The New Audio Research Reference 6

Gundam91 says "i'm soooo behind". I am soooo behind too with my REF3LE with GNSC reference mods. Although i did have a GNSC modded REF2 MKI for a while and liked it a lot, i would not trade my LE for anything. In a head to head comparison with a REF5SE i had borrowed from an ARC dealer in Montreal when it first came out, i could not bring myself to trading in my LE (with more cash) on a REF5SE for very little (if any) sonic improvement.

Geez, i am still using a pair of GNSC modded Classic 120's with balanced inputs.
Likewise, i do miss the toggle switches of old. I have owned an SP9, SP14, LS16MKI, REF2MKI, REF Phono, PH3SE, DAC2, DAC7, but can't let go of the Classics. The REF3LE is a collector's piece as only 20 or so units were made at the end of the REF3 production run and half of those were 240V units destined for the European and Asian markets. That leaves only 10 units in circulation within the US and Canada. My unit is even more special as it has the GNSC mods that brings the sonic level very close to the REF5SE. "Special" also as GNSC is now defunct.
As i am now retired and working part time in a job that does not pay very much, i just can't get on the trade in, trade up, get gear modded band wagon anymore. So i'm just holding on to my old ARC GNSC modded gear (including a REF Phono 2 not SE) that still brings me musical joy.

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Mofi, the LS10 had a Jekyll-Hyde personality. When it was
good, it was one of the best preamps I'd ever heard. But it
was sooo unpredictable, on some recordings there would be so
many missing instruments and it drove me crazy. On some
recordings, it would leave out the background singers. I
got rid of it and got the Ref2 Mk2...which was an awesome
preamp. However, I could not get the LS10 out of my mind,
so I bought it again two years later. Still the same old
Jeckyll-Hyde act. I got rid of it again and got the Ref3
and have been in nirvana ever since.

But, since the LS10 was sooo good when it was good, I've
been wondering if ARC has improved on their solid state
preamp technology in the nearly 20 years since the LS10. If
so, I'd jump on one of them in a heartbeat. I never see
anything on the 'Gon about ARC solid state preamps. It
seems only the tube preamps get all the discussion. On its
best days, the LS10 was something special. It had the
blackest background I'd ever heard..it was almost scary.
Image, layering and soundstage was mind-boggling.

I think I'll buy one again and stash it if one ever appears
for sale here again.
They NEVER show up for sale here.
.

Mitch...the main reason you don't see many LS10s for sale
is because they weren't produced for very long. IIRC, the
LS10 was only around for a year (maybe two), then
discontinued. One of the shortest lived ARC preamps.

It wasn't very well received by the buying public or the
audio press. I don't think ARC made very many of them.

I agree with you, that it "could" sound very
good, but it was a hit and miss proposition at best.

I read one guy pan the 'look' of the Ref 6 on another forum. I mean, what are you going to do...stand around looking at it all day? I think it looks contemporary, certainly a departure from the classic ARC look. But the more important point is, underneath ARC say it is a much better circuit in every respect. That is what would perk my interest for one, though i'm more of a ss guy these days.

Melbguy ...

Oh ... SS? You went over to the dark side. Come back ... come back ... the tubes are beckoning ... beckoning ... beckoning ...