Sunnyjim 6-21-2016 4:57 pm EDT
I have seen a used ARC 150.2 amp on ebay which is 150RMS. It looks clean but was, according to the seller was issued in 1993 which means it is 23 years old. It got mixed reviews, some loved it; some claim it is garbage. Seller wants $1400, but that is too much. I believe its market value may be $950 regardless of it ARC pedigree. It is either a tube or hybrid amp, and the seller claimed he upgraded two tubes.
Sunnyjim 6-25-2016 4:54 pm EDT
I am pretty much sold on either the ARC 100.2 or the ARC150.2. I like Odyssey amp products, but ARC always delivers high quality products. But this can change as I get closer to making a decision.
According to ARCDB.WS the 150.2 was introduced in 2003 and discontinued in 2006. And it appears that it does not contain any tubes, and certainly not in the power stage which is class-T.
Jim, I have no particular suggestions to offer in your price range, although over the years I’ve formed very favorable impressions of Odyssey products based on the comments I’ve seen. However I can’t help but express some skepticism about the ARC 100.2 and 150.2 (especially the class-T 150.2), regardless of the reviews and comments you have cited, and although I haven’t ever heard them.
According to ARCDB.WS the 100.2 was discontinued in 2003 (having been introduced in 1998), and the 150.2 was discontinued in 2006 as I indicated. The class-T architecture that is employed in the 150.2 (and also the 300.2) is a proprietary variant of class-D. As we all know, class-D has come a long way in the last decade or so, and your Sphinx is a much more recent design utilizing a class-D power stage. It’s perhaps also worth noting that the company which developed class-T went bankrupt in 2007. And the only high end company other than ARC that I am aware of which produced class-T amplifiers, Bel Canto Design, has not utilized that technology in many years as far as I am aware (although I could be wrong about that).
Also consider that ARC’s tradition of excellence, and presumably their area of greatest expertise, has primarily involved tube-based designs. And also consider the possibility of condition-related issues that might surface eventually if not sooner in a dozen or so year old amplifier.
Apologies for the uncharacteristically negative post, but personally I would be surprised if either of those amps would turn out to be a meaningful upgrade relative to your Sphinx.
Best regards,
-- Al