What's a contender to an Audio Reference 5 SE?

A Radio Shack compact combo boom box stereo/Swiss army knife.

Having glance at previous outpourings I for one am not really that interested Taters, I suspect that he might be a close blood relative to Audiolabyrinth !!!

Timztunzhi, from what I've searched on what you have, a EMM Labs DCC2/CDSD SE combo why haven't you done as EMM states, forget the preamp.

EMM Labs DCC2
"eliminating the need for a separate preamp, attendant buffer stages and additional set of cables. The result is a more direct signal path. Not to mention a more direct connection with the music itself."

Cheers George

Tsushima1, ... no doubt when Bo did the Ref 5 SE shootout, presumably with the Pass XP-20, he might have literally shot the Ref 5 SE. No wonder it didn't compare well.

IME, ARC gear sounds best when you don't shoot it.

Fortunately, Bo didn't listen to the Ref 5 SE under a gob of whipped cream (ala the Three Stooges skit of similar theme) or under water.

Listen to a CAT preamp and you won't think of the ARC REF 5 SE again.