Audio Research Preamp Experts?

It depends on your amps and your pre-amp actually. I have found that some equipment is very forgiving as opposed to others. The SP-11 in my opinion was very forgiving of bad recordings. (I didn't know they were bad until I got the REF 3). Now several of my recordings are absolutely terrible sounding because the REF 3 revealed just how bad the recording process was. I would never have thought that were true. When you get a chance and you leave your wallet at home. Take a week long listen to a REF 3. you will really enjoy the experience.

enjoy.

I've worked hard to get most all recordings to sound good enough to be worth a listen, even if I am initially unfamiliar with the material. The sp16 fits the bill for that in my rig.

I used to think a lot of recordings were bad, ie not worth listening to for me prior to recent upgrades including the sp16. I have difficult with the concept that better gear makes some recordings worse. I do not want that because I like listening to most anything, at least once.

When I hear that I wonder if there is really still something amiss in the rig and/or perhaps expectations for a certain kind of sound or recording quality are just not realistic.

I know its a subject of debate. I have no upgrade bugs currently because I can listen to almost anything and enjoy it, even though most have their limitations. That's exactly where I want to be. The good recordings sound exactly the way I think they should, and lesser ones sound good enough to enjoy almost all the time. At least part of it is managing expectations. Few recordings sound alike and most have at least some enjoyable elements.

I know what you mean. It sucks when some of your favorite recordings all of a sudden don't sound good. However, the other side, is the really good stuff sounds so much better.

And I also agree that being in the amp of the month club, constantly upgrading is not fun for me. I hope you really enjoy your SP-16.

enjoy.

Do the bad recordings really sound worse or just sound that way more relative to the good ones?

I really enjoyed the LS2B MKII, mine had remote control and was one of the few preamps I wish I had held onto. Although the LS2B has one tube (6DJ8), Martin Colloms stated that Audio Research somehow has found the perfect marriage between tubes and solid state. However from earlier discussions in the forums I was advised that the LS5 was by far the best preamp in the LS series. Ironically I have an SP11 MK II that I purchased on Audiogon three years ago and worked well for the first two months and then quit, It now resides in my attic till I can figure out if I want to spend the cash to get it fixed since a local tech said there was a problem with the power supply. This no doubt will cost several hundred dollars or I can put the money into a newer AR preamp like the SP16.