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Audio Research 100.2 amp

Why didn't this amp receive more attention when it was in production? I recently acquired a pre-owned 100.2 for my second system and was very impressed with it's performance. Much more pleasant sounding than many other solid state amps I have listened to with a very nice, grain/grunge free, almost tube-like midrange and excellent bass/treble. Musical, smooth, resolving without sounding etched or aggressive is a very good way to describe the overall sound of this amp. Anyone else cares to agree/disagree?
flyski
holymackerel
19 posts
 
Had one. Loved it. Dealer said it had no right to sound that good. He let me have a VT100 and the 100.2 for six weeks. I gave him he VT100 back, and I am a tube guy. The 100.2 is an audio gem. Sometimes, they accidentally build a classic.
dpac996's avatar
dpac996
717 posts
 
This is a real diamond in the rough. It has been working wonders in my system since hour 1 :) and it has not been that long since I bought it. It allows me to relax and take in a sound I have longed for since I caught the bug over a decade ago. Everything said about this amp is absolutely true. It is the most 'musical' amp I have ever owned. It continues to suprise me as i revisit old favorites, on some cd's that I think will sound like dirt and cause apprehension, they come out sounding just fine. To my ears it does not acheive this by being overly warm ( adding same coloration) or rolling off the top; rather, it is transparent, open and pure. In this sense it is quite remarkable. I think for the 1st time I am truly not listening to an amp per se, but to amplified music. I wish there were some published performance data to appease my technical side, for kicks; This amp's published power rating belies its real world performance. It is very punchy and capable of driving fairly difficult speakers (Dynaudio Contour 3.4 and 1.8 MKII's) to very impressive levels w/o becoming harsh, shut in, or collapsing the soundstage. Bravo ARC, Bravo. When can we see another classic solid state this good? Truly a remarkable value at the price of admission.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
The current blue book price is 50% of the original retail. This is relatively high for an 8 year old model and reflects the high quality of this amplifier. It's a superb value IMO
loudandclear
79 posts
 
I fully agree with all the accolades for the 100.2 in this thread. By far, the best SS amp I have auditioned (out of dozens and dozens of amps) in just about every respect. I dare Audio Research to "bring it back" as a "classic series". But then again, I heard they "had to" drop it because it was outperforming their mega-cost tube amps at the dealers!

Stunning in every respect.
f1a
198 posts
 
And I like it too!

Tube-like mids, sweet non-fatiguing highs, well-defined ample bass... what more would one want?
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