Audio Research REF 80S Reviews/Comparisons

@fsonicsmith - sorry if I blinked and missed something, .... but what happened to your Ref 150SE?  Did you get the Ref 80S yet?  If so, did you get a chance to compare the 150SE to the 80S?

I took the same journey.  My Ref 150SE needed an expensive repair (start-up circuit needed a thermister and solenoid switch).  I decided to go the Ref 80S route as noted above.  My 80S is pretty much broken in now and sounds terrific.  I don't have a good sonic memory, but I think it sounds incrementally better than the 150SE.  As noted by me and others, I like the circuit enhancements, especially the fuses on the KT-150s.  I suffered through blown bias resisters in the past and it is no fun to soldier in new ones.

I look forward to hearing your reactions.

BIF

@bifwynne 

My 80S is due to arrive today. My Ref 150 SE remains all boxed up and taking up space in our foyer waiting for word from ARC as to an RMA. I am constantly tempted to simply take it to my local tech. ARC not willing to provide a schematic is one hurdle and the high cost of KT150's is another. 

@bifwynne

1) What did you end up doing with your 150 SE? Once repaired I need to decide if it worth selling them or just hanging on to them for a while. Between being discontinued and repaired I suspect they won’t sell for much.

2) Although every loudspeaker is (duh) different, what is the nominal impedance of your Paradigm Sig S8 V3’s and what tap did you find best?

3) Did you play around at all with power cords? And related to that, are you going to through a power conditioner or straight to the wall?

I will never know for sure, but I suspect my 150 SE failure had something to do with plugging it into an Isotek Aquarius that in turn was being fed by an Isotek EVO3 Syncro. When my startup fuse and nearby resistor blew, the fuse blew in the Aquarius and I suspect the failure was due to inadequate current supply in the face of heavy current draw though I have basically no understanding of EE. Granted, I had been using my amp this way for over three years with no problem. But this time with the new amp I am going right to the wall which has a dedicated circuit.

So I called and had a very pleasant conversation with Evan. I explained my situation. I asked for a schematic. He asked someone else while I held and said "yes, we can send you the schematic". I gave him my email. Hours passed. Nothing. So I wrote three times asking for the schematic I had been told would be forthcoming and Greg Christensen ghosted my question and instead circumvented to how long it would be (6-9 months!) before I could return it. This over a course of three days when I brought up the schematic each and every time.

I am very happy ARC owns ARC again. I am very happy they are answering their phone again. I am not so happy about the backlog (though understandable) and the lack of a direct clear answer (avoidable and inexcusable).

Now all that said, a tech with tons of experience (Vern Leckrone of CT) told me that the best way to get my amp repaired the right way was with ARC and as I said above, between the lack of a schematic and the lack of reliable tubes I am willing to wait and pay the huge premium. The Ref 150 SE is a great amp so why not get it done right?