Audio Research Reference 5 Preamp

Rx8man - Consider the REF 5 the 'REF 3 MkII' - an expensive 'upgrade' where you send your REF 3 to someone else and receive the REF 5 back for 12k minus the money you got for selling your REF 3.

Lougiants - You are correct in what you say.........

However - If the REF 5 is a 'significant' improvement over the REF 3, the "nudge" in price from 10K to 12K will be justified, regardless of the economic climate. I doubt they would have priced the REF 5 the same as the REF 3 or only 1K more, for that matter. The 'price point' of the REF 5, given the current economy, must have been a concern for ARC and they may have decided to be conservative with the increase, hoping for more unit sales rather than bigger profit per unit.....I'm only just guessing, I'm not in the manufacturing business.
Apparently Mr. Johnson has been working on this new design since the REF 3 was introduced. Whether it was ready then or only until recently, only ARC knows.
As a point of reference, when the ARC SP-10 was first introduced in the early 80's, the MSRP was 5K, a lot of money then as comparatively 12K is a lot of money now.
Despite the economy, there are those who have not been affected as much or at all, to whom the hi-end market appeals. Some are buying the REF 3 used now. Some will wait and buy the REF 5 used in the near future..........
Patience can pay off.

Samuel - It's nice that you have moved "up" from the REF 3 to the REF 5. Your review of the latter is all positives without any seeming drawbacks, unless I missed something. The former top of the line REF 3 now seems to be "from a different end of the line". Would that be the ARC line or different ends of a spectrum from tube to solid state? Is there any room for improvement in the REF 5? Enjoy.