ARC Galileo GSPre vs ARC Reference 5 SE ? ....

Joe ... must have blinked. Who if the source of that post? The author said he was advised in writing about the "ok'ness" of the KT-150s for use in the current Ref amps. Has that approval been posted somewhere and sourced back to ARC?

Ordinarily, I'd call ARC to get that directly, but I'm afraid if I ask the Q again, my calls will be blocked. :)

Trust the source. I've seen the document from ARC myself. They are blessing the KT-150 but really want you to buy from them at some point. I have it on great authority that Kevin Deal - Upscale Audio is one of the better (best) places to order your tubes from. Go for it!

Joe ... then why the big secret and ARC's misrepresentations? Just to lock the market on KT-150 tubes. What document are you talking about? How did you come to see such a document?

My guess is that the GS-150 is a Ref 150 in a new skin. The only difference being the KT-150 tubes and possibly (??) different output trannies.

But even still ... Johnny R posted somewhere that he heard the same from Dave Gordon. But when I spoke with Chris Osanna two weeks ago ... a straight denial.

What the heck is going on? Is ARC trying to corner the KT0150 market? I woulda' thunk' they have better ways to make a buck.

Here ya go: I read an article last night reviewing the GS150/GSpre in the Jan Hi-fi
News & Record Review...the reviewer liked pretty much everything except the
response of the meters on the GS150, and thought it was better than the REF150
he had for comparison...he suggested sticking KT150s in the REF to make it
better. As a recent convert from KT120s to KT150s (in my relatively el-cheapo
but world beater Jolida 502p) I can say the 150s are killer tubes and really deliver
the mojo (you know what I mean).