ARC 40th Anniversary Reference Preamp?
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heard the same. a $24 995 two chassis affair to be sold exclusively for 1 year for the 40th year of the company.
Take a look at the following web site:
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/news/arc_reference_anniversary.htm
Looks like a Reference 5 with a separate power supply, effectively doubling this
wow!
There's also a special web site for this preamp:
http://www.astound-me.com/
C'mon JV, what's happening?
If you go to the Munich Show blogs, You'll see some more details. Basically, it's a $25k two box line preamp, completely dual mono from the power cord onwards. In other words, it's almost like a whole Ref 5 for each channel, only with larger Teflon caps than you could see anywhere else in audio.
It's only available from April 2010 to April 2011, so probably by the time it comes up for review, it'll be history.
Alan Sircom
Editor, Hi-Fi Plus Magazine
London, England
editor [at] hifiplus [dot] com
I already have that info from the ARC site. My question was directed to JV, who'll probably review the '40.
Sunday,
Yeah, I think I will be getting the new preamp for review, but not until ARC has built enough of them to fill its dealer pipeline. The last two-box ARC preamp I had (actually owned) was the SP-10 Mk II, which along with the 79-B was one of the highlights of my four decades with ARC. I'm sure this new one will be terrific. Hell, the one-box Reference 5 is terrific.
Jon
Jon, I now have the wonderful Quads 2905, driven by Krell Evolution One. How do the Quads compare to the Martin Logan CLX and the Soundlab 1PX? And if I may ask a very silly question: if money was no object, how do the Quads and CLX compare to the MBL 101 X-Tremes ? I would really value your reply. Julian
Jon, I now have the wonderful Quads 2905, driven by Krell Evolution One. How do the Quads compare to the Martin Logan CLX and the Soundlab 1PX? And if I may ask a very silly question: if money was no object, how do the Quads and CLX compare to the MBL 101 X-Tremes ? I would really value your reply. Julian
Jon, I now have the wonderful Quads 2905, driven by Krell Evolution One. How do the Quads compare to the Martin Logan CLX and the Soundlab 1PX? And if I may ask a very silly question: if money was no object, how do the Quads and CLX compare to the MBL 101 X-Tremes ? I would really value your reply. Julian
JV--any hints, or squeals, of a two-box phono stage also reaching parturition?
Haven't heard a word about that, Jacob. Or about new "Anniversary" monoblock amps. OTOH, ARC kept this Anniversary linestage preamp a pretty deep dark secret, so...
Hi Jonathan--I love their photo of the new preamp, looks menacing, imposing, serious stuff, for sure. I like the idea of ramping up the capacitance and getting the power supply outboard. I bet it sounds boffo!
Jacob
Early word is that it sounds swell-a-gant. It's apparently got more energy per stereo side that an entire Reference 5! How 'bout a home visit? You know you're welcome.
johann
It's interesting, too, isn't it, that the preamp wars have really taken off, with CAT, ARC, Lamm, all coming out with multiple chassis units.
JH
JH,
ARC is really take a page out of the CJ marketing play book: charge a high price (exclusivity) and limited time offer (fake scarcity - better buy it, before it goes away!). I am sure this thing will sound exquisite though.
By the way, is there any way you can get your hands on the review sample? With all respect, we all know what JV is going to say. (Any one play the Wheel of Fortune? T-- B--t!)
I think TAS readers will benefit much more from your perspective with the big, thunderous VTL amp controlling the bass and the fabulous ARC midrange.
H'mm? "The Best?" "Total Bullshit?"
Looks like I'll be getting it sometime in July. But I won't be the only one reporting on ARC's anniversary present. There is an interesting twist that I'll save as a surprise for subscribers to the mag. I think they'll love it!
BTW, the 610Ts are pretty "thunderous" too.
Just teasing, JV. You have been using the "B" word a lot over the last 18 months or so. But you are still the Roger Federer of audio reviews.
Maresy-doats!
Pass Labs had the three-box X.0 and now have the two-box XP-20. I own the latter, and it is quite remarkable.
I actually have not had ARC in my system for years (though I did llike the Ref 2, Mk. 1 a lot) and JV would obviously be able to put this special preamp in the context of its other products. There are so many preamps out there now, it's almost overwhelming. I myself wonder what the new CAT sounds like.
JH,
Actually both of your perspectives would be interesting. I think David Wilson, who can have anything he wants, uses the ARC/ VTL combo.
As for CAT, do you think you can get your hands on their amp as well as the preamp? I wonder if it would be able to drive your Maggies well despite the low power ratings.
My ARC Anniversary hour counter shows now 122 hours. From my previous experience with recent tube ARC gear (CD7, CD8, Ref3 and Ref5) it is still too early to write down definitive impressions, but one thing I am sure - it is definitively much better than the Ref3 or Ref5. Bass control and impact, as well as fluidity and detail are impressive.
Jonatham, you can not imagine what you are missing! :-)
Whoah!!!!
I figured it out! With line stage capacitors that are 2lbs each, think of all that copper that the signal must traverse. The Ref 5 was notoriously long for break-in. By ARC's own admission it took 600 hours.
Perhaps they calling the current pre-amp the "Anniversary" model, because it will take a year to break-in!
Heh-heh! Maybe it takes forty years!
Lol!
AudioResearch. Made in USA.
McIntosh. Made in USA.
Jon:
When you get the REF40, post your thoughts here, instead of a blog. That way it won't get buried.
Mark
What a masterpice, ARC you have done it AGAIN.
Bump! JV, where is it?
Haven't got it yet, Sunday. But I believe I will shortly.
Please, post your blog here!
Will do.
Hi I just got my REF ANN today, they packed them very very well two boxes, now has 10 hours of playing time on it.
the worst is that at first start up at 0 hour on counter, it sounds quite terrible, may be due to coldness of all the parts.
What surprised me the most is that hiss from tweeter when put ear close to either sides of tweeters is the loudest I ever heard from
any preamps. ML 326s, XP20, Sim P8, even ARC Ref 5. worst of all is that hiss from right channel is louder and has different kind of noise
from left ch output. I switched between Moon W7M and Pass XA160.5, use other wall outlets, but this noise remain and only gone when MUTE
is on, or volume set to 0. as soon as volume reach 1 that noise appears and increase in level as volume increased.
Should I be alarm on this ? dealer sold all 4 units they got, so replacement is impossible, or I just got bad matched tubes ?
thanks.
Hi TOGA,
Bad luck , it should be a bad tube - happily my unit did not have this problem, but it arrived with two spare 6h30 packed in a separate block of foam .
At volume 0, the output relay of the preamplifier mutes any noise.
I measured the Anniversary versus my old Ref5 and it the Anniversary was less noisy.
My unit improved a lot with burn in, but even with a few hours it sounded great.
Hi microstrip, tomorrow dealer will bring one demo REF AN to my home to compare noise.
I think it make the worst sound at first start up with 0 hours on meter. But after 2-3 hours it sounds much more smooth and liquid.
However very deep bass like very low freq is not as solid and weighty as PassXP20+XA160.5. Anyway this combo produce
the most exciting bass I ever heard. I feel like Ref ANN has high pass filter in it. bass below 40Hz is not quite full and weighty.
I dont feel this when I use a used Ref 5 ( 600 hrs ) as a pre. I'm not sure that all those big capacitors need more time before I can hear
more weight on bottom end. Or do I have to live with it. switching between Moon W7M and Pass XA160.5 didn't help on both noise
issue and the lack of bass weight. But hey every reviewers who heard it said it produced deeper bass than Ref 5, aren't they ?
Really love the bass of XP20+XA160.5, but XP20 is not quite as liquid and smooth when compare to MOON P8, Ref 5, ML 326s.
C'mon JV, where is it?
Sunday,
Go to http://www.avguide.com/blog/big-difference-audio-research-corporation-anniversary-edition-reference-preamplifier, and your question will be answered.
Jon
I found it already, but wish you had put it in the forums instead.
Mark