This is a real diamond in the rough. It has been working wonders in my system since hour 1 :) and it has not been that long since I bought it. It allows me to relax and take in a sound I have longed for since I caught the bug over a decade ago. Everything said about this amp is absolutely true. It is the most 'musical' amp I have ever owned. It continues to suprise me as i revisit old favorites, on some cd's that I think will sound like dirt and cause apprehension, they come out sounding just fine. To my ears it does not acheive this by being overly warm ( adding same coloration) or rolling off the top; rather, it is transparent, open and pure. In this sense it is quite remarkable. I think for the 1st time I am truly not listening to an amp per se, but to amplified music. I wish there were some published performance data to appease my technical side, for kicks; This amp's published power rating belies its real world performance. It is very punchy and capable of driving fairly difficult speakers (Dynaudio Contour 3.4 and 1.8 MKII's) to very impressive levels w/o becoming harsh, shut in, or collapsing the soundstage. Bravo ARC, Bravo. When can we see another classic solid state this good? Truly a remarkable value at the price of admission.
Audio Research 100.2 amp
Why didn't this amp receive more attention when it was in production? I recently acquired a pre-owned 100.2 for my second system and was very impressed with it's performance. Much more pleasant sounding than many other solid state amps I have listened to with a very nice, grain/grunge free, almost tube-like midrange and excellent bass/treble. Musical, smooth, resolving without sounding etched or aggressive is a very good way to describe the overall sound of this amp. Anyone else cares to agree/disagree?