My #@%$ Cat Destroyed My ARC REF 5SE. Soliciting Suggestions.

Your preamp is HISTORY!!!!Goodbye!!

Being a cat owner for coming on 30 years now, I would...

Isolate any tube/other gear that carries HIGH voltage/AMPERAGE from the little blameless ones.

As you can see from my system profile all my electronics are contained in a closed/doored hallway closet located behind the speaker wall.

If you don’t have such an option, then think outside the box/closet for a proper solution.

My "placement" was based upon exactly your scenario (pet urinating on a powered up high current HiFi component and the aftermath of the pet’s survival/health) - happy to read that your cat survived.

Experienced a few (3) major shocks from 110/220 when I was younger and they were scary, as were the after affects (unontrollable muscle spasms and dilated pupils to name a few).

DeKay

You knew the risk. 

Sorry to hear about your misfortune 😬 Buy a new amp to enjoy for a few years and wait for a great deal on a pre owned or parts only sale of a Ref 5SE to become available. Then replace that faulty board and decide who gets to use the extra amp or sell it. Quality never goes out of style, it’s also a great excuse to try something different you’ve had your eye on. I’ve seen $15k amp sell for 50-70% off after 5+ years.

Your ARC Ref 5SE is a very nice piece, although it is a bit old.

If you still liked how it was performing, I would recommend getting it fixed, even at the cost you mentioned.