Audio Research PH-7

There is a nice review in Issue 45 of hi-fi+ magazine. I have had mine for about 4 months and it has about 300 hours of play time. I would say that it has a large soundstage with a full and intoxicating sound. As much as I enjoyed my previous Dynavector P-75 (a great bargain) and my Audible Illusions M3A with the John Curl gold phonostage, the PH7 easily shows it is in a different league. I am still using the stock 6922's and will be rolling some different tubes through in the next several months but I am not sure it can get much better. I am using it with: Audio Research VT100MK3 amp; ARC Ref 3 preamp; Verity Parsifal Ovation Speakers; Basis 2001 Signature turntable with the Vector 3 arm and a Dynavector XV 1s cartridge.

I have not heard it.

I brought home a ph-5 and it was very nice so I ended up buying a ph-7 to get the full impact of the new gain stage from the re-3.

I just picked up a ref-3 and together I have a system I never though I could own. I would call it sonic fireworks in that every thing is distinct and I can look all around the soundstage and listen to each instrument in its own space as well as just listen to the performance.

I have never had the felling of depth and space as I do now. The ref-3 replaced a classe cp-60 and the ph-7 replaced a Melos tube phono stage. The new ARC stuff should be heard, it is outstanding....Steve

Try some nice Amperex or Telefunken 7308s or 6DJ8s in that PH7 to find out just how good it really is.

Tim