What is Audio Researches best preamp period

Bbaxley2

I have owned several ARC preamps including: SP6C, SP9 MKI, SP9 MKII, SP14, LS2B MKI and LS2B MKII. I currently own the LS25 MKI, which I am using with NOS 6H23 6922. With better tubes the LS25 MKI (sans the 6H30, and FET input) is an extremely musical performer. With the NOS 6H23 it equals the LS25 MKII in bass articulation and extension and exceeds it in terms of liquidity and musicality. The LS25 MKI can be purchased for under $2000 used. It is highly recommended.

Note:

I never experienced that "brightness" in the LS2B alluded to above. The MKII version was significantly more natural sounding than the MKI. I used the LS2B MKI/II mainly with an ARC D115 MKII, which had a rich (not overly warm) tonal balance. I used the previous preamps with an ARC D76A (which had the classic tube sound) as well as the D115 MKII.

I have an Arc LS 5 MK II wonderful piece, very engaging
I owned an LS 2 Mk II I could never get things right with it- Jafox here steered me clear of it's brightness
and turned me on to the LS 5 (thanks again) I have heard a few people tamed the LS 2 to some degree with certain tubes (do a search here)

The LS5 is the best bargain in the Arc line, it is all balanced inputs (but you can use cheater plugs) In the direct comparisons I did wit the LS 25 and ref1 the beefier power supply of the LS 5 clearly outshinned them

Hi Tom, good to hear you're still enjoying the LS5. It is indeed a unit that we hold onto for a long time as it takes a serious expenditure to get the next level of refinements in a line stage.

Just for clarification here, I don't think I ever felt the LS2 was bright....not any more so than the typical "in your face, way out into the room" presentation of much of the ARC line. Tonally the LS2 was fine when I heard it. But simply, it was hands down the most unmusical line stage I had auditioned up to that time (1995) when I bought the LS5II. Coming off the SP-10, with all of it's little problems, the LS2 was on the opposite end of the field in terms of enjoying the music; the ambient information was all but gone. And I never understood the sillyness of putting XLR connections on a product that was single-ended. The extra input and output stages to accomplish pseudo-balanced signals only gets in the way of the music.

John

OK so I guess wc65mustang IS a dealer?!

I, too, would be interested in more, on topic, opinions of ARC gear.

jaFox:

Did you audition the LS2B MKI or MKII version?
Also, replacing the stock 6922 in the LS2B MKII with better Mullard or Amperex tubes made a significant change for the better in terms of naturalness (ie less mechanical) musicality, etc.