McIntosh C1000 tube pre vs. ARC Ref 3?

Straight wire with gain is the ideal. I would expect that is the design goal for high-end design as opposed to creating a device that has a purposely built in sonic signature/style. Again if you like MAC, buy it. Since the debate for you personally would be over.

But many with unlimited funds; I am sure will make different choices based on both sonics and brand loyalty.

In the end it will be a subjective and emotional choice based on each individual....Steve

Well said Stesom. I could certainly understand anyone preferring the ARC sound over the MAC sound. These are 2 outstanding products. As to the straight wire with gain paradigm, the minute I think I hear something close to it, I hear something else that in some respects sounds more like it. In fact, this forms the basis for many of us of the disease known as audiophilia nervosa. For me personally, the MAC C1000 and the Stealth Indra interconnect are the 2 closest things I believe I have heard to the straight wire from source ideal. Some Japanese jewelry (Shindo, Zanden, Reimyo) approaches the ideal from a different direction---approaching the immediate and actual sound of things through careful selection of high end innards and voicing of components that is uncanny.

Sincere question; how can anyone know if something has been added or subtracted from the recording, or if your equipment is accurately reproducing what was originally recorded?

Without having been at the concert or recording session for comparison. I look for how natural instruments and vocals sound compared to my experience to live music. Most folks have a good feeling for what things sound like in real life.

There is no way to tell on overproduced and massaged recordings, but when listening to purist recordings of single or small groups of instruments and vocals you can get a feeling for how close to real they are sounding.

I know it is not scientific, but I know that my system is getting much closer to reproducing the essence of the performance and the realism of the vocalist and instruments.

Stesom,
Thanks for the illumination...seems obvious now and further listening will have an educational component... keep the recording simple and get out more!
John