Joe ... Yeah, I guess the Ref 5 SE is getting a bit long in the tooth. Just checked the ARCDB website. The SE version was introduced sometime in late 2011. I recall that I had to wait until early 2013 until ARC was ready to upgrade my Ref 5 ... vendor supply issues as I recall.
Can't speak to the GSPre other than there's a review or two out there. For some reason I recall that the one reviewer said the phono section is essentially a PH-8 shoved into the GSPre chassis. For that kind of money. I'd be thinking about the Ref Phono 2 SE. Also, I don't think there's an onboard DAC, but I may be wrong.
Last comment, I seem to recall the reviewer(s) said that the linestage side of the house was roughly equivalent to the Ref 5 SE. I suggest that you call Kal at ARC. He is pretty straightforward about these kind of things.
Put it to you this way. The GSPre is a pretty expensive piece of kit. If it's a showboat for SE Asian consumption, I'd stick to ARC's top of the line separate source components, particularly the phono stage.
Cheers,
BIF
P.S. - I am an ARC stalwart. Check my system description.
Can't speak to the GSPre other than there's a review or two out there. For some reason I recall that the one reviewer said the phono section is essentially a PH-8 shoved into the GSPre chassis. For that kind of money. I'd be thinking about the Ref Phono 2 SE. Also, I don't think there's an onboard DAC, but I may be wrong.
Last comment, I seem to recall the reviewer(s) said that the linestage side of the house was roughly equivalent to the Ref 5 SE. I suggest that you call Kal at ARC. He is pretty straightforward about these kind of things.
Put it to you this way. The GSPre is a pretty expensive piece of kit. If it's a showboat for SE Asian consumption, I'd stick to ARC's top of the line separate source components, particularly the phono stage.
Cheers,
BIF
P.S. - I am an ARC stalwart. Check my system description.