Any Comparisons between VTL 7.5 & ARC Ref 3

Bar81, I have heard rumors of a high noise floor on Ref 3, but can not substantiate it. All Ref 3s I have listened to, including my very own are totally dead quiet. I can only guess that some degraded tubes may be the cause of the noisyness on the unit your friend experienced. The device should go back to ARC for servicing. By the way Hardesty seems to indicate that in fact Ref 3 appears quieter than VTL. I also tried Ref 3 with on Art Audio PX-25 monos and Avantgarde horn speakers, and there was still no noise.

Guidocorona: Audio Perfectionist? - or Arm chair audiofool who just reviews other reviewers reviews and makes statements about design? Wonder what fine magazines he quoted this time around?

When I borrowed a Ref 3 from my local dealer the noise floor was amazingly silent, but I still suffered from a mid bass suck out in my system with the Ref 3 (which someone suggested was the 6550c needed replacement). I have huge power noise problems so to me it was amazing that the ARC was so stone silent. Plug a CJ in and you get nothing but HISS through the speakers..

CytoCycle, if the 6550C was running out of steam, a suck out in mid bass is only the beginning of the slow spiral of 'grayness'. Next all highs would go the way of the Dodobird. Mr. Hardesty is certainly controversial. I have read some of his editorial pieces. As far as I know the article in question is an actual review, but I do not have the article in front of me to confirm. He seems to have high overall praise for all three devices discussed.

Question, Is the ARC a tube power supply or a hybrid power supply?

PS in ARC 3 is tubed to the best of my Knowledge. There is both an 6H30 and a 6550C at this time in it.