As a former dealer (1973) who knew Mr. Johnson, I can only hope that the values and products he envisioned can be continued/re-instated.
Since I have not had the pleasure of purchasing and listening to their newer products--my "newest" piece is an SP-6--I cannot speak to how they compare to the earlier stuff. I can say, without reservation, however, that the SP-3-A-1 and the D-150 were amazing products, and I am sure that there were others after that that improved on them. Let's remember that the circuit designs of tube amps and pre-amps are not exactly rocket science and that there are a very limited number of ways of doing it in commercial audio products sold to the general public for home use.
Today, many ARC products have SS components in various areas of the signal path. How that plays into the future of the company is anyone's guess. I can tell you, however, that I am looking to purchase an amp, and a call to AR about one model with the SS areas was met with the following: "We cannot service or repair that product."
I realize this is rather rare for them, but my guess is that rather than main circuit boards, etc., this has to do with the SS components.
I wish them well. If you knew Mr. Johnson, you knew that he was all serious business and devoted to his craft. He did not make compromises--I remember us discussing the difficulty of getting the face plates manufactured properly. He told me it was much more difficult than getting the electronic parts done as he demanded perfection in every item. That's the kind of person we need running a company like this, and I hope this team realizes this. I wish them (and us) the best!
