2. amps-preamps
  3. 161464-150037

Audio Research preamps EXCESSIVE OPERATING COSTS

Soooo disappointing.
So you want to use in home theatre mode.  Get ready to pay up to operate.   The tubes stay on and when family uses system 10 plus hrs a day for tv and videos, the tubes burn away.  Most of the 8 tubes have life of 4000 hrs and cost $150 per tube to replace.  Over 5 years operating costs could approach $5000 or more.  And this excludes wasteful elec costs of $100 to $200 per year for bulbs running without being used.   Sooooo disappointing.


I called audio research and they confirmed all this.  Further, they lacked any sensitivity to theses issues.  Seemed kinda arrogant.  

Sooooo disappointing.
emergingsoul
nmolnar
37 posts
 
McIntosh makes equipment for home theater, ARC does not.
bluewatermusic
5 posts
 
My suggestion is to purchase a high quality sound bar/sub combination driven off the TV for general viewing. Save the ARC for movies and audio. No need to listen to food network channel through a high def sound system. 
mhutama
15 posts
 
Sell the ARC and get a ss preamp.  Who uses tube preamp for general TV viewing anyway? 
dht4me's avatar
dht4me
80 posts
 
That is ARC. I had an SP 10 and then SP11. Had to retube every 8 months. Horrible life on those units. Now I have a Veloce' which smokes the ARC and tubes last for years. My Audio Note DAC5 is on 24-7 and I get at lest a year form the tubes and it is under $250 to retube.
wspohn's avatar
wspohn
579 posts
 
Why would anyone waste tube life by leaving units on when not needed?

I run tube amplification in my primary system, which is a combined AV system. It is used only for listening as when I am doing video I just move the speaker leads over to a solid state pre and power set up.
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