2. amps-preamps
  3. 1187779737

Unhappy with tubes so which transistor amp?

Hi guys,

About 6 months back I bought an ARC Ref110. For one reason or another I am still running on the demo unit which has failed 2 times during this time. The first time it was one of the output tubes which was blown. This time it simply won't power up. I have checked the fuse and it looks ok but the amp shows no sign of life.

Based on my experience so far I am thinking that I will sell my unit brand new when I get it next week. I don't want to deal with a piece which breaks down often as for me reliability is one of the key criteria as I am totally zero on the technical side of electronics (changing the fuse may be as technical as it gets for me). So even stuff like biasing, changing tubes after x amount of hours looks like a lot of work to me.

Now after this background I come to the million dollar question. Since replacing the amp with my old Aragons I have noticed that I have lost significantly in 3 areas.

1) Soundstage does not seem to be as big as with the Ref110 specially in regard to sound coming from outside the speaker thing, which btw is gives you an awesome feeling if you are listening with the lights switched off

2) I have lost the mid range magic. This is painfully apparent in vocals as they have lost their sense of realism.

3) Digital glare and harshness has also crept back in the system.

Now I am looking for an amp that is SS but can give me back what I have lost although I am not sure about number 2 as everyone says you can't do it with SS. Basically I am looking for an SS amp with huge soundstage, beautiful and natural (not "smooth" as in muffled) midrange and san any digital glare. Price should be ~10K new or used.

The related equipment is ARC CD3 MKII, ARC LS26 and Peak Consult Empress loud speakers.

Any help or ideas is welcome.

Thanks

P.S. I posted the same on speaker forum by mistake. Mods please feel free to delete the other thread. Thanks
rayden1972
tpsonic
1,092 posts
 
Latest Belles or Symphonic Line RG-1 MKIII should give you some of that tube magic and be less problematic
pbb
1,140 posts
 
Tube equipment always requires more care. The failures you have encountered with a brand new ARC amp don't seem usual for the brand, although, as with anything man-made, breakdowns will occur. Very often transistor amps are touted as having "tube-like sound". Class A often seems to be the key to getting the magic of tube sound with a solid state amp. I think that Pass offers great sounding amps. Have you given a hybrid design any consideration? ARC now makes a model that should probably be auditioned. Tenor amps also have a great reputation for their sound quality.
dodgealum
1,401 posts
 
While I continually lust after tube amps like your Ref 110 I will probably never own one--even with a reputable outfit like ARC which has, in my experience, excellent service and customer support. I see tube power amps like woman who you want to take home for the evening but would never think of marrying--too much maintenance! I'd take a look at the new tube hybrid just released by ARC, the HD220. It has a tube input stage and solid state output devices. It should be much more user friendly and may preserve the midrange authenticity that you desire. Also, ARC has a new SD135 which is all solid state that may be of interest. Either of these will preserve much of what the Ref 110 is about, keep you in the ARC family (a good thing in my view) and give you more of a "plug and play" set up. If you do get either one of these amps please come back to the thread with an appraisal since folks may be interested in your experience with these new products.
9rw's avatar
9rw
318 posts
 
If a tube took out a resistor, that's not the amp's fault. Stuff like that happens. Also, ARC will take care of you, assuming you bought the amp from an authorized dealer.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding amp for anywhere near the price, and there aren't many companies that are better than ARC where customer service is concerned. Also, checking and adjusting bias is no big deal, and the sound will reward you every time you listen.

I sure wouldn't give up on it yet.
Post removed 
More to discover