Audio Research vs. Aragon

My brother, I too have been down the Aragon/Audio Research path. I had an 8008 driving my 'pans. Then put in an ARC Classic 60 and passed through the pearly gates of hifi and into the heavens of sound.

I'd go with the ARC D115. Heat in an entertainment center from tubes would definately shorten tube life. Obviously you should place it as high as possible relative to the other components in there.

Since you have an open back, it shouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure if the D115 has internal fans like most of the other ARC tube gear I've seen. If it does then you should be okay. However you could do the external fan routine as mentioned by J_K above (although I'm not sure what "muffin" fans are).

My amp is in an closed entertainment armoire. I bought a couple of little 3" or 4" black fans with the square housing from Radio Shack. You have to wire them up yourself with a little switchable lamp cord but they are quiet and pump out a lot more air than the ARC internals do. I have one fan blowing into the armoire at the bottom through an access hole and one blowing out at the top of the shelf area. This "push-pull fan system" works beautifully as the inside of the armoire with the front doors closed doesn't even get warm.

I think that it'd probably work just as well with one fan but haven't tried it. Originally I was looking to maximize airflow through the component area...

Ciao,
Daniel

No Fans on the D-115. Mk II is much better, For $1500.00 it had better be a MK II. and even that price is high ,unless it is Mint +++ and the tubes are new. Aragon makes a very good product for solid state, but the ARC is gonna sound ,as usual, more real. Wish it were'nt that way, I would love to not worry about tube wear ,bias, cost, quality, matching.....you get the point....good luck!!

That D-115 idles at 400 watts. That is a lot of heat. It is rated at 100 watts which is quite a bit of power for a tube amp. Tube and component life would be shortened if your only avenue of ventilation is from the front and back of the cabinet. If there is an option to place it on TOP of the cabinet it would be the way to go. As Reprince notes, I would certainly look at the compatability of the ss pre-amp with a tube amp first before committing. The ARC should provide long term enjoyment and retain its value as well. As Frap notes, it better be a Mk2 for that price. I currently use one in my system and to help dissapate the heat and extend tube life, I have removed the black cover.

If you can find one, get your hands on a Audio Research 100.2 solid state amp. I have one and I love it. This amp has the great resolution of tube amps without the problems that you are concerned about (overheating in your rack). The amp does run warmer than most ss designs, but not nearly as hot as tube amps. This amp has truly amazing sound, but they tend to be hard to find on the used market. Good luck on your search