High-value ICE offerings or Ayre V3, ARC 100.2

Sorry TimRhu, I have not listened to 300M. Guido

IMHO, the V3 is a real bargain ( caveat: with Ayre Conditioner and v 1.3 boards ). They can be had in the $1200 range most of the time and my current one has displaced Krell MDA 300s, VTL MB 450s, Rowland Model 6s, Mcintosh MC 402, Threshold 800D and a few I can't remember. Speed, power, dynamics are all there and there is no glare or audio exhaustion at either end of the frequency range. The K5Xe is a bit more transparent but for my $$$ at 1/3 of the Used to Used $ I will take the V3 any day.

@Twindal

Very similar hardware!

Had a Bel Canto S300 for a while. Did not like it at all. It would have made a good sub amp, but everything else sounded the same as my Yamaha surround sound receiver. It was driven by higher end Arc tube pre and very good digital, into my dyn s3.4. While I do understand this is the "beginner" class D amp, I did feel like, based on all the favorable reviews it would give me some insight into the character of sound from this topology. Whatever the reason, I did not like it.

I also had a plinius sa102...dissapinted. Too smooth and polite for my tastes, I guess (hey we all hear things differently!)

I have used (and still do) an ARC 100.2 with the same speakers and find this a very hard to beat combo. I had a VT100MKii also with the s3.4s and it was very beautiful sound in the midband, but lethargic and underpowered for these 4 ohm nominal loads. I find the 100.2 MUCH better. I also had a pass x250.5 and while that amp had an increased sense of resolution and could make the speakers play at insane levels, the 100.2 seems to have an even richer more lucid midrange and sparkly highs. Bass control is very very good and belies the modest rating of the amp.

A friend had Bat vk500 and when we used the 100.2 with his rig (he had the same speakers) he sold the bat and was looking for the ARC-- it never came up and he had a thing for mac's and got the 402. that was a very good sound as well.

I remain extremely impressed with the 100.2. I currently have it driven with a bel canto dac 3 direct via XLRs. I feel like i would have to spend upwards of $5K on an amp to substantially improve upon the results i'm getting with the 100.2.

I highly rec the 100.2 with the dyns. A very synergistic match.

Good luck on the amp merry go round!

Hi. I previously owned an ARC D125 power amp, and still own an ARC SP9MKIII pre - this combination sounded great, albeit the power amp was unreliable. I've heard an ARC VT100MKII, and liked it - not a world away from the D125 - in Australia in the late 90s it was AUS$9000 new - so I passed. Since then, via an excursion to a Jadis integrated, I've purchased two W4S amps - the ST1000 power to run with the ARC pre, and an STI 500 integrated. I've put up a review here re the experience. Needless to add, I'm very pleased with the W4S components - absolute bargains. I do relate to your "candy store" comment, but the W4S amps sound better than my old ARC set up - just as sweet, more detail, absolutely effortless, oomph and clarity in the bass; and better than the Jadis. I have Usher speakers now, but previously had Wilson CUBS, with their low impedence load - the ST1000 was excellent with these.

I sure liked the magic mid range from the ARC VT 100 and the MKII model. You could pick up a ARC LS-3 or LS-2 to use as a preamp for not much money maybe $2000 - $2500 for both.