Pass amp paired with audio research pre?

So load on the Ref 5 is about 15k ohms. I think you’d have to go below 10k to really start seeing any degradation in response or output.

Like I said above the AR Ref5 will have no problem. It’s 300ohm SE or 600ohm BAL outputs, and into 20k amp that’s no problem at all, and the coupling caps at 10uf and are fine down to -3db at 0.57hz also.

Worst case the AR Ref5 would be fine even seeing an amp load down to 3k SE or 6k Bal and the 10uf cap into the 3k would be still be only -3db at 5hz still ok.

Cheers George

fanotunes OP
Been thinking about audio research reference 5SE, Audio research reference phono 3, pass labs 250.8.

This AR pre is what my figures were based on above, and this would be a fine match, with the Pass amp.

Cheers George

Pass amp paired with audio research pre?

 Wondering if anyone has had experience matching a pass labs amp with an audio research preamp. Do they make a good combination?

I think it will work great, just make sure the "output impedance" of the AR preamp is at least 10 x lower than the "input impedance" of the Pass amp. (Some Pass amp can be too low for many pre's) .

Cheers George

The thing to look at is the output impedance at 20Hz, which is often considerably higher than it might be at 1KHz.

I didn’t think AR would "cheap out" on output coupling caps that are too small into anything above 10k.

As this infers they have 10uF output coupling cap. Plenty large enough even into 10kohm power amp which would be -3db @ 1.5hz!! plenty low enough.
20k amp like some Pass’s would be -3db @ 0.75hz!!!!!

"Stereophile review: During shipping, one of the four large, 10µF Teflon output-coupling caps at the right rear of the printed circuit board had broken off. ARC sent me a replacement"

Pass amp paired with audio research pre?

 Wondering if anyone has had experience matching a pass labs amp with an audio research preamp. Do they make a good combination?

I think it will work great, just make sure the "output impedance" of the AR preamp is at least 10 x lower than the "input impedance" of the Pass amp. (Some Pass amp can be too low for many pre's) .

Cheers George