Need to learn about Audio Research

052rc
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. 

My history with ARC dates back to 1973, when I got one of the systems @whart referred to above: a pair of Magneplanar Tympani T-I’s bi-amped with Dual 75 and Dual 51 power amps, an SP-3 pre-amp in front (I now own a pair of the Tympani T-IVa’s, a magnificent loudspeaker. But it requires a huge room, which I currently don’t have, so they’re boxed up).

That was obviously a long time ago, and modern ARC electronics are very different from the 70’s stuff. Some people have no problems with their pieces of ARC, others do. If you go with ARC, buy from a local authorized dealer, one with at least some experience with the company’s products. Owning ARC can be like owning an Italian sports car. ARC amps are designed with no fuses in the circuits, so when a tube blows (not uncommon in tube amps), it takes with it a "sacrificial" resistor. That means a trip to the dealer (or ARC), unless you are handy with a soldering gun.

How loud do you listen, and how big is your room? One way to go is to get a tube pre-amp and a solid state power amp. You’ve probably heard Maggies benefit from a high current amp, and the MG3.7i is no exception. A fair number of people have found happiness with the Sanders Magtech amp mated with their Maggies.

If you add a pair of subs to the 3.7's, that will greatly reduce the amount of power you need for the Maggies, and increase their sound quality (if the subs are good enough). Removing the bottom octave (20Hz-40Hz) from the speakers and their power amp cuts the power needs in half!

@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.

"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. 

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.