Anyone Compared ARC Ref 75SE and 75 With KT150

Veerapaneni ...

The KT150 upgrade was a definite improvement over the stock REF-75 in every respect. You wouldn't want to go back to the KT120's that were originally in the amp.

The SE upgrade is in another world altogether. Its simply an amazing amp. If you can afford to send your amp in to ARC for the SE upgrade, I would highly recommend it.

If I were you, I'd keep your current KT150's for spares and opt to have ARC install their own matched KT150 tubes. The tubes in my SE amp are more stable than were the aftermarket tubes I installed in my original REF-75.

Keep in mind that every piece of equipment, whether new, repaired or upgraded (as your's will be) is given a final listen-to by Warren Gehl at ARC ... and nothing leaves the factory until it passes Warren's muster. Your amp will be totally correct and perfect, including your new tubes before being shipped to you.

Let us know how you make out. You're in for a real shocker ... in a good way.

Hope this helps you out ...

Here's an excellent review on the REF-150se with a sidebar on the REF-75se.

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/blog/audio_research_reference_150_se.htm

Well, I guess that one man's "excellent" is another man's "blither." No big deal really. What I liked about the piece was the sidebar info on the REF-75se. I thought the OP would find it interesting. Now ... I'm gonna go fix myself a martini ... and warm up my amp.

Happy listening guys ...

Here's another review:

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/audio-research-reference-75se-stereo-power-amplifier/?utm_campaign=Hi-Fi%2B+Weekly+Emails&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-421

Taters ...

Expensive? Yes. So are Mercedes Benz, fine cookware, Hickey Freeman suits, and beautiful women. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Me? I have fine cookware and ARC electronics. The rest, I couldn't care less about.

Happy listening.

Regarding the break in time on the REF 75se ... I now have 530 hours on my amp. I haven't listened to CDs for the last half of this time. I've been enamored with the AT-ART9 and have been listening exclusively to analog. The other night I decided to go back to listening to CDs ... and I couldn't believe how much improved my digital (ARC CD-7se with the factory improved power supply) sounded. The first recording I threw on was a Harmonia Mundi sampler that I picked up at the CES in Las Vegas years ago. Its one of my reference CDs. To say that it sounded like a different CD is an understatement. They were in the room ... in the freakin' room!

This amp just continues to amaze.

Veerapaneni ...

I've always considered that easy to drive speakers are the way to go. I'm presently using a pair of Legacy Signature III's ... 93db. The REF-75SE just coasts driving these speakers. In fact, the meters hardly move no matter what I'm playing. Also, I've found that many times, the lower powered amps in a product line can sound better than the higher powered spread. Not that I've always had easy to drive speakers. My old Accustat IV's come to mind. Great speaker, very musical ... but man 'O man what power hungry beasts they were.

I DO love the REF-250's, having heard them driving the Vandersteen 7's in the Optimal Enchantment room three years ago at the Newport show. All things considered, that was one of the very finest systems I've ever heard.

On expecting new gear to sound better than gear it replaces ... I remember when I first got my ARC REF-3. It replaced an ARC SP-14, a very nice preamp in its own right. I was a bit put off because while the REF-3 was better, it was just marginally better new out of the box. With the caps and tubes broken in ... the REF-3 just destroyed the SP-14. Same thing when going from my old, trusty, ARC-Classic 60 to the original REF-75. I love the Classic 60 ... now being used as a spare and soon to be sold ... but as the REF-75 began to break in, it was no contest. And then of course, the new SE versions are in another league all together.

Another benefit to the lower powered tube amps is the reduction in heat output. Southern California summers are HOT! Even today, this late in the year, our outside temps hit 100 degrees. The big amps would be out of the question in my room. I'm one who believes in turning off all electrical devises when listening to the system, and that includes the air conditioning.

Please don't take any of my comments as criticism in any way ... its just conversation between one ARC fan and another.

Take care ....

Bdp24 ...

I had friends who used to live in Palm Desert. When visiting them in the summer it was a constant round trip... from the air conditioned house to the pool. Then from the pool to the air conditioned house. My friend was a lineman for Edison. Can you imagine climbing Edison poles all day in that heat to repair electrical lines? He said that one gets used to the heat once one's blood thins out. Jah ... right!

I remember those Harmonia Mundi parking lot sales in Santa Monica very well. My friend Warren and I used to score big there. Some of my favorites are the Kapsberger Lute sonatas with Paul O'Dette, the Handel Water Music ... and for fun, La folia.

I wish we could get those for 5 bucks again. I scored a bunch of used Harmonia Mundi CD's at a record store in Pasadena once for $2.98. I bought most of what the store had ... probably 25 or so. As I was scooping them up, I remember that I kept thinking ... who in their right mind would trade in their Harmonia Mundi collection? And of course, what store would be dumb enough sell them for $2.98?

Guys like us can really make out sometimes in used record stores that know nothing about classical and/or great old jazz. Sometimes the guy behind the counter pricing the new arrivals only knows rock, metal and rap .. and he/she looks at a Harmonia Mundi lute record, or an original Count Basie w/Sarah Vaughn record as crap. Hee, hee ... little do they know.

Harmonia Mundi was an interesting label. Like you said ... great sound and interesting music too. On many of their recordings, they used musicians who were expert at playing the ancient instruments, so what we heard was what Handel and Mozart heard. They recorded a lot in some of the old stone churches in Europe to get those great acoustics they had. You're a fan, so I know you're aware of how and where the label recorded, but for others reading this, give the Harmonia Mundi label a try. You won't be disappointed. The CDs are really, really good. The vinyl is great.