Should I consider the newer Audio Research pre & power amps, when I play records not CD's
Should I consider the newer Audio Research pre & power amps, when I play records not CD’sYES!!! ARC is better than ever ... Life is short and you only live once so go for it IF you can afford it. I’m in the camp who ever goes with the most toys, WINS!!! You don’t want to be a miserable over the hill bastard with Adcom, Jolida ... and spent 24/7 trolling " Synergistic Red Fuse " thread. GL! |
Years ago in the store we had plenty of time to test different products. Our technician got an ARC SP3A and a D 76. We were able to compare it to most of the McIntosh line of tube amps and other solid state equipment. I fell in love with the ARC sound then. I had to sell the stores to care for my father and my second love "1940's 78 RPM Wurlitzer jukeboxes" kept me sane while taking care for him with Altimeters. All the jukeboxes have mono tube amps (6L6-5U4) type amps and all need restoration. (new caps and tubes) I have looked at the Ref 110 most are over $5000. I like the idea of the VT-100 in the $2500 range and going for a very good preamp and phono preamp. The reviews on the LS17se and the LS 25 & 26 are pretty good. Probably a dumb question but can a regular CD player be plugged into a Line Stage preamp without a DAC. The use of a DAC is confusing. |
" The use of a DAC is confusing." A CD player has 2 main parts; the transport and the DAC. You put the CD into the tray and the laser reads the info off the disk. Thats a transport. The digital signal is then sent to the dac (digital to analog converter). The dac's job is to convert the signal from digital to analog. You can't listen to music while its digital (its just a bunch of 1's and 0's). Once its analog, the signal gets sent to the preamp just like any other component (tape player, reel to reel, radio, etc), and you listen to it. Instead of having a dac built in as part of a CD player, you can also buy them as stand alone components. Currently, the main reason you buy a stand alone dac, is so you can plug a computer into it. This allows you to use a computer as a source for playing music. That's just the basics as to what a dac does, but like everything in audio, there are differences. Price, parts quality, design theory, .... and the list goes on. " Probably a dumb question but can a regular CD player be plugged into a Line Stage preamp without a DAC." Yes. But remember, you must have a dac in order to listen to any kind of digital source. In this case, you would use the dac inside the CD player. A line stage is a preamp that doesn't have a phono input. You can only plug line level sources into it. In reality, every type of component other than a turntable is a line level source. For phono, if you don't have it as an input on your preamp, you use an external phono stage. The phono stage itself is a line level component. Here's a link to a very useful resource. Its a journal that's broken up into several issues. I can't think of any other reference that comes close to matching it. They also review several ARC components. I believe the VT-100's in it. Just start with issue one. http://vandersteen.com/audio-perfectionist-journal |
I don’t own, but have always admired, Audio Research equipment. I have read many passionate reviews about the virtues of ARC, so I tend to believe them. Their vintage gear is pricey, but easier to liquidate when the upgrade bug hits. I see an ARC SP-11 here on Audiogon that has been sitting for some time now. The seller has feedback so that can’t be it. These used to sell the first day. Considering the price of the newer "Reference" series preamps, any idea why this hasn’t sold? Is it considered a gamble to buy used tube equipment, even ARC? I'm just curious and no, I’m not the seller! |
" Considering the price of the newer "Reference" series preamps, any idea why this hasn’t sold? Is it considered a gamble to buy used tube equipment, even ARC?" That preamp sounds so different from the Ref series, it might as well be a different brand. Also, its not balanced like most ARC gear, and vintage peramps aren't as desirable as vintage amps. (From a SQ POV, not as a collector) |
