$510.00 for an Aluminum cover for the ARC Ref. 10?

Bdp24,

Say what you want about D'agostino. He is one of the most respected designers out there. Plus after 30 years with Krell he had to start fresh with a new company. You will find a lot of the better high end stores in the country carrying his line.

Outside of audiogon I have not heard Rogers name mentioned. And I have went to a lot of audiophile meetings and have attended several shows along with visiting many shops. The only time I have ever seen his gear is years ago at Brooks Berdan.

11-09-15 Why have a cover at all? most of the rf is generated by ics ... Geoffkait

11-09-15: Cleeds
"11-09-15: Geoffkait
... why have a cover at all?"

One good reason is because the electric current inside of a tube amp or preamp is potentially deadly, often for quite a while even after AC power is turned off.

Just use a plexiglass cover. Works great.

Will ARC give me a $510 price reduction if I buy a Ref 10 without a top cover?

"11-09-15: Brf
Will ARC give me a $510 price reduction if I buy a Ref 10 without a top cover?"

Why don't you ask your dealer?
There seems to be no problem with the acrylic cover when the unit has sufficient ventilation, btw.

Hey, I didn't say it about D'Agostino's amp, Roger did! But as Roger pointed out, so did John Atkinson, in his comments on the results of his bench tests of the amp. Between the lines of course, as Roger also pointed out. For anyone wanting to read an evaluation of the amp's design from a circuit design expert's perspective (recommended for anyone contemplating it's purchase), it should be easily found on the Music Reference Audiocircle Forum.

As for Roger's credentials versus, in this case, Dan D-Agostino's, it reminds me of when back in the 70's Frank Van Alstine had the nerve to offer a mod for the Audio Research SP-3. Why, the SP-3 was designed by Bill Johnson, the best designer in High End! Who does Frank Van Alstine think he is? He doesn't even make his own products, just modifies those of others. Frank claimed his mod corrected a number of faults in the SP-3 (inaccurate RIAA equalization, insufficient gain at low frequencies, circuit instability, etc.). And guess what---it did, as Harry Pearson wrote in TAS. After that, every owner of an SP-3 wanted the Van Alstine SP-3 mod. The fact alone that Dan D'Agostino has a higher profile than Roger Modjeski---does that invalidate Roger's evaluation of Dan's amp?