ARC Ref mark2 vc Supratek Chardonnay


I'm looking to upgrade my ARC LS15 and the two pre's I have narrowed the field down to are the Ref mark2 and the Supratek.I know there are a lot of happy Supratek owners on this site( I have posted in the asylum but get the feeling Supratek owners frequent here.) Have any of you directly compared these two pre's?I have talked to a couple of Supratek owners who are delighted. Would the chardonnay be a sideways step or a forwards one?I don't have a bias either way.I know thre is a ref3 on the way.
Accompanying gear- ARC CD3 ( balanced), Plinius SA100 ( soon to be Sa ref) and Shahinians.Music taste classical and jazz.
Thanks in advance,
Kevin
ella4ever
You might want to post this question on the Preamp deal of the century thread where most of the Supratek owners frequent.
I think you're comparing apples to oranges here as the Chardonnay retails for around $2,000 and the Reference Mark 2 at $10,000. However, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the Supratek outperformed the AR. The Ref Mk 2 is one of the most overhyped and overrated line stages on the market.