What is Audio Researches best preamp period

LS5mkII. Period.

Meisterkleef,
I have to disagree with you. I loved my ARC LS5mkII, and it is maybe the best of the older models. Not having owned every one, or heard every one I couldn't possible say. I do know that it was left far behind with the REF 3.

First of all, to maintain the integrity of this thread:

I have owned an ARC SP9 and an ARC SP11, having fallen in love with a friends SP6C.

I would not say that the SP11 is overly warm, tubey or full of bloom, but it is a great preamp, a pleasure to own and I cant imagine trading it for any tweaky voodoo amp that would "destroy it" "BLOW it away" etc.

I have been tempted to audition an SP10 following steady rumours of the killer phono stage, but I really dont have the time for vinyl these days.

wc65 mustang

A R E Y O U A D E A L E R? By any chance?

As discussed in another thread recently, it really is a bummer when people jump in, OFF TOPIC, and try to jam product down this community's throat.

At least what used to be a community.

cwlondon

posting for years

thinking of signing off

Bbaxley2

Here is a great website for ARC material:

http://www.arcdb.ws/

Nah. I just dismissed the Ref3 after 2 weeks in the system. Same way I dismissed the LS5mkIII/Ref1/Ref2. To my ears they simply don't have the bloom the L5mkII has. Maybe it's because I'm driving two ARC SS amps (D-400mkII). It started with the LS5mkIII when they changed out the 6922 input stage tubes for JFETs. The Ref1/Ref2 were very similar circuits to the LS5mkIII. The Ref3 has a new basic circuit that to my ears sounds closer to the Ref2. Very clean and very good but not in a way that made me want to swap out my LS5mkII. But I definitely can see the appeal of all the Ref series pres. They are certainly outstanding and I'm glad you're enjoying yours. Although I can't imagine anyone NOT enjoying one of them.