Any Comparisons between VTL 7.5 & ARC Ref 3

I guess the VTL should be better since it costs more. ESP the series II. I am trying to provoke a response here.

Guido,
It is all so system dependant in the end. You are right about impedances etc. My thinking is that I have never heard a fully tube power supply. I am curious. Very. Not that the VTL was small. It is huge. We really need to compare the 7.5 mk II to the Ref 3 to know what is happening these days. 2 different price points but from what I understand, both at the top of the game.

Guido,

Thank you. So to stay consistent 7.5 MkII it is. Either I sell mine & buy new or upgrade mine. Lets see.

Everyone,

I will need a lot of time. Breakin & all. It is a preamp which is the biggest pain to do a comparison. I will report back in a long while.

Question, Is the ARC a tube power supply or a hybrid power supply?

I had an extensive explanantion of the principles behind the VTL 7.5 design. In a nutshell and from my minimal understanding, a Tube based current source will always be limiting compared to a Mosfet one. Hence the VTL decision to use Mosfets for the current source. They prefer the musicality of the 12AX7 tube or 12AU7 tube as they are deisgned for audio. This is compared to the Russian tubes used by ARC & BAT in their preamps. While the 12AU7 being using in the original 7.5 sounds soft in the 2nd version it is opperated at a much higher current (I hope I am remembering the explanation correctly and putting it in writing 100%) into its most linear range. At this point the 12AU7 tube will not be soft sounding. My skeptism is much reduced in a design theory after these explanations.

But on a different note, I am using the Thor on my 7.5 v1. I really didn't A B it as I tried it in some other systems to great effect. Based on Billbench's comments I will need to go back & try again. 2nd of all, Billbench, I would love to know what Amplifier you are using in your original comparison.

I just ran the VTL 7.5 mkII into & out of my Nordost Thor. The difference is subtle very very subtle. I can keep driving myself crazy or just listen to music. Contrary to Billbench's experiences with the MkI, the MkII does benefit a tiny bit from the Thor in my system. I find power conditioners to be very system dependant. Maybe even more about where you live and your power supply. Once again the difference is tiny. I find the treble to be a little cleaner sounding when using the Thor. A slight increase in body. In that same comparison, I find the the Preamp is a little more laid back with the Thor. More immediate without. Less body and less relaxed without. Or in a different way, more dynamic without. But this is really spliting hairs. In a blind test it would be hard to hear. I am using an Elrod Power cord in this comparison.

Sabertouch. Not using special interconnects. The upgrade is much more extended in the highs. The 12AU7 is soft sounding in the 1st version. The bias is too low. You need to use the 12AX7 to get good dynamics & extension in bass. Also, the 2nd version is much lower in gain. It is a nice improvement if you have the gain problems.

The improvement in sound using Telefunkens is dramatic. The Eh tubes are garbage in my opinion. I am not one for criticism in harsh terms but really junk. They go bad fast if you apply any bias to them. They also, sound HIFI and not natural at all. It would make anyone second guess the preamp. You won't notice it running in your preamp as your sound is already soft. But too soft in my opinion.

I am using an Elrod power cord.