Audio Research Ref 6 SE

"...why were ARC using totally inferior and poor quality capacitors, internal wiring and other parts in the first place??"

My thoughts precisely :)

They are now working on the latest and greatest Ref 7 right now. I really should of just went and bought a used Ref 10. I really seriously regret that I didn’t. 

"...why were ARC using totally inferior and poor quality capacitors, internal wiring and other parts in the first place??"

My thoughts precisely :)

Ditto :-)   Same with Auto companies ... new model every few years.  They can't make a PERFECT car?   What a scam plus FORCE me to upgrade.   No Choice!!!

“...Same with Auto companies ... new model every few years...”

Not a valid analogy, in my opinion. Even aside from cosmetic/design changes, auto industry tends to make specific and measurable advances in technology which can result in improvements ranging from better user experience to fuel consumption, etc. A company like ARC that charges uber dollars for their products can and should pick the best components out there, e.g. capacitors, resistors, transformers, etc., from the get go and price their products accordingly. There’s an entire thread just talking about how different capacitors can positivity affect the sound quality and some of the options listed cost in the excess of $500 just for a single capacitor. I’m willing to bet ARC engineers/designers are quite aware of these options but rather stay with making incremental improvements at the expense of owners having to constantly upgrade their products. A bit disingenuous in my opinion.