Audio Research Preamp Experts?

Any thoughts as to the LS15 and where it ranks in the ARC lineage? Expecially compared to the LS2s.

I was the fortunate recipient of Minorl's SP-11 and would concur with his assessment that the SP-11 was very close to the Ref 3. Over the past year, I've been A/B-ing the SP-11 with an SP-10 (with ARC stock EH tubes), and SP-9 mki (with the stock Chinese ARC tubes changed out to a pair of Siemens Cca with great results) and an SP-8 mkii (with various NOS 5751, 12AX7 and 6DJ8/6922 tubes rolled in/out). As you wrote, if the phono stage isn't that critical to you, then I would rank them as follows:

SP-11
SP-9 (with the caveat that the stock 6922 tubes be replaced)
SP-10
SP-8 mkii

I've also read great things about the LS-5 mkii/mkiii but have yet to hear it first hand.

hey Closdesducs; Wonderful that you are enjoying the SP-11. Some new music for you if you haven't already obtained it. Eva Cassidy, at the blues alley (wonderful), songbird also. enjoy the SP-11. Keep in touch.

enjoy

Mapman; In my opinion based on my direct comparisons, some equipment is much more forgiving than others. However, remember, that there really are some terrible recordings out there. A lot of recording engineers really don't care about sound stage, etc. They use compression, multiple tracks, terrible mikes, bad mike placement, bad cables, etc. Its funny. my friend brought some of her favorite music over and we played it through the SP-11 and it sounded good. We later played it through the REF 3 (that was the only change), and it was really bad. But the well recorded music that we owned sounded great on both. I have changed equipment and have heard other equipment being revealed as not so good also. A well designed and constructed piece of equipment will not color or distort. It is only if one already knows what the music sounds like or does an A/B comparison with a particular piece of equipment, that you can really tell.

I have to admit, that many of my older cd's really suck as far as recording quality goes. Same for some of my albums.

enjoy

Well, I spent alot of time reading up on all the previous ARC pres. I;ve concluded I will focus on the LS series, though the SP-11 sounds like it would be a great unit, but too much gear and too many tubes given I don't have any need for phono. So I am at the point where I need to ask is there any kind of consensus (that will be the day) that the LS26 is superior to any previous generation of ARC linestages? I think it hits the sweet spot at its used price, which I imagine will drop a bit when the LS27 comes out. Most say it is better than the Ref2s - but I have no idea if that is true.