@atlvalet Look up Scott Frankland Associates in San Jose, CA
He just changed 16 Caps in my LS5 MKIII and it was worth every penny.
Sonic difference was Outstanding!
Recapping an ARC LS-5 mkiii
So I have done an exhaustive Internet search on this, and have some answers (but not all).
Every piece of audio gear I have from the 80's and 90's has had some sort of issue and needed mods and/or repairs. Some of this wasn't audible, but showed up when the equipment was put on a test bench.
Every piece of classic/vintage equipment I have (Aragon, Sonic Frontiers, Audio Research) has been updated except for my LS-5 mkiii preamp. With ARC gear, I know lots of people tend to think of them like classic cars and look down anything ARC didn't do originally.
At the same time, I know ARC offers a Stealth Cap upgrade (roughly $800 IIRC) and I also know Steven Huntley at GNSC used to modify ARC gear (including the LS-5), but I can't really find anything out there on what that process involved.
I am interested in getting the Stealth Caps done, however, outside of that, I don't want to change the sound signature too dramatically (like shoehorning an LS V8 motor into a Mazda RX-7). I'm sure there are some gains to be made (Rel Caps to Infinicaps?), but want to make sure I do things the right way.
BTW, the preamp sounds good (to me), but as I've learned, that doesn't always mean it would test completely within spec.
Thanks in advance.
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Thanks @djohn. Scott looks EXACTLY like the kinda guy I want tweaking my equipment. |
@atlvalet For Audio Research and or any Tube Electronics, Scott Frankland is your kinda guy. As a Heads Up, only Scott Frankland touches my Gear. He has totally Rebuilt my Classic 60 Amp which I have owned since New, and now the LS5 MKIII. Call Scott since the LS5 MKIII is in the Rack, and it is not going anywhere right now :-). Tell him David L. sent you.
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As a long time LS5 II and III owner, who praised these models on here 20+ years ago, I would be hesitant to put a lot of money into this. If it sounds good to you, then just run with it. But if you're looking to put $1k into this, I would suggest you consider alternatives. My line stage progress since then: ARC LS5 III --> BAT 31SE --> Aesthetix Callisto Sig --> Aria WV5XL which I have had for 15 years. Each change was a significant step up with the last two being VERY significant refinements. After you hear these models and many others from Cary, Canary, VAC, it's hard to go back to the LS5 as it is just too unnaturally forward sounding and lacks the energy in the low end. About 10 years ago I got an old Counterpoint SA-5 for a small apt system. At that same time, a friend got a used LS5 II as he found a good deal and he knew of my praise of it years ago. We ran them side by side and the LS5 lost to the SA5 in a flash. Even his wife in another room asked what we did right when we switched to the SA-5. He sold the LS5 and got an SA-5 and put money back into his pocket. I am not pushing the SA-5, and surely you can do a lot better, but I am pointing out that there is so much out there so be careful what you spend on updates. As for capacitors, here is a cool read: Capacitor Review Test John |
I would say that the signal cpas should be left alone, but power supply caps could be redone. In a tube pre these are few and even top of the line power supply caps are cheaper, better and will last longer than what we were using in the 1980s. This is probably a much lower cost investment than I think you were considering. The one exception here is perhaps the AC coupling caps typically used on the outputs should those prove to be leaky. |
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