What's Best , Audio Research VT-100 or VT-100 MKII

I use to own the MK I. It has a laid back soft around the edges kind of sound and you'll need to drive it up a bit to get the sweet characteristics. All in all this is a very nice sounding amp.

I now own the MK III which sounds completely different than the MK I so much so that it's kind of hard to compare the two. They’re two entirely different sounding pieces.

As for the MK II I have no idea but many reviews seem to indicate that they sound slightly better than the MK I.

I've never heard of anyone who was sorry that they upgraded a MKI to a MKII. If you're referring to the upgrade from MKII to MKIII, I attended an A/B comparison between them in a highly tweaked system. The clear concensus was that the MKIII is more resolving -- there's more detail (which is saying a lot, as the MKII is no slouch), but the highs seem a bit accentuated compared to a MKII, which can make the amp sound a bit bright. On perfect material, it's a better amp, but the MKII is definitely easier on the ears and will do a better job with less-than-perfect recordings (most of my collection). Three of the attendees (including myself) have MKIIs, and I don't think any of us intend to upgrade. Hope this helps.

I agree with Larryro -- never have I heard anyone say the Mk I was better than the Mk II. It is the opposite -- the Mk II is more powerful with a beefier power supply, a cooling fan, and some circuit changes. It would be more accurate to say that many people prefer the Mk II to either the Mk I or the Mk III. More than once I have heard the Mk III described as Larryro describes it -- perhaps even more resolving than the Mk II, but at a price in the highs. I had a VT-100 Mk II for sale, but changed my mind and kept it. It sounds great.

Well you folks are giving me food for thought, I,m wondering how much differant it sounds compared to a Classic 60. Where I live the Hi-Fi stores do not exist so I can't listen to anything before I buy.

I have a Classic 150 that has been upgraded with Infinicaps by ARC. To me this amp sounds more musical than any of the VT-100 models.

Definetly the VT 2 having upgraded from the 1 although the VT3 is quite an improvment over the 2 IMHO.

I owned the MKI and now, the MKII, which is definitely a better amp in my system. If you are considering a MKI, you may want to check with ARC regarding its production date. During my years with the MKI, I had several factory upgrades including FET's and Infinicaps, which made quite an improvement over the earlier MKI's.

Keep your Classic 60, VT 100 series sound more solid state.
Get a VT130 or 150 if you need the power.