New Audio Research Reference 150 SE

Ok ... my amp has racked up 100+ hours. My impressions are very positive. The music sounds liquid and open. The amp's ability to drive my speakers is effortless, particularly at loud dynamic transients.

Imaging and sound stage are great.

All in all .. much better sounding than before.

Good luck, continued good listening.

mine is in MN for the upgrade and the repair i mentioned. will revert my experiences in a month+ once i get it broken in, as kal mentioned several coupling caps were changed in the upgrade and cap formation takes time...

Nirvana is reached at the 200 to 300 hour mark.

Oregonpapa ... I'm over a hundred hours and am probably "there" for the most part. But ... my Ref 150 was already well broken-in prior to the SE upgrade. Kal said the new SE upgrade parts (e.g., coupling caps) only need about 125 hours or so to break-in.

In contrast, you bought a new Ref 75 SE off the line. If the usual ARC break-in period guidelines still apply, you're only half way there.

Enjoy. I already am enjoying.