The Audio Research Reference 10 is here $30k

This is a more general comment about ARC. I was always a big fan of theirs with alot of respect for their equipment. My father owned their gear since the company started in the early 70's. A few examples of what I have onwed through the years (not at the same time of course) are VSi55, Dual 79, D52B, D300, VT60, SP5, LS3B, etc. All very fine pieces of equipment in my opinion. Their own arrogance on the phone (I won't mention names) is what put me against them. When I had a VT60 I enjoyed the amp, but when I called with questions, the person on the other end of the line basically said the amp was no good and criticized it (their own product). As a rule of thumb, I was always taught not to criticize former products your company made - it is bad business. But I guess if you criticize your old gear and convince the customer it is no good, that is one way to force it into obsolescence.

How I understand it from several people who have worked there is that the ARC internal company policy is a 90-day product release schedule. IOW every 90 days there is supposed to be a new product replacing an existing product somewhere in the lineup.

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AR has 22 products. Replacing four products a year puts them right at a five year update for each existing product if the schedule Atmasphere mentions is adhered to. That sounds very sensible to me.
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I will just plod along with my used REF2 MKII

One day I will sell it and upgrade to a used ref3, maybe even a ref5 if its further down the road.

I listen mostly to rock though, and from what I have read the Ref2 was on the bass heavy side, so I worry that getting rid of it might be the wrong direction in my situation?

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No_money, .....when the time comes that you can swing the Ref3, get it. It is head and shoulders over the Ref2 Mk2. You will love it. I had the Ref2 Mk2 and loved it...once I got the Ref3, it was a game changer, and I'm still surprised at how good it is. No worries, you will still get your bass in spades.
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