Thanks for the interesting responses. I do have the Furman IT Reference 20 power conditioner and have used it for years after trying a number of others. In response to onhwy61 and Tobb, good question that has gotten me to think more about what the system does well and what it does not do as well. The highs, midrange and midbass are excellent, maybe the best I've heard in my audio room. Bass definition is excellent, but overall bass response is probably the weakest aspect of this system which seems to be similar to Lustformusic's comments. The Sophia 2s are replacing Von Schweikert VR4 SR MkIIs which had a fuller bass response with less definition. And lastly, on "upgrade itis" - no doubt about it. After many years of this hobby, I'm always ready for improvements which get me closer to the music. I'd say that is the fuel which Audiogon runs on.
Which ARC reference component to upgrade?
I have the ARC Reference 3 preamp and Reference 110 amp and am considering an upgrade in the ARC line. I can't do both right now. The question is, which change (Ref 3 to Ref 5SE; Ref 110 to Ref 150) would result in the best improvement in my system?
System:
Ref 3
Ref 110
Wilson Sophia 2
Music Server to Berkeley Alpha Dac 1
Esoteric X01
FMS Nexus cables
System:
Ref 3
Ref 110
Wilson Sophia 2
Music Server to Berkeley Alpha Dac 1
Esoteric X01
FMS Nexus cables
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- 14 posts total
- 14 posts total