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  3. 1159138051

ARC VT100MkII

I'd appreciate if any of the VT100MkII owners can share their thoughts about this amp.

I am considering this amplifier.
It will be run via balanced cables with the rest of my ARC components - LS-25MkI preamp and CD3MkII cd player.

Cabling is Acoustic Zen Silver RefII from CD3MkII to LS-25 and Matrix RefII from LS-25 to amp. Speaker cables are Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun.

Questions I have about the VT100MkII amp:
1) What is its sonic signature? Is it relaxed, laid back, forward?

2) How hot does this amplifier get?

3) How audible is the fan noise from about 7-8 feet away at low volume listening?

4) Will it manage to drive my B&W N803 speakers?

5)Any issues such as reliability aside from re-tubing?

I listen mostly to rock, blues, jazz and some classical. I like natural, dynamic presentation, but not harsh, analytical or forward sounding. Imaging and soundstaging is important. Good bass is a MUST.

I have listened to this amplifier before and the only think I remember is that I really liked it but it was long time ago and it was driving speakers that are easier on amplifiers than my N803s are.

Thanks very much for your thoughts!
128x128audphile1
hammybeacon
1 posts
 
Could you help me to compare this two power amp VT100 mk11 and VT 130se. In term of the price performance of those power amp.
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,973 posts
 
I owned the mk2 and mk3 if you can the mk3 is better sounding. Still very nice sound with mk2. A good amp if priced is fair. Runs warm as do all tube amps with power.
mepearson
100 posts
 
I owned the VT100 MKII and sold it. Due to the wackiness associated with setting the bias for this amp, I consider it a fatal flaw. You say you have a tech that lives near you. Is he going to come to your house, or do you get to pull the amp from your system, carry it to your car, drive it over to his place, wait for him to remove 5000 screws and monkey with all of the adjustments, then drive it back home, carry it back into your house and set it up again?? Think about it. This amp weighs 100 lbs.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,831 posts
 
Mepearson has a very good point. I just went through this exercise with my ARC D70. Luckily, my amp doesn't weigh as much as a VT100, nonetheless, as I watched my tech do the bias procedure and check balances etc., it occurred to me that ARC must have been plum crazy if they figured a layman could do this stuff!
Not only are there lethal voltages inside the unit where you must adjust everything, but it is clearly not a simple matter to get the amp biased and set up correctly and from what i know the VT100's are even more complex!
Without the knowledge and tools required to do this job, I would say that the layman is REALLY asking for BIG trouble if they attempted the biasing procedure.
My amp manual indicates that this can be done by any owner...like I said PLUM CRAZY!!
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