Audio Research LS-16 Mk2 vs LS-17 preamp


I'm thinking of getting an Audio Research preamp and considering either the ARC LS-16 Mk2 or the LS-17 tube preamp. Is the LS-17 worth the extra money (several hundred US dollars) over the LS-16 Mk2? Thanks for the input.
valhalla
Bravo Mofimadness for your response to Rwwear, I totally agree. I to have had the LS-16mkII and found it to be(in my system)just as Mofimadness articulated a very good preamp in that price range.
Valhalla, I like nobody else can tell you how a component is going to sound in your system because so many other vaiables come into play such as: associated equipment, speakers, cables(interconnect & power)and room size. It would be helpful however to know what other components makeup the rest of your system.
To conclude, I would like to quote Art Dudley who I think summed it up best when he said "Most domestic playback products have a sound all their own.
The effectiveness of most domestic playback products very much depends on the rest of the system with which they will be used, as well as the room, the climate and the physiology and the psychology of the listerner"
I think most folks who utilize this forum would do well to consider these words before responding to questions about different components and their sound.
A friend of mine bought the 16MK II and I tried it for a week in my system. He didn't like it either even with his ARC amp. He sold it. Why would I be so adamant about my dislike of this linestage without reason. There are many less expensive linestages that sound much better. I tried three different linestages at the same time and the 16 was by far the worst. I'm sorry you guys couldn't hear it.
A friend of mine bought the 16MK II and I tried it for a week in my system. He didn't like it either even with his ARC amp. He sold it. Why would I be so adamant about my dislike of this linestage without reason. There are many less expensive linestages that sound much better. I tried three different linestages at the same time and the 16 was by far the worst.
I don't think that Audio Research would be the well respected company that they are, (or even still in business) if they produced gear that sounded the way you describe...I'm sorry you can't hear.
One man's meat is another man's poison. I have owned the LS16Mk1 and find it to be a decent piece, not spectacular. It does sound superior to four other line stages that I have owned, but then these line stages are just crap in comparison.