CAT SL MKIII vs ARC SP 11 or 10

Well, I have a CAT SL1 Sig Mk3 & I really love it. The phono stage is really quiet, dynamic & produces some really good music.
My friend has a ARC SP-6A. Once Richard Gray (of RGPC) brought it up to spec & K & K Audio changed the coupling caps to Kimber + changed the power supply caps to Panasonics + changed the RCA output jacks to Vampire + added an IEC, the SP-6A sounded very good in my system as well. The bass of the SP-6A is not as deep & controlled as the CAT, the CAT has better high freq extension. However the SP-6A has that ARC signature midrange that has bloom that I have not heard in any other product.
I like the CAT better while my friend likes the SP-6A better!
IMHO, you cannot go wrong with any of your listed choices.
I have read many times that maintenance of tubes in the SP-10 & SP-11 is expensive. Each time the owners tried to save money buying less expensive tubes they felt that they had wasted their money (sound degradation) & that they should have paid the extra money for those expensive tubes. No personal experience - just telling you what I have read.
Search the archives of Audiogon & AA. FWIW.

Tubegroover,
If you intend to keep the CAT, I strongly urge you to send it back to the factory to get it upgraded to Mk 3 status. You will change your impressions of the CAT for the better! The Mk 1 (I assume you have the Signature Mk 1) uses 12AU7 in the V1, V2, V6, V7 positions, which are the input stages for the phono & line resp. The Mk 3 uses 6922 in those positions. I believe that the latter is much better sounding than the Mk 1 that you have. Also much quieter. The tubes last much longer too. If I remember correctly, the Mk 1 version "ate" tubes.
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I concur that the CAT doesn't have the ARC midrange bloom. However, I FEEL, that this midrange bloom is "beguiling" as Tubegroover put it. It is artificial i.e. not real. Some people prefer their music this way. So be it. So, I agree, you'll have to discover which camp you belong to & accordingly make your choice.

The CAT volume control is a PITA, I agree! 1 click down is too low & 1 click up is too high! However, CAT does offer a volume control called "CD taper" & is designed to be half the volume increment steps than the default factory volume control. I believe that from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the volume control you get volume increase in half the dB increment steps as the default & past 12 o'clock the volume control steps are exactly as the default. FWIW.

Tubegroover,

>>I can't bring myself to sell the CAT. Maybe I'll try that upgrade Bombaywalla.

I think the above statement says it all! Case rested.

Please do yourself a favour & get that upgrade! That noise floor will disappear totally & the tube reliability will increase by a huge margin. For ex., I have my Mk3 version since Thanksgiving 2001 with the tubes that came w/ it. Going strong & no need for any replacement at this time.