New KT150 tubes?

If ARC starts using them in their Ref series amps i would likely want to have a listen to a REF75 with those inside before making a decision on a REF150 with KT120's.
I would like to replace my aging Classic 120's although they were upgraded by GNSC in 2005. I am using 8 SED 6550C in each of them and they still sound fabulous. Just looking at getting something else in the ARC line with close to same power output but with fewer tubes.

Let us know what Kal says.

If they have reliability and/or supply issues with their tef caps why don't they go with Vcaps. At their asking price, their entire Ref line should have Vcaps in them. Not those no brand name white caps that appear to have some reliability issues.
Just sayin' you know.....

Is this an horizontal bi-amped configuration? What's sitting between the 250's?
I would bet that those are indeed 150's.
For room acoustics, they much favour diffusion than absorption in that room.

"Hopefully our government does not start embargoing products shipped from Russia...."

No they won't. Putin will take care of that including shutting down all the oil and gas pipelines heading towards Western Europe creating a global financial collapse.

Hey guys, with your KT150's installed in your REF75 and 150 respectively, was clearance with the cage an issue? Do you have to leave it off. You would not want to "encaged" those beautiful glowing 150's would you??

Me, i have been operating my Classic 120 monos with cage off for years. Not that i have a clearance issue as i use 16 6550 SED Winged C.

I am considering replacing the Classic's with a REF75 or 150. Will likely audition both in my system to see which one can drive my Verity Parsifal Encore most efficiently. My room is fairly large (15.5' x 25' x 7.5'). Would love to audition a REF75 with KT150's but my dealer's demo has the 120's in it. He tells me that the REF75 is sonically superior to the 150 but in my room and with my speakers, the 75 may run out gas at high listening level, hence a 150 being a better fit. Will have to see for myself. He's got 2 used REF150 for sale (customer trade in) that i could get a great price on.

Thanks for this re-assuring comment Norfish. I feel the same way as you did before making the swap to the REF150. I will audition a REF75 in my system first and make a sonic assessment. If i feel that i need more "bottom end grip" i will audition a REF150. Will likely audition with KT120's.

Upstream i have a GNSC modded REF3 LE (Limited Edition) and REF2 Phono (not SE version). Steve was a great audio guy. Too bad GNSC is now defunct but with the new amp/preamp models that ARC has released in the last 3-4 years, i'm not sure a company like GNSC would be very relevant today as much they were 5 years ago. My Classic 120's were modded in 2005 including the balanced inputs from SE. The REF3 and REF2 Phono were done in the spring of 2010 a few months before GNSC was shut down.

Hey Bif, don't sweat it. The post above from Tsushima1 states that he ordered KT150's from Upscale and put them in his REF150 with no apparent issues. All is good.

You can not order KT150's from ARC because Kalvin will ask what amp you want to put those in and if you say a REF150 he'll tell you that the amp will blow up and take the house with it. You know why? Imagine each owner of a REF75-150-250-750 calling into ARC for matched pairs/quads/octets of KT150's. If they commission the use of the KT150's in those amps they will likely be "stuck" with a BIG stash of KT120's that no one would want and to make matters worst, most of their older amp models won't "sport" the use of the KT120. I don't think that ARC want people to trade their REF150 for the new GS 150. They just want to keep their little precious KT150's for that new GS series.

Having said all that, you can now call Kevin and get a matched set of Octet for your REF150, put them in and enjoy the music!!!! If you wait for ARC's blessing on the 150's the KT200 will be out.

Here's an update. FWIW.

My ultimate goal is replace my ARC REF separates including Classic 120 monos with a very good integrated while maintaining (to some extent) the sonic attributes of my current set up. Discussing my options with an ARC dealer yesterday, he was saying that the GSI75 with KT150's is due out in early 2015. It will probably be introduced at CES in January for a release to market thereafter. He is checking with ARC to get a release date and wether it will sport a Phono stage and a DAC in the same box as originally announced by ARC a few months ago. Me, i don't think that they can put both in the same box for obvious reasons hence the delay.

OTOH, what about a REF75 with KT150. He told me that ARC will not ship a REF75 or REF150 with KT150 even if a customer ask for it and willing to pay the added cost. Although the specs are nearly identical for the REF150-GS150, he says that those are only the tip of the iceberg. The electrical design of the GS150 is different from the REF150 and is optimized for the KT150.

He is not sure if the amp is going to age prematurely with KT150. This is an ARC question to answer.