2. amps-preamps
  3. 1284811163

Best ARC tube amps for classical music?

I have thought of using an old ARC tube amp together with my Sonab OA 116 loudspeakers, and I am listening to classical music via a Thorens 126 gramophone.

I see there are many models of the old ones, and I wonder which of them be best suited for my loudspeakers and choice of music genre.

I am particularly occupied with the timbral sound of the musical instruments.

I have already been recommended a D-79, but this one is probably not so easy to get? Hopefully, there would also be some other models that woud do?

Best regards,
Axtl
axtl
axtl OP
7 posts
 
The cost will perhaps not be a very limiting factor as to this, what really counts is to have a perfect match between the amplifier and the loudspeaker.

By the way, I will probably start to use other loudspeakers, the Gradient Revolution.
Do you know whether an ARC would suit to the midrange and treble section of the Gradients?
Impedance = 3 ohms in Active mode, and sensitivity around 91 dB.
Best regards,
Axtl
rgurney
279 posts
 
IMHO, I think you're heading in the wrong direction with those speakers, if you want to use an ARC tube amp. Low impedance and efficiency does not make a tube amp happy.
jafox
1,466 posts
 
Correction: Low impedance and efficiency does not make an Audio Research tube amp happy.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
I have owned many Audio Research amplifiers with incredible results, but I have never asked a tube amplifier to drive a low impedance load, so I really couldn't say.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,924 posts
 
Axtl, as Rrog pointed out, all of the ARC tube amps are very good. However, IMHO, the D70 and the D115 are the cream of the crop from that era. ( With slight preference given to the Mk 2 version of each).
If you don't need the extra power, I prefer the D70 to the D115 or the D90. Again, like Rrog said, it depends on your budget.
More to discover