Audio Research Ref 6 SE

interesting.  I am also curious of the changes and cost.  

I just read on another forum 

“In January, ARC will make available a REF6SE Upgrade kit, consisting of vastly improved and higher quality capacitors, internal wiring, and a few other parts. The SE Upgrade kit price will be announced at that time.

For those that wish to have Audio Research perform the upgrade, the retail price is $3,000 and ARC will do all of the labor and testing to company standards along with the typical service warranty.”

Interesting...’vastly improved and higher quality capacitors, internal wiring and a few other parts.’ ...
Which leads me to ask why were ARC using totally inferior and poor quality capacitors, internal wiring and other parts in the first place??
Plus, how did such amazingly new caps, internal wiring and other parts suddenly become available!
This marketing technique has always been a MAJOR turn off for me with ARC gear. IF--if such improvements are made over a large period of time, this I can understand and totally accept, but with such consistency and in such a small amount of time ( just a very few years with the Ref5 to Ref5SE and so many others ( Ref 6 to Ref6SE...how long??) ( as ARC has always been able to do...looking back at their history) ---that doesn’t pass the smell test, IMO.

Were you happy with your Ref 6 last month? Did it sound sublime to you last month?  I get it if you buy and sell alot but if you were thrilled with the sound last month, then absolutely nothing changed.  We audiophiles get frustrated when companies rest on their laurels and we get frustrated when companies come out with SE versions right after we purchase. Its a catch 22 if you are a company right?  

Long time ARC customers know once we purchase something that one of two things is about to happen: if you own a Ref (non-SE) product then a SE is about to be introduced and if you own a Ref "X" SE product then a Ref "X+1" is about to be released. At this level of performance, once the initial depreciation is done, they hold their value quite well. Ref 5SE's are selling for in excess of 20% more than when the Ref 6 was introduced.