Audible Illusions Modulus 3 Audio Research SP-11

It eats tubes?

Normally tubes in preamps are uncrictical? How often you did them raplce?

I owned an AI 2D from 1991 until I sold it 2 years ago. It still was as awesome sounding and looking as the day I bought it. Loved it. Sold it ONLY to upgrade to an AI 3A with John Curl MC Phono circuit so I could go back to using low output MC cartridges. Have had the 3A for about 2 years now. I bought AI's best set of tubes as the used preamp's tubes were pretty old and the original ones the seller used for 4 years. I changed the tubes 2 times in the 20 years with the 2D and the 3A's have been running for 2 years with NO problems. I always bought AI's tubes--maybe there is a problem with buying tubes from a non-AI source. The 3A is a definite step up from a preamp I NEVER felt the need to upgrade. Nothing lasts like an AI and I'd bet with the new tube set, it sounds better than the Audio Research in most ways. It is dead quiet and very dynamic with a beautiful but more incisive sound than the 2D with much better bass clarity. I have mine in an extremely revealing and yet musical system and will not be looking again for a preamp for another 20+ years. I've heard AR's in the store but have never had one home in my system so a perfect comparison of their sound qualities is missing here.

That is an interessting answer.

According to some reviews it is also said that the Modulus 3 adds more detail is more transparent and adds backround information in the music by pushing it to the foreground which is bascially what I am looking for.

I am not sure if I can be wrong with it.

On the AI website they list which tubes will perform with their preamp. They state that most NOS tubes are not a good match.

I'll throw in my perspective, (for what it's worth). I was an ARC dealer for many years and an AI dealer for a few years.

I have personally owned an AI 2C, 2D, 3 and 3A. I have owned almost every preamp that ARC made back in the day.

I would take the SP-11 or SP-15 any day over the AI 3A. This is just a personal preference.

Since we are taking used here, the price difference is pretty large. The ARC SP-11/15 are still going for around $3000 and I've seen AI 3As for around $1000. So that would have to be a factor.