth power of the Pass. I have about 4000 hrs on the ARC, no problems with it at all.  Of course, everything in a system matters, so who knows?  Your room acoustics, cabling or DAC may change things up significantly.

ARC has revealed 6 new modestly priced components. Hopefully they will go back to a cleaner more industrial look and will ditch the ubiquitous meters!

mm1tt77
I have a pair of SVS SB3000 subs. 
Guess I need to update my gear list 

@traudio you have some great equipment.  The Hegel is a great integrated.  I agree that it is likely silly to put a tube pre in front of it but if you are already planning on going the separates route, you might by the pre first, try it, might surprise you.  Hegel makes great amps and the amp in your integrated can drive most speakers without issue.  Now, preference on the sound signature difference between the amps is a different animal, for sure you might prefer the sound signature / pairing with your Maggie’s if you swap amps / pre’s.  I have compared Tube amps / pre’s to SS.  I’ve landed on liking a tube pre with SS.  As others have mentioned, can give you the best of both worlds.  Pass, Krell, Coda would all be great pairings with your Maggie’s, known to drive difficult speakers loads across a wide range, handle dips into the 2 ohm range.  A couple of less expensive options would be Parasound and Music Fidelity, both design SS amps that are great at driving difficult loads and punch well above their weight class.  A Parasound A21 was my fist serous 2 channel price of equipment, added into my HT set up, starting me down the 2 channel rabbit hole, great amp.  Adding Subs would be my first move, before changing up your pre / amp.  Those would be a game changer.  Might find that with the subs, you love the Hegel handling the mids and highs.  Good Luck!  

@whart 

Not to mention his "we don't actually listen to our amplifiers, we let our customers do that".

He described his amplifiers in engineering terms "unconditionally stable into any load".

I am a bit surprised that nobody has done a digital version of the Quad ESL-63 but then very few seem to understand the principle behind the eight concentric rings with their time delays ...

I have the 3.7i and pair it with a Pass 250.8 the sound is magnificent. I purchased the Pass after reading it had won the best of show when paired with the Maggie’s.

plenty of power and no hassle with tubes.

good luck and good listening.

Apropos @richardbrand ’s post upthread, I got to meet Peter Walker at McCormick Place in Chicago during the 1976 CES. I had a pair of Quads which I bought in 1974 and they are still in use today! (Sympathetically restored by Kent McCollum in 2017). I run them with an old pair of Quad IIs that were redone by the late Bill Thalmann with first rate glass.

Walker was notable for a couple of famous quotes, including the type of wire necessary for his equipment. It went something like this (I’m paraphrasing): First, it must be long enough to connect from the amplifier to the speaker, and secondly, it must be conductive.

Another brilliant guy in a quirky, fascinating industry filled with colorful characters.

~

 

ARC tube amps have a definite warm “Tube house sound. And while I don’t currently have anything, I can assure you they make great products.  Having said that, the sound isn’t for everyone and or every speaker.  
Also, depending on your listening levels and whether you use sub’s, 100 watts might not be enough power for the 3.7i’s. (They really like current) but If you use an active crossover and roll the Maggie’s off @65 htz,, 100 watts is way more power than you need. There are a bunch of other variables you will need to consider also. Room size and and acoustics to name a couple.

Have you ever considered getting a hybrid amplifier?  Tubes on the input section and Mosfets for the output stage?

All the best.

I've used an ARC LS 2B mkII hybrid tube pre and a D 200 SS amp in my main system for years.  Never owned any Maggies, but many other speakers have been powered by this pair, mostly dynamic drivers systems and for a while a set of Martin Logan electrostats.  Never had any issues (knock on wood...) and have loved the sound.  The LS 2B mkII is a gem, and does have a (rudimentary) remote (volume up / down and mute).  My "audiofool" :-) buddies consistently praise the this systems sound, and regularly comment on it's value.  I'd suggest this gear is worth investigating via the used market.  Happy listening! 

I've used an ARC LS 2B mkII hybrid tube pre and a D 200 SS amp in my main system for years.  Never owned any Maggies, but many other speakers have been powered by this pair, mostly dynamic drivers systems and for a while a set of Martin Logan electrostats.  Never had any issues (knock on wood...) and have loved the sound.  The LS 2B mkII is a gem, and does have a (rudimentary) remote (volume up / down and mute).  My "audiofool" :-) buddies consistently praise the this systems sound, and regularly comment on it's value.  I'd suggest this gear is worth investigating via the used market.  Happy listening! 

@fsonicsmith

I always thought the "straight wire with gain" is one of the most meaningless cliche's among the thousands in audio. Two preamps can be "straight wires with gain" and yet sound completely different, particularly if one if solid state and one is tubed. 

This phrase was coined by Quad founder Peter Walker, who built valve and solid state amplifiers and separate pre-amplifiers, as well as electrostatic loudspeakers.

Far from a cliche, it was his design goal for power amplifiers.  On the other hand, his pre-amplifiers had multiple controls to allow the user to ameliorate playback of poor recordings, and were never "straight wires with gain".

He was incensed when a journalist suggested his valve designs sounded different from his solid state designs, and organised the best controlled comparison I have ever read about.  These is a topic here Audiogon Discussion Forum

Peter Walker (Quad) did a study comparing the sound of his own amps (Quad II and 303) tubes vs. transistors. He used RTR dubs of master tapes and presumably Quad ESL's. The two amps are well matched power-wise. It was a very thorough listening comparison using a written scoring system. He and his panelists could not distinguish between the two, until driven into clipping. It was a blind test - the amps were labeled A and B. The music chosen was various selections presumably from Decca and EMI masters. This is the most thorough test comparing tubes and SS that I am aware of! The listening panelists were recording professionals and musicians. Peter Walker's conclusion was that all well-designed amps operated below clipping will sound the same. I will point out that this was not your typical "get together in a basement with your buddies for a few hours swapping cables between two amps". It was a carefully planned and set up experiment (matched levels) - now forgotten and unaware of by today's hobbyists.

I cannot find the original paper, but three Quad models were involved (add the 405). The speakers were Yamaha, at the insistence of the journalist who later withdrew from the listening sessions - and audio journalism!  This listening panel comprised renowned British audiophiles and the tests were staged over two days.  Each blind test randomly compared two amplifier types (which could also be the same) and each panel member was asked to rate the sound quality the same, better or worse.  The results were statistically inconclusive for all panel members - nobody could reliably hear a real difference.  The amplifiers had much lower distortion than the speakers!

Another longtime ARC pre user here; the LS7 in my system has been its heart and soul since 1997(!). Never replaced a tube, and I turn it off only when I'm going to be gone from the house for more than a couple of days. I use a Classe CA-D200, a class D model they made a while ago (200WPC @ 8 ohms, 400 into 4 ohms). Love the combo with my ML ESLs (not Maggies, but they love power nonetheless).

It’s nice to read about folks who owned the gear (from) back in the early days. I guess I’m getting up there- audio history is fascinating to me, and there is so much cool, offbeat equipment that is lost to time. I’m glad ARC is still around.

Special tip of the hat to @kisawyer2 for a great first post!

It's hard to argue with you here Smith. There is a little magic in the Ref 6.  To my ear the 5SE sounds better- but I like French Vanilla and you may like Rum Raisin. 

Alternatively, a Ref 5 or 6 are most like a straight wire compared to many- ie: a McIntosh which colors quite a lot. I like their house sound but it does indeed color densely. 

I'd use a used Ref 5 or 6 preamp as they are arguably "straight wire with gain" and don't color tamper with the input signal.

I don't quite agree with this, fwiw. The Ref 6 when running balanced does something to the input to make it more spatially dense and atmospheric. You can go round and round as to whether it simply preserves something in the recording lost by other preamps or adds something-I believe it is the latter. 

Then again, I always thought the "straight wire with gain" is one of the most meaningless cliche's among the thousands in audio. Two preamps can be "straight wires with gain" and yet sound completely different, particularly if one if solid state and one is tubed. 

I have been a customer of Magnepan and ARC since 1978. I currently on a set of 3.7x Maggies. ( I LOVE THEM!! ) 

I currently drive my Maggies with both a set of Bryston 7BSST Monoblocks and an ARC VT130SE Amp. 

Here is my 45 years of experience with driving Maggies:  

In the 70s ARC and Maggie were "made for each other" because Jim Winey (Mag) and Bill Johnson (ARC) were besties and neighbors. Both men were cutting edge innovators. 

ARC gear is "over engineered" as one person posted- which I take as a compliment. Kind of like Mercedes S class cars are "over engineered".  ARC gear is not for a novice. At least the older models aren't. Tube biasing was challenging on the early ARC units.  Of course MANY audiophiles were technically capable back in the day. Not so now. (Think of millennials with a 4 speed). The newest ARC gear is self-biasing and easier on the tubes. Pretty much zero maintenance. 

As for ARC service I learned that your local guitar amp repairmen (findable through The Guitar Center at the mall) can and do perform service on ARC units. My local guy loves working on them because they are what he calls "Massive American Cool"

As Maggies go your 3.7i are not as current hungry as the early Maggies. IMO You need 200 tube watts.  I love the tube smoothness and holography on the mids/highs. I can't hear a difference between tubes and solid state on the bass. 

You can get a set of ARC Reference 250s used these days between 6-8K of 9-10K for a set of Reference 250SE. (Don't be fooled by the asking prices. Gear sells for 25-35% of retail these days)   If I were your HiFi counselor I'd say the REF 250s would thrill you for decades. I'd use a used Ref 5 or 6 preamp as they are arguably "straight wire with gain" and don't color tamper with the input signal.

I absolutely love my 3.7s. When I use my Bryston T-10 8-way line array cone speakers I feel like I'm sporting with a hot new girl while thinking of my favorite girl.

In the end your system should make YOU happy. Work toward that while ignoring the "noise" of other's opinions. Mine included.  

 

 

Class D is attractive, but of the ones I've heard were thin and edgy.

@traudio That can happen if the power supply for the class D is under-built. FWIW there are class D amps now that challenge the best tube amps for smoothness and detail without glare.

If you do a search you can find Mike Fremer's video tour of the ARC factory. With the recent acquisition by Acora little if anything has changed. Dave Gordon can be seen in Fremer's video doing listening-tests of each and every Ref Series amp that leaves the building and he is using.....Magnepans just as ARC has utilized for sound testing for many decades. l

I am a long time ARC owner and fan. I believe that the preamp is the heart and soul of a top tier audio system and few will argue that ARC has built a reputation for building some of the best preamps out there. I fully accept the argument that ARC amps can be a pain and arguably don't sound special but please keep in mind that if you want to guaranty optimum synergy between preamp and amp, you have to think hard about pairing an ARC preamp with an ARC amp. And....the latest series of Ref amps feature self-biasing (finally) and soft-start circuitry (finally!!!) which makes then more reliable than ever. 

Also consider that not all tube preamps and amps are fully balanced from input to output and ARC preamps and amps are in the Ref Series and also keep in mind that all ARC gear continues to be built entirely by hand in the MN factory. 

My biggest criticism of ARC is that they went all-in with the KT150 tube which has not proven to be a reliable tube due to terrible QC at the New Sensor factory. I also join with the others above that ARC charges outrageous amount for matched sets of replacement tubes and for service.  Perhaps that is why they are once again coming out with SS amps. 

You may want to also look at Musical Fidelity. They usually offer amps with larger transformers and capacitors. The other idea is mono amps.

I had 3.7’s a few years ago. As has been referenced I heard them at the dealers paired with ARC and they sounded great. That was indeed a classic pairing. I bought them but I couldn’t afford the ARC at the time so I went with classe integrated that sounded good but really didn’t have the power needed. I eventually bought a Pass int-250 which sounded lovely and had the necessary power to play these power hungry speakers. That purchase was started with reading I believe absolute sounds best of show review of the 3.7 with pass amps. I called Reno hi-fi which was the big Pass dealer at the time. He steered me to the Int 250 when I couldn’t quite pay for the recommended pass based on the review ( they were 16-18k ) and the 250 was around 10k.  It was a great choice which served me very well.You should get subs which will take the speakers to another level. You don’t mention a budget but you can find used integrated 250s for 4 to 6 grand. 

I just got back from the southwest audiofest-great show by the way- and the ARC Folks did a nice program on the history and future of the company. It was very interesting. ARC featured some brand new solid state products in its room that maybe haven’t even hit the market yet. Affordable pricing on these new products

I bought my ARC gear in the 70s after William Z. Johnson brought the SP-1 preamp and Dual 75 to Milwaukee for an audition. Those days are long gone!  We treated Bill to a prime rib dinner to thank him, and bought the units through Opus-2 stereo store in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, I had KLH Nine speakers and later Infinity Servo Static -1s (with an ARC Dual 51 bi-amped driving the tweeters). Still have those amps and preamp to this day, along with a double pair of KLH Nines. Great sound all these years later!  ARC amps from that era are still available and serviceable by ARC. 

I don't think 100 watts of tube or SS power is going to cut it with 3.7s. I'd be looking for at least a high current 200 wpc amp.

You should keep the H390 and add a Tube Preamp and/or even a Tube DAC like Primaluna. You’re not going to get better for less than $10K than the Hegel. 

I have a tube DAC, Lampizator Amber 3. 

Seems that adding a preamp to an integrated would be knda silly.
 

I attended the Southwest Audiofest in Dallas this weekend and visited the Audio Research room.  They are releasing some new products in a couple of months.  I don't recall all of them but there will be two solid state amps, a couple of tube amps and I think a new integrated amp.  I think all of these will be at the "lower" end of their price range of products.  I still own a the LS-15 line stage which is nearly 30 years old.  I had it modified/upgraded about 10 years ago and it is still sounding sweet.  I am curious about one of their newer SS amps.  I also owned their 100.2 power amp a number of years ago but regrettably sold it.  I've been impressed with the quality of their products and customer service.

Look at the Rogue Audio Cronus Dark. All tubes. Beautiful sound and build. Made in PA so easy to get parts and repaired. 100wpc. If your speakers are not hard to drive, this would be a great choice. Sorry didn’t see the SS requirement. 

You should keep the H390 and add a Tube Preamp and/or even a Tube DAC like Primaluna. You’re not going to get better for less than $10K than the Hegel. 

I have decided SS will be the way to go.

Good decision. There are many maggie owners who have had a tube amp on the tweet/mids and a solid state on the bass panels but you don’t have that biamping option with the 3.7’s, not without much more extensive modification at least.

A friend is going to loan me a parasound A21 soon.

That should work out, let us know how that compares to the Hegel.

What would the pre be with it though? 

I have used ARC AMPVT150 mono with LS5 preamp since1996, sweet amps to replace McIntosh tube amp/preamp. , there was no mechanical or electrical failure.

My current amps are 160M,without repair last 4 years.

AR is coming out with  some NEW AMPs/preamps SS/Tubes in 10 K range starting in April 2025.

 

 

Agree that tube pre + SS amp is a good “warm” direction to go from the Hegel H390.

A GanFet amp, which is similar to a warm sounding SS, may be a good option.

Krell K-300i integrated has “150Wpc into 8 ohms and 300Wpc into 4 ohms, with its iBias technology allowing the amp to deliver up to the first 90W in class-A (warmth) —"without the excessive heat and power consumption of traditional Class-A designs,- (Stereophile)

 

I still have a LS25 mk1 made in 1998 from what I see , it's still rocking 😎 

Got all new capacitors about 4 years ago, and voltage regulators . Great preamp!

 

ARC in the 1970’s was at that time relatively reasonably priced. In ’73 the SP-3 pre-amp was $595, the D-75 $995, the D-51 $695.

It was when the Mark Levinson brand appeared that the price wars started, as well as "all out" assaults on advancing the state-of-the art, such as the SP-10 pre-amp, and D-150 and then D-79 power amps.

For a long time ARC had both somewhat modestly-priced entry level products (LS pre-amps. I paid $2995 for an LS-2B in the 90’s) and premium models (the Reference line) with premium prices. Now even the LS pre-amps carry a hefty price tag.

 

Audio Research (AR) was really the main brand to originally be used for Demo's of the Magneplaner's. AR and Magnepan had a collaboration when they first started selling their speakers. I remember going to audio shops back in the 70's and those 2 brands were always together and sounded magnificent. I think AR is an excellent brand but not necessarily the best value for the money as they are very expensive. You can still get excellent sound with other brands for your 3.7i much cheaper. 

@bdp24   Living in Palm Desert pretty much guarantees that you will be using AC during the summer months. When you add a tube amp like you owned with that many tubes, you will be running AC full bore. Not what i want to hear ( or feel) in my listening room.

Me too.

I guess I didn't mention my current amp, which is a Hegel H390 integrated. It's very good, but I'm missing a bit of that tube magic.

What are you thinking for a preamp? I like a tube preamp with a solid state amp. 

Thanks.

I have decided SS will be the way to go.

A friend is going to loan me a parasound A21 soon.

Had Bryson in the past and didn't think they sounded that good. 

Class D is attractive, but of the ones I've heard were thin and edgy. Might try the PS Audio M1200 as they have a tube input stage.

"I didn't audition this pair specifically, but I've heard them in the past and have always wanted a pair. 

A big problem is to visit a "real" dealer is at least 2.5hrs away. It makes it hard to audition or borrow equipment. 

This is why I mostly rely on reviews and forums."

That's a fairly risky choice on your part. You did say you're on a budget. Either way, its your decision to make. I would ask you 1 question, though. How many hours a day to you think about your system? Most of us spend hundreds of hours just doing research and thinking about all the different options to consider. I can tell you that a lot of audiophiles would kill to have a real dealer only 2.5 hours away. But that's no one's business but your own. 

If you can only go by reviews and opinions, here's my thoughts. Don't even think about getting tubes. Especially ARC. I've owned several pairs of Magnepans and components from ARC and both brands can deliver good sound. The problem is Magnepans tend to push amps hard and ARC is known for pushing their tubes hard to get their high power ratings. You can have an ARC tube amp for a long time and never have problems, or it can blow up like my VT-100 did, and pieces flew out of the top of the amp and hit me in the face. And the speakers I had on the amp were not hard to drive. 

There are also a few things to consider that I don't believe anyone else has brought up. There's reasons why Magnepan owners opt for powerful solid state amps over tubes. Here's 2 of them. Amps sound different depending on how hard they have to work. An amp can sound great on an easy to drive speaker, but when you push it hard, it can sound terrible. People making amp recommendations are doing so based on their experience, not yours, with your equipment. Also, planar speakers are able to overcome some weaknesses that are sometimes associated with solid state amps. A typical, decent quality solid state amp can sometimes sound lacking on traditional speakers. Adding a tube amp can open up the sound and make everything sound bigger and more lifelike. The drivers on planar speakers are huge, not like smaller, point source sounding speaker drivers. This forces the scale and image size to be much bigger. The speaker is able to do what you would typically rely on the electronics to do. 

If you want to use tubes and do it the right way, you can, but it will cost you. Given what you're trying to do on a budget, I would be looking at solid state. Belles is a great choice, US made, excellent build quality and price. Parasound is another great solid state option. Historically, Bryston, but their prices have been going up a lot in recent years. There are plenty of other, as well. If you would consider a class D amp, give The Cable Company a call. They specialize in lending out demo units of everything they sell. Big tube and SS power amps are hard to send out for demos, but they will send you some class D options. They're also very good to deal with. Even though they are a shipping based retailer, they have some of the best customer service you'll ever come across. 

 

 

@daveyf: When I was living in Palm Desert (115-120 degrees fahrenheit in the Summer) my system included a pair of Atma-Sphere M60s, with a total of 16 output tubes. It's a great sounding amp, but they put out a LOT of heat!

Roger Modjeski recommended 18" or more of clearance above his power amps, to prolong tube and electronics parts lifespan.