Line Stage battle: ARC LS26 vs Aesthetix Calypso

I'm not surprised you got the kind of gains you described upgrading the tubes & pins. Did your upgrade come in under $1000 all together? Given the ticket price of the less expensive Aesthetix pre compared to the ARC, you have to reason they had to economise somewhere, and it sounds like they've done that by installing the 12AX7's & CV4004's. With all that said, even after the money you've invested upgrading your Calypso, it's still on approximate pricing parity with the more expensive LS26. Perhaps a fairer comparison would be your upgraded Calypso vs a stock LS26?

Audphile1, thanks for your considered and interesting reply! I've also read the ARC LS26 is an exceptional pre at it's pricepoint & is very close to the Ref3, and that is a big statement given the Ref3's ticket price.

I appreciate your comments about ARC's reliability, as I had read one review which suggested otherwise (but only one).

Re: the Calypso, i've also noticed a lot of owners switching tubes after purchasing that pre, yet I haven't heard that kind of stampede to mod the LS26 whatsoever, so that sais something about how good it is straight out of the box.

The power amps which I will be buying to bi-amp my speakers have high current, so the LS26's adjustable gain would certainly be an advantage. I also like the LS26's display & the fact it displays tube hours as well. It also looks fantastic with that mean-looking aluminium faceplate & handles!

I'm planning a system upgrade which will include a pair of Infinity Ren 90's, so i'll be bi-amping them with high current Benchmark dual mono power amps & need a smooth, open & clean sounding pre which will exploit the maximum potential from the Ren's planar drivers. My source is a JVC XL-Z1050 Class C transport connected via a Nordost 'Silver Shadow' cable to a Vimak DS-1800 Mk2 Dac. Given that company, the choice of pre will be critical. One thing is for sure, the LS26 will definitely be on the rack when I start auditioning pre's!

Thanks for your comments Audphile, I am actually off in a different direction now. I have been blown away by the Cary SLP 05 tube pre! It just gets everything right. A pre-amp which sounds like a TRUE all tube pre-amp but without any of the typical trade offs like tube noise, lack of bass control, too warm/tubey (at one extreme), too dry & clinical (at the other), reliablity issues etc. Twin box design for low noise characteristics, fully balanced design, cool looking Mac-like meters & 8 exposed warm, glowing tubes to make your heart smile. And you have Cary's legendary back up service behind it. I know that ulitimately, hifi is about personal choice & what sounds good to YOU, but i've heard a number of people tell me this is one of the best pre-amps in the world & sounds better than the ARC Ref 3, that's a big statement. A'goner Rbirke's review from Feb '06 is a great read by the way, I am salivating over this baby!

Congratulations on your SLP-03 Jtsnead! I agree, it's just a great pre-amp for the money with core design fundamentals filtered down from the 05. And rolled with NOS tubes, I can see why you're so happy with it! The main thing is system synergy of course & it sounds like you've got yours perfect and within your budget. My Audio Advisor talked me out of running tube monoblocks to drive the Ren's mid/highs as he felt that introduced a number of undesirable characteristics such as timing errors and distortion. The Benchmark Plexus power amps I am buying are very special amps, but it's the Cary pre-amp which is going to pull it all together & make my system shine! Come to think of it, no wonder i'm single; all I can think about is my next component, cable synergy, isolation feet, shakti stones.. Maybe i'll have to have a civil ceremony one day & marry my rig! Lol, i'd probably get a heap of gifts too from all of you A'goners!

Audphile, I thought you might be hanging in there to see if I came around to the ARC in the end, well after researching further (think RIDICULOUS hours on Audiogon and the net), it's clear from Audiophiles in the know that the ARC LS26 is the best all round pre for what I want to achieve in my system. Great quality, reliability, fully balanced, adjustable gain, incredibly accuracy, phenominal soundstage, lots of "air" around instruments, sparkling highs..yes, the Cary or even a CJ could give me more of a lush sound, but if I could transport myself back in time to 1993 and sit down for a coffee with Arnie Nudel and Cary Christie & talk about the Rens, I have a strong sense they would be talking up ARC because of it's natural synergy with Infinity. With the LS26, there is a perfect alignment of stars..

True Baggs1, i'm learning as I go along. The issue with the listening test given where I come from (Down under) is that, most of the high end hifi gear on the 2nd hand market is for sale on sites like this, so you do need to rely on reviews, knowledge, feedback etc to a large extent. With that being said, I do have a definite sound i'm trying to achieve. Interestingly, I've opted for a high end Integrated amp at this stage - a Classe Cap 2100, which I think is a lovely amp. This is an interim measure, as I plan to buy a Classe power amp & tube pre further down the track. What a great hobby!