daveyf, I have heard a lot of ARC gear over the past 30 years at dealers, shows, homes. I would not go back for any of it. Imo, the best ARC pre/amp were the past two years of AXPONA.
We are likely on the opposite ends of the warmth and coloration spectrum in preference. Even better tube/SS amps are occluding older recordings (i.e. 50 years) that with the i.V Ultra topology are opened up, revealed gorgeously at higher levels, and without any of the noise and distortion added by Class A, A/B and tubes. It’s a stunning experience, without strain, whiteness, etc associated with cheaper, previous class D.
Last night I was using the Eastern Electric Minimax Tube DAC Supreme with the i.V4 Ultra and achieving a sound quality level unmatched by some far pricier rigs/amps using both class A, A/B and tubes. Even the upper end gear is being outdone by the IcePower module featuring IceEdge technology. If current designs are being bested, I have no interest in returning to vintage. I would only do so if cost was the overriding concern. :)
I liken this development to the wider acceptance of Open Baffle speakers versus dynamic. Over the years I have come to dislike the box coloration of dynamic speakers. If I detect too much of it, I am unhappy. Increasingly I turn to OB and dipole to rid the sound of the cabinet contribution. Some prefer this, and would think OB and dipole to be "wrong". There’s hardly a happy medium in such cases. If you inherently think the warmth/syrupy/heavy sound to the bass, etc. IS good music, then likely no class D will satisfy and you would likely think the old amps are terrific. But, to me they are distorted, adding damaging character to the music. They also do not have the capacity to drive speakers dynamically like the i.V Ultra series and other class D now.
Just as I have worked to eliminate perceived box colorations in speakers, I am working to eliminate unwanted indistinctness and occluding of the signal in amplification. Once the improvement is heard, it is understood.
You may not want to be at the same destination sound as me, but trust me, there is a world of difference happening with certain modules/amps of class D now.
