Audio Research Corp Ref 5 SE

Phil, stay all ARC. The synergy is worth it. Call Tom ASAP. Not only did his buffer increase the impedance shown of the sub woofer, his device even summed the left and right channels without shorting out the Ref 5's Mains. So, my single sub woofer is mono below 50 ot 60 Hz, and shows my Ref 5 a 330K ohm load. Tom charged me only $500 for the device, which is built like a tank. It's an active device that plugs into the wall. If Tom was to build a device for you that had an input impedance that matched the Ref 250s (200K ohms), your combined impedance would be 100K ohms, which is plenty.

When I replace my Synergy IIi with an ARC Ref 5SE, I will call Tom and let him know my situation. Again, glad I cam across this post.

Memorial Day Update on Ref 5SE: Have over 650 hours logged on the Ref 5, although much is idle time hours. I think the Ref 5 is probably broken in by now. It really sings. Very sweet pre-amp. Btw, a major change from an unexpected source. Just replaced the 6H30 driver tubes on my ARC VS-115 amp. Wow! Together, what a combo. Just love mny ARC stuff!

Bifwynne,

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the REF5SE. I am sure the long wait for the upgrade was well worth it.

I just hit 750 hours on my unit after 18 months.