ARC amp differences.

@ghdprentice: Sllightly off-topic, but I may have the opportunity to pick up either a Ref 75 or a VSi75SE at an attractive price. In your opinion, speaking from the perspective of sonics only, (I know we're comparing an integrated & a power amp), is there enough of a difference to warrant a multikilobuck price difference? I have a Harbeth-based system and am also considering Hegel and Levinson integrateds in the $10K price range.

@cundare2

OK, now that is a hard one.

I guess, if it takes the VSI75SE to get you into a ARC preamp and amp… then I would go that way. Audio Research stuff is really complimentary to other ARC equipment. So, if you were thinking Audio Research Ref 5 preamp and REF 75 amp… yes… that will sound significantly better than the VsI75SE. But if you have something else… go with the VSI.

Audio Research has an incredible natural sound… with the gestalt… the macro and micro details in perfect proportion to real music. The very best sound comes from every piece being cut from the same cloth. So all ARC is best.

A great strategy would be to go with the VsI75 for now and enjoy it for a few years until you can move up to the Reference level.

@ghdprentice

OK, thanks, that’s good feedback. FWIW, I’m an old Quad hobbyist / tube roller, spent years restoring pristine vintage ESL-57s & Quad 2 monoblocks, but had to sell them when I moved to an electrostatic-unfriendly part of the world. I’d love to have an exclusively ARC signal path, but there’s simply no room here for two large tube components. Which is one reason I’m looking at SS boxes like the Hegel H590/600 & ML 5805 -- size & weight are an issue. The VsI75SE, a 40-pound, physically small integrated, was pretty attractive -- esp given Harbeth’s reputation for being "Quad-like" (yeah, I know, I know!). But with you confirming that it’s not in a class with the Reference series, maybe it’s out of the running. FWIW, I was also considering PrimaLuna, HiFi Rose, and McIntosh integrateds, but as terrific as they’re said to be, I don’t get the impression that they’re in the same sonic league with ARC, ML, and Hegel. Too bad, b/c from a connectivity/functionality standpoint, they’d make life a lot simpler. Jeez, the VSi doesn’t even have a sub out or HT bypass!  The thing is, this time around, I’m willing to do whatever's necessary to get the best sonics -- so long as my new system physically fits into the room!  I'm so sick of my current silicon Class D amps.

@cundare2

Perhaps I have not communicated that well. I would not say the Vsi 75 is at all of a different class from the reference, they have very much the same sound… most of it. As you move up the differences are subtitle versus a different company who’s sound is very different.

I recently spent time with a $10K Luxman integrated , $10K Pass Integrated, and the $6K ARC I-50 (?). The Luxman was cold and detailed without rhythm and pace (musicality), the Pass was powerful with good rhythm and pace, the Audio Research… well, my eyes closed and I fell into the music… I would take the ARC I-50 over any Luxman and most Pass at several times the price.

So I want to be very careful at what I am communicating. The differences between companies is far greater than levels within one… in general. I would take a level down or two in ARC over the others any day.