Audio Research VT100 MK1 and LS15 HELP!!!


I recently bought this set VT100MK1 and preamp LS15 and while I was at this seller house he demonstrated the sound from his online Tidal on TV connect optical to the DAC Luxman DA - 06 then this go to the preamp LS15 and out into the VT100. This set up sounds amazing at his house. However, when I came home play CD from the Sony X1100ES Blu-ray player RCA output into the LS15 and out to the VT100 and it sound horrible - no bass at all in any type of music.  The sound sometime muffle and not clear and most importantly the bass missing tremendously. Im using a pair of KEF R900 Speakers. What is wrong here? can anyone help me correct the sounds? it is because I didn’t have the Luxman DA - 06 DAC? or it is because I don’t have those fancy hundred - thousands of dollars cable?  or the CD source is playin at 41khz /16 bit not high enough signal?  

This is my first system and I don’t know why I can’t get that high fidelity sound from the ARC equipments.  I'm waiting for the Audioengine B1 to arrive so I can stream Spotify into the LS15.   What is wrong with my set up?  Thank you in advance for helping me solve this.
kentrent
So...  Just a polite correction.  The jumpers do not go in the XLR socket.  The receptor is separate and apart.  See the manual.
To clarify my earlier post, test the preamp without a load.  No input cables attached.  No output cables attached.  See if the sparking stops.

If not, steal a 6922 from the VT100.  It has 8.  Swap it in for the sparking LS15 tube.  See if it fixes the sparking problem.  If so, put it back in the VT100 and go tube shopping.


The jumpers do not go in the XLR socket.  The receptor is separate and apart.  See the manual.

Excellent point about the jumpers, Chip. Since the OP has been using balanced interconnections between the preamp and the amp he should verify that jumpers are NOT installed on the rear of the amp in the two connectors labelled "Use Jumper for Single-Ended."

If jumpers are installed there while balanced connections are being used one of the two signals in the balanced pair of signals the preamp is providing for each channel would be shorted to ground. Which could make the preamp very unhappy.

Regards,
-- Al