Lack of bass with SP-9 MK3

Hi: I had the same problem with a SP 9 mk2 awhile back ..Much too dry and brittle for my taste..I didin't keep mine more than a couple months.. I went to the Audio Research sp11 and found a whole different world..I actually feel the older SP6 sp8 sp10 and sp11 are still some of the best peices ARC ever made..They are all a little different in design but all share the same magic,with a little variations in each..I owned the sp6,sp8 and sp11 and fell in love with the sp11..Some like the sp10 over the sp11 and some like sp11 ( which i did ) over the sp10 ,but I feel that the sp10 and 11 the best of the group...These peices have detail and body ( and magic ) that the sp9 doesn't have.. Just my 2 cents.Hope it helps....

The are exceptions but thats pretty much the trade off. Take your pick if you rock, the soundstage depth wont matter much as it isnt existent in many pop recordings.

New tubes sound like a good start. Do you suggest ordering straight from ARC or somewhere else?

Do you think adding a dedicated subwoofer will help the issue? Though I'd think that if the signal is just not there, then there is nothing for the sub to reproduce.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Hard to tell without knowing what the other parts of the system are. Look, if you got used to exaggerated bass you will get used to a more realistic presentation if you give it some time. I seriously doubt that changing tubes will give you the bass you are used to. Reality tends to sometimes be underwhelming...

There are numerous on-line tube sales companies which handle a lot of new production tubes (not so much NOS tubes, which are MUCH more expensive, BTW). I use the Tube Depot for new tubes but others do as well. Go to Audio Asylum and check out their 'featured' on-line tube dealers for details & prices. Last I checked the EH's cost 12.50 each.