Audio Research Preamplifiers

FWIW: both Krell and ARC used each others products at their factories....just like Krelll and Apogee did as well.

 

Thanks Dr Rock - an SP8 was on my list but was also suggested that a later maybe LS might be better?

 

If you have vinyl source then ARC SP8(Rev5,6 or7) or SP9 mk3 I can recommend for prices under(well under) £1k. For more money then SP10 has the doyen of phono stages but the line stage is not so good. It can also eat valves for breakfast!
For line stage only, then the best of them is LS5 but has all xlr connections. For bigger bucks (£2k+) the LS25ii has that 'touch of magic' from the Reference Series and has rca with duplicated xlrs. It has a classy refined yet dynamic sound.

 

I hadan SP8 I have very fond memories of it,I often wonder how it would compare some 20 odd years on.

 

How about LS22 or LS15 - use CD mainly but also do vinyl - infact actually bought some new records last week!

 

So you do vinyl, then take advantage of the wonderful ARC built-in phono stages especially if you use moving magnet cartridge. They will take moving-coil but may struggle with the very low output types. Otherwise with a 'LS' you would need an outboard phono stage and I have never thought the synergy or coherence was the same, perhaps due to the extra connection et al.
The LS22 is probably the worst line stage that ARC has made!
The LS15 is not as good as an LS8ii, resolution wise, and may not be good enough for fronting your Krell.
I have had experience with all the models mentioned but as I use vinyl have settled on the SP9iii even after owning the LS25ii ! If your Krell is not bright sounding, or has some 'warmth' together with you speakers, then the '9' will be fine, so will the '8' or '25'.

 

If you aren't really doing vinyl then *maybe* ARC could be bettered elsewhere...? From what I have read the LS preamps can be quite "sterile sounding", whatever that means I did try an LS7 before buying the SP8 and in the latter the sound has more colour, though that isn't to say the sound is "coloured"!

 

Hmm - yes I do vinyl but not as much as Cd as mentioned - plus I like balanced - thanks for help here incidentally. ARC made a great many models didn't they, no wonder it's confusing!!!

 

The older ARC's aren't balanced: don't know when they started to be.

 

i don't know about synergy between shindo and krell - if any - but this looks very good.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shindo-Aurieg...9QQihZ009QQcategoryZ12050QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

a number of ARC preamps on ebay.co.uk, although not cheap! suprisingly high prices at least for me

 

Any ARC with 'B' suffix will give balanced connections. There's a LS3B on http://www.adverts.hififorsale.com/latepub.asp for a 'reasonable' £400.

 

Hmm... I have owned the iso and the groove and heard the MG and MG+. Its good for the money but it can be bettered. I would stick with the Bent audio pre into the krell and SF if you like that "absolute" sound. Your record player and cdp are pretty good so change the phono stage instead. That will give you the biggest improvement I bet.

 

Excellent system Lakrise. I have something very similar on a smaller scale: Krell KSA-80B (not the biggest but arguably the best) and Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors. I currently use a Musical Fidelity A308 pre which seems to work very well indeed with the Krell power. I have been looking into trying out a balanced pre (as both CDP and power amp are fully balanced) and a few alternatives popped to mind: One of the balanced ARC models of old, a Sugden Masterclass pre, a Chord or a Gryphon (probably too expensive). I should be trying out the Sugden myself pretty soon. I haven't heard an ARC yet, but I'll be very interested to see how you get on. Good luck with it.

p.s. The Krell is actually with Absolute Sounds at the moment for a service and a recap. Where are you sending the 250?

 

I have an Audio Research arrivng Friday for a weeks trial - I will be very interested to hear how this sounds in the system. As for the Krell - well I had an interesting experience on quotes for a service - I would be very intersted to hear via pm what a service with absolute sounds will be costing you. I haven't quite decided who will get the Krell yet but almost certainly it is going to a registered Krell engineer who does servicing for absolute sounds but is an independent engineer - he comes with a big reccomendation.

 

I have owned an Audio Research SP10 for 3-4 years. I owned a LS2 for 6 years before the SP10.

I know that the SP10 was a well looked after machine when I bought it, and that it had quality valves fitted, but to date I have not replaced a single valve. (It has 15 valves inside the SP10 and its Power Supply).

The SP10 Phono section is easily on par with an ARC Phono PH5 (but without the remote), the line stage is not quite on par with an ARC REF 3 pre amp, but it gives nothing away to an ARC REF 2.

The only draw backs I can determine is that it is not remote controlled and I am becoming a lazy old bugga, also it does not have balanced connections.

Potential ARC buyers should be a little wary that there is an SP unit (SP16L) that is only a Line Stage (no phono).

A good ARC website is

http://www.arcdb.ws/


Ken

 

As you hark to, the SP10's behaviour is dependent on quality valves, otherwise one could spend a fortune on tube-rolling with inadequate types without knowing how they sounded due to a quite demanding circuit.
I should point out that I was not dissing the SP10's line stage compared to others. It is just not quite up to the exceptional standard of the phono stage. Ken you are a lucky man indeed to own such a piece of kit, I know you would never let it go...! That it is not remote controlled is not such a downside ..., not so sure the lack of balanced is either. That leads to more gain and I'm always trying to get less gain!
John

 

IMO the old ARC preamps that are worth considering are SP-9 MKIII, SP-11, SP-14. SP-10 is also seriously good, but generates LOTS of heat and from what I've heard - some ppl complained about decreased tube life.

BTW - SP-9 and SP-14 are hybrids.

 

I would put the SP8 rev4 upwards in amongst those. It has 8 valves from memory and can be regarded as a true valve pre-amp, with a superb phono stage. It is best served with NOS Siemens. Nowhere near as costly as the SP10, s/h around £600+ depending on revision no. The SP9 mkIII hybrid has a more 'modern' sound with only 2 valves. It is still very enjoyable; one chap reckons it to be the best he ever heard in 32 years, citing soundstage, resolution and warmth to be its best attributes, using Electro Harmonix valves. I can confirm it is a 'goody', and does the things he says using 6h23 valves from 1980 which I believe may be the same as EH.