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ARC Reference 2 MkII Preamp white noise levels

Hi,
Just acquired a Ref2 MII preamp. The level of white noise is much higher than my BAT VK-50SE. It does not change with volume setting and is definitely not the amp noise. By muting and unmuting the preamp, you can discern the difference. The noise is quite audible from the listening position 8 feet away. For those who have this preamp, is the noise characteristic? Could it be the tubes? The difference between the BAT and ARC is remarkable. Thanks- William
classicjazz

Showing 2 responses by classicjazz

classicjazz OP
153 posts
 
Thanks for the insight.

It sounds like the impedance mismatch. I have amps with 10K Ohms input, 1/2 of what ARC recommends for the RE2. I don't have another amp on hand but maybe that's it? My speakers are Genesis 501s, which are 90 dB efficient. Amps are Gryphon Reference One Monoblocks. Is there a way to compensate for the mismatch without changing one or the other component?
classicjazz OP
153 posts
 
Actually the input is 10K Ohms, the balanced output is 440 Ohms for a 22x ratio...

I tried to track down the tech support agent at ARC but he was tied up. I'll try again Monday. Thanks all for your help.
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