Audio Research - should I replace the valves?


I have a AR Ref 110 power amp and AR Ref 3 preamp. Both have done about 3,800 hours. They both work but I wonder if should be replacing the valves.

How can you tell if they’ve had it? Does the sound quality deteriorate & what happens if you don’t replace them?

i don’t think they sounds as good as they did but no pops or whistles or any other strange noises etc - just a bit flat sounding. But perhaps this is just my ears?

 

pp

willmarchant

Thanks all. Not sure whether biasing the valves is beyond my skills but will have a read. Stupid question but assume you fit them and then do the bias? (Told you I might not be up to the job!)

Yes, you seat the tubes and then bias. As a long term ARC owner, trust me please and invest in a decent Fluke. As in Fluke meter. And don't sweat it. Except that finding a reliable source of tubes particularly for your amp is not so easy anymore. 

Tube replacement is simple. Do not touch the tubes with your fingers… use a clean cloth. Biasing is easy… here is a copy of the manual in case you don’t know where it is.

Do this once and you’ll be a pro. It sounds much harder than is.

 

Fluke meters are good and come in vastly different cost ranges. You do not need to spend a lot. I always have a multimeter around, there are hundreds of brands. 

 

https://audioresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/REF110_Manual.pdf

Thanks, I do have a Fluke. I’m going to use KT120 valves in my 110. Is it the same settings? I looked at the manual and it says you should use 120v AC to adjust the bias. Obviously in the UK we have 240v AC or am I being dim?

240v in UK is fine. What they mean is the wall voltage should be at 120/240VAC as the preferred voltage to set bias. This is because the internal amplifier voltage varies if the wall voltage varies.