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

Guys ... you're overworking this issue.

Acrylic or aluminum or no cover at all .... it's all BS. I've listened to my Ref 150 SE and Ref 5 SE with and without aluminum covers. Couldn't hear a difference. The real problem is audiophile-nervosa.

I have metal covers and am happy as a clam. Oh ... and here's some audiophile heresy. I don't screw down the cover on my amp. Why??? So I can check tube bias more conveniently. OMG ... think of the microphonics.

And ... IMHO, based on pics, I think the acrylic cover looks chinsey (sp).

Bdp24, That story brought back memories. I met Brooks Berdan (RIP) when he was in Pasadena working at Stereo shoppe that morphed into GNP setting up tables. I bought gear from him when he opened his store in Monrovia. While visiting him one day he offered me to take home a pair of BEL amps to audition. The amp was totally the opposite of what I expected to hear in my system. It had great separation, but NO dynamics. The one feature I did enjoy was it had tons of inner detail, front row midrange and highs. Brooks always had a slight bias against amps with deep powerful low end bass. I brought them back and ended up keeping my Mark Levinson 335. I will say he introduced me to Wilson Audio and changed from Martin Logan electrostatic speakers to Watt Puppy 7's. I understand why the BEL amps had a "cult" following. Not for me.

Have the cover custom made if you can't do it...it will save lots of money...even if you make it from brass.

Good story from you too, Statman. I didn't see eye to eye with Brooks on all audio matters, but that was okay. My fondness for the Decca cartridge "amused" him, but he shared my enthusiasm for Quad ESL's (he was a dealer). I think he liked me coming into his shop 'cause I had a girlfriend he liked a lot! His wife Sheila (who now manages the shop) asked me to get a band to play at his 50th birthday party, and the happiest I ever saw him was on my drumset playing "Wipeout" with the band. He had been a drummer in High School, and hadn't played in years. His favorite drummer, by the way, was Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly. At least he had good taste in Hi-Fi ;-)!

Great story! Small world, I'm sure we have met before if you frequented the area?