2. amps-preamps
  3. 998576518

ARC Support

FWIW, I'll relate my recent experience with Audio Research Corp. I've been a customer of AR for some years, on and off, including the purchase of reference gear over the years. I recently have had to place most of my system up for sale due to personal reasons, and this included a pair of Reference 300 MKII amps purchased new in Dec 2000. I accepted an offer from a gentleman in France at a fair agreed upon price. He asked that I ship them to AR to have them swapped out to 220 for use in Europe, and have them shipped on to him. The cost of the service was not an issue. Anyway, without going into the agonizingly frustrating details, heres what happened in a nutshell: AR told me basically they wouldn't do it because it would mean the possibility of losing a NEW sale for them and their European distributor. They were/are seemingly more concerned with selling a new product, in Europe, than supporting a long time customer who purchased this product at a local US dealer at 10% off list price of 30K. I explained the guy wasn't going to buy new anyway, it was beyond his price point. Didn't seem to matter. My point isn't to engender debate between AR supporters and detractors. This is merely my experience, take it for what it's worth. I personally am incredulous, find this to be in poor form, and certainly am not inclined to patronize AR in the future.
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Showing 4 responses by abecollins

abecollins
219 posts
 
I have no experience with ARC service but I do own an LS16 preamp that isn't bad. It amuses me though that ARC comes out with revised models (MKII MKIII MKIV.... etc) every couple years! You would think with 30 years in the business they would have gotten one right by now! ;-)
abecollins
219 posts
 
Hasse, I was aware of the LS16 MKII when I purchased the LS16 on the cheap. I got full factory warranty and much better price than any LS16's currently listed here on Audiogon. In fact, I paid only slightly more than many used LS15's.

I can't imagine the LS16 MKII being a huge improvement over the LS16 (but of course AR will have you believe it) so I feel I made a good purchase.
abecollins
219 posts
 
I didn't notice any significant difference in the noise from the LS16 tube preamp vs CJ PV-12 and CJ PV-14 and like I said, its ONLY noticeable slightly if I put my ear right up to a speaker. I have not auditioned the LS2B or the LS25 both of which I would like to try someday.
abecollins
219 posts
 
Hasse, just about every tube preamp I have listened to has a slight bit of hissing noise in the background but usually only noticeable if you place your ear up to a speaker. I noticed this with CJ PV-12, CJ PV-14, and AR LS16 but once I back away from the speakers its gone. I believe this is normal background hiss generated by the tubes. If its a real loud hissing sound, there might be something wrong. Otherwise I think its normal. My solid-state preamps had no hiss or noticeable background noise but done of them has that magic tube sound either.

In addition to the tube preamps listed above, I have owned Classe CP-45, Classe CP-35, and Adcom GFP-750 solid state preamps. As you can see, none of these are real "high-end" preamps although the AR LS16 is the most expensive (LIST).

Here's a brief summary of my findigs as they apply to my system.

CJ PV-14: Nice warm smooth midrange with good sound stage but slightly rolled off frequency extremes, top and bottom. I won't mention the CJ PV-12 because its been so long since I've owned one I barely remember what it sounds like.

AR LS16: Not as sweet in the mids and compared to the CJ PV-14, it barely sounds like a tube preamp. Good sound stage and air, much more neutral sounding, recovered some of the top and bottom end I felt I lost with the CJ PV-14 in my system.

Adcom GFP-750: Better than either of the Classe preamps I've owned. Doesn't sound at all like a tube preamp because its not a tube preamp. Compared to the AR LS16 it has very solid bass slam and extended highs, maybe just a little "bright" especially compared to the tube preamps and no midrange warmth at all, not quite the soundstage or the ability to separate the instruments like the AR LS16. I am still very impressed with the Adcom but I wanted more of a tube sound and even though the AR LS16 is fairly neutral, it still has some of that tube magic. For my system, it is currently my top choice but the modest Adcom GFP-750 is a keeper.

Main system components: Cary CD-306/200 192/24 CD player, AR LS16 pre, Conrad-Johnson Premier 11a tube amp, Thiel CS 1.5 speakers. I like the more neutral AR LS16 combined with my CJ Premier 11a for this setup.
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