theaudioking

Responses from theaudioking

Advice on tube amp/pre
The ARC SP-16 has an intagrated phono stage. The pre is quite lush sounding and, in my opinion, is most suiting if digital is your primary medium. I use the phono stage occasionally, but it isn't quite as good as most arc stand-alone phonos. 
best speaker in a small room in the $2000.00 range
I just picked up a pair of Proac One SC's and they are amazing. You should definitely check these out. 
What's wrong with a DVD player as a transport?
My beleif is that as more circuitry is added to a component, the more complicated the signal path becomes thus degrading sound quality. In developing a high end system, a primary goal should be to minimze the complexity of the signal path. A dvd p... 
Audio Research D240MKII or ARC D130
I have a D240MKII and it sounds fantastic. I haven't heard a D130 so I can't comment on that. The D240MKII has plenty of power and if it presents any coloration it is slightly towards the warm side of things. Similiar to tubes. 
Cost Effective Audio Research Combo
If you're looking for a cool running ARC amp, The only ones available are the 100.2, 150.2, and 200.2. These are all class T designs which means they utilize digital switching. I have a ARC D-240 MKII amp and a LS-9 preamp. Both are solid state. T...