ARC Reference 3 preamp: tube character?

I own a Ref 3 and concur with TVAD and Newbee. The design goals of Ref 3 -- which has been optimized for balanced operation -- seem to have been to be as even handed across the audible spectrum as possible without particular emphasis to any band. The mids are well developed but not bloomy, the bass is deep but well pitched and never fuzzy, the treble is extended but hardly ever screachy -- or at the opposite glossy. Staging is well defined but not in your face. Harmonic development and decay is clear but not 'new agy'. The effect is of general 'transparency' but not of etched anorexia. The overall sound is 'musical and full bodied' but not syrupy. I have selected it over: BAT VK51SE, VAC Renaissance II, VAC Renaissance Sig, Aesthetics Callisto, ARC Ref 2, ARC LS25 Mk.2, VTL 7.5 Mk.1,and a few other ones. The Ref 3 is neither a stereotypical tube-lover's-delight nor a forensic instrument for the 'clinical' crowd. Rather, because of its relative neutrality, it is very revealing of changes induced by components upstream/downstream and to any changes in ICs, speaker wires, PCs. You can make it 'warmer by switching its SED Winged 6550C in the power supply with a Tungsol 6550, but. . . why bother?! My quest for preamplifying nirvana is logged in some detail at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1123254379&openmine&zzGuidocorona&4&5#Guidocorona
See in particular my audition findings for mid August 2005.

Rather than seeking something 'different', I now start to wonder what could out-Ref-3 a Ref 3?

You could probably better be served/pleased(based on your description of what you like) by a unit that could be stuffed with some of the British tubes(IE: Mullard, Brimar or Ediswan), or perhaps the RCA grey plates from the 60's. I always think of a sugary kind of glaze(picture donuts) when I hear those. Most of the pre-2000 preamps and amps used 12AX7/12AU7/6SN7 type drivers and/or phase splitters. There are plenty of NOS tubes(in those families) available from those companies that can provide the flavors you enjoy. The units that use the 6H30 will all probably be too un-colored for your tastes. Happy tube-tasting.

"Happy tube-tasting."

Hmm, good tube! . . . (Satisfying 'Krunch!') . . . OOOOOuch!!!!

I agree fully with Guidocorona's assertations of the ARC Ref 3, and yes I am an owner. If you are looking for tube-like sweetness, this is not the preamp for you. It definitely has the 'fuzz on the peach' tube like palpability to me, but is not 'sweet' by any stretch of the imagination.

I've heard the VAC Renassaince mk II, BAT VK-32SE and CJ Premeier LS16 mk II, all sounded much 'sweeter' or 'tubier' than the ARC Ref 3, IMHO. Maybe one of these will please you.

Cheers,
John

Poster sounds like a Conrad Johnson man to me, my dad owns the Ref3 and its nuetral.....and sounds fantastic!