Audio Research comparison

When I made the original post, I kind of suspected that there might be a split on this. By the way I believe that the VT100 mkII was around for a lot longer than 16 months. I'll probably keep my Ref2 preamp and VT200 amp for now. I'll have to do a really long listening session to get a handle on which "sound" I like better. Thanks for all the good feedback.

AR does a very poor job of providing uselful info on the very many products it has sold over the years. Just try to get some info on all the different preamps and linestages from their website. It ain't there.

In defense of ARC, I have had my SP8MkII and D115MkII for
over 16 years. When I needed help they were there for parts,
service and advice. Yes, they are infamous for their
upgrade pathways, in particular, the SP6(I lost count how many),but the newer models have faired much better. Besides, ARC is always at the edge of technologies, so what would you
expect?? Let's see if BAT lasts for over 30 years before
making judgements.

I have a pair of the new REF 300 MKII's. These units are FAR better than the original 300's, and in my opinion any of the 600 versions. The changes, including a change in tubes, makes this one of the best sounding tube amps out there. Haven't heard the ss AR's. AR does seem to have a propensity to frequently upgrade models, I can see how this may irritate some, but in the case of the 300MKII, what they've done is certainly an improvement.

I understand that there is a VT200 MK2 available. Has anyone auditioned one? How does it compare to the original VT200?