You guys are bashing the wrong brand and looking at it all wrong.
First of all, there are plenty of budget audiophile brands that offer good performance for the money (Parasound, NAD, Emotiva, Prima Luna, etc.). Most budget-minded audiophiles don't even use the brick and mortar dealer route anymore, so that adds another element to the equation that you guys aren't considering.
ARC is NOT a budget brand and doesn't sell via online dealers. They also deliver higher performance that can compete with the very best regardless of price. Companies like Ayon, VAC, Boulder, DCS, etc. charge obscene amounts for arguably no better performance. Thus, ARC is still a relatively good deal if you want the "best of the best" sound.
On top of that, they have tons of equipment out on the used market, so it makes no sense for them to make a brand new $3k amp when I can buy a Ref110 used for the same price and get better parts/performance. In fact, many of their legacy models still deliver SOTA performance that will embarrass newer models from other companies.
What would you rather...a used ARC Ref 110 or new pair of Emotiva monoblocks? Virtually every seasoned audiophile would rather the Ref 110 hands down (assuming sound quality is the primary focus).
If you're on a budget and want ARC, it's not that hard to get great deals used. I picked up a Ref110 for $3200, a VTM200 (single mono) for $1300, a VT50 for $1k, an LS12 for $1200, and there are constantly DAC3 for less than $2k that still give you performance almost anybody's system will appreciate.
In fact, there is an LS5 for sale right now that many will tell you is one of the best preamps ever made by ARC. To beat that LS5, you would have to spend 3-10x as much brand new...and even then you're not guaranteeing a material improvement. It's reference quality as-is.
I'm not saying prices aren't ridiculous overall in the industry. However, relatively speaking, ARC delivers sound that has almost no peers...plus there is a level of service and pedigree that you get with ARC and not many others.
In short....you SHOULD have to pay more for ARC, but, even if you can't buy brand new, you can still join the club via the used route. Bashing ARC is like worrying more about a leak in the roof of your garage versus a busted pipe flooding your house. There are countless brands with less pedigree/service that charge far more for lower performance.
First of all, there are plenty of budget audiophile brands that offer good performance for the money (Parasound, NAD, Emotiva, Prima Luna, etc.). Most budget-minded audiophiles don't even use the brick and mortar dealer route anymore, so that adds another element to the equation that you guys aren't considering.
ARC is NOT a budget brand and doesn't sell via online dealers. They also deliver higher performance that can compete with the very best regardless of price. Companies like Ayon, VAC, Boulder, DCS, etc. charge obscene amounts for arguably no better performance. Thus, ARC is still a relatively good deal if you want the "best of the best" sound.
On top of that, they have tons of equipment out on the used market, so it makes no sense for them to make a brand new $3k amp when I can buy a Ref110 used for the same price and get better parts/performance. In fact, many of their legacy models still deliver SOTA performance that will embarrass newer models from other companies.
What would you rather...a used ARC Ref 110 or new pair of Emotiva monoblocks? Virtually every seasoned audiophile would rather the Ref 110 hands down (assuming sound quality is the primary focus).
If you're on a budget and want ARC, it's not that hard to get great deals used. I picked up a Ref110 for $3200, a VTM200 (single mono) for $1300, a VT50 for $1k, an LS12 for $1200, and there are constantly DAC3 for less than $2k that still give you performance almost anybody's system will appreciate.
In fact, there is an LS5 for sale right now that many will tell you is one of the best preamps ever made by ARC. To beat that LS5, you would have to spend 3-10x as much brand new...and even then you're not guaranteeing a material improvement. It's reference quality as-is.
I'm not saying prices aren't ridiculous overall in the industry. However, relatively speaking, ARC delivers sound that has almost no peers...plus there is a level of service and pedigree that you get with ARC and not many others.
In short....you SHOULD have to pay more for ARC, but, even if you can't buy brand new, you can still join the club via the used route. Bashing ARC is like worrying more about a leak in the roof of your garage versus a busted pipe flooding your house. There are countless brands with less pedigree/service that charge far more for lower performance.