Which power amplifier match audio research ref 3

Ralph only speaks the truth...

When I had Ref3 hooked up to BAT 150SE, I lost bass weight. Problem was impedance matching as Ralph pointed out, Ref3 has a relative high output impedance. I am surprise to read Pass being mentioned here, Pass is known to have low input impedance among SS.

Safe bet is tube amp, but not all tube amps are created equal.

I have a great respect for this preamplifier. It introduced me to a new level of sonic pleasure.
I am combining the Ref 3 with a Pass Aleph 5 and am satisfied with the combo.
The Aleph 5 is a 60W solid-state, class A, single-ended amp. I prefer the sound of the Aleph 5 (or Aleph 3) over all the solid-state class AB and/or push-pull amplifiers I've heard. Midband purity is exceptional for a non-tube amplifier. I also own an Aleph 3 but it does not combine well with the Ref 3, maybe because I am using the Aleph 5's XLR connection which provides an higher gain (26dB over 20dB on the Aleph 3 that only has RCA inputs).

In the combo Ref 3/Aleph 5 there is some loss of bass control and definition, but just a little more than when pairing the Aleph 5 with solid-state pre-amplifiers (it's more an Aleph 5 limitation). On the other hand the Ref 3 provides much better soundstage, truly natural midband and correctness and realism of all instruments and voices. For instance, replacing the Ref 3 with an Aleph P, the sound loses all this magic and seems artificial.

Note that the Aleph 5 works particularly well with easy loads. This amp requires very carefully speaker matching. I would forget any hard loads. The speakers I am using in this setup have a sensitivity of 94dB and 6ohm nominal impedance. Source is Mark Levinson.

As commented here, probably there is no better match than the ARC VT100 mkIII or the Ref 110 (which I would like to try one day), especially on the low-end. However, these come along at a 5K price against 1.5K for the Aleph 5.
So, the Aleph 5 can be an interesting option if money is an object and speakers are easy to drive. An easy ticket for a magic midband.

If this thread is still active, then I re-repeat what I and other have said. The Ref 3 will sound best with a late model ARC amp, e.g., ARC VS-115 or the REF 110. I used to own the Ref 3 and now Ref 5) and still own the VS-115. It's a great combo.

This really depends on what speakers you are trying to drive.

enjoy

Whatever amp it is, in addition to the high input impedance you will also want an amplifier with a balanced input. If the input of the amplifier is differential, so much the better.