Question For Those In The Know About Audio Research Power Amps

@riaa.......my only source is their website.  I thought models still listed in their product sections meant they are current models in production?

Nope. 150/250's haven't been made since last year. All their remaining inventory for those models was wholesaled out to various dealers who are now offering them for 50% off or more. I know Audio Salon in Florida has many of the 250SE and Paragon in Michigan has some 150's,

@fsonicsmith response it very telling.  ARC goes through many tubes in order to produce "matched" tubes.  they probably re-sell they non passing tubes to other's.  however, that says a lot about Audio Research and their level of expected excellence.

I made the mistake of purchasing tubes for my REF 250 amps from a "reputable" tube supplier in Southern California.  They claimed that the tubes were matched and to specifications for the REF 250 amps.  Not cheap, but much less than what Audio Research sells them for.

Well, approximately $3000 in repairs later, I learned my lesson.  Tubes failed after they were correctly biased.  I was sitting there and actually saw the tube go up spectacularly and the circuit board.  It took out other parts of the circuit, not just resistors.  It costs $3000 to repair. 

If I had purchased the tubes from Audio Research directly, they would have repaired the amp free of charge if their supplied tubes caused the failure.

The authorized Audio Research repair center that did the repair work, told me to never purchase tubes from that supplier as although they claim that they are matched and to specification, they are not.  They proceeded to test all the remaining tubes and showed me the readings vs Audio Research's standards for that amp.  These brand new tubes weren't even close.  They were way outside the acceptable range. Also, when the tubes arrived, they listed clearly on the labels what the specs were.  That is so wrong.

I never contacted that tube supplier, because, what is the point?  If anything they would have replaced that one tube.  But no way would they have repaired the amp.

When I repair solid state amps and I have to purchase transistors, I typically have to purchase many just to find matching ones and also ones to match the "good ones" still in the amp.  Often, I just replace all the transistors, just to be safe.

So, I can see why the costs of tubes from Audio Research is so much higher.

enjoy

OMG!Didn’t know ARC was in the Mac group. Ironic in view of the intra- staff battles that raged in our 70’s hifi emporium about the fact that they sounded SO DAMN DIFFERENT! I was with David Beatty Stereo in Kansas City. He was rightly a much respected early hi-end dealer who swore that ALL amplifiers sound the same if they do 20-20K. The D-76 hit we young freaks like a B-26! Then the SP-3 and the first Maggies and DQ’s arrived and the rest is history--and the financial ruin of many a young man. Maybe I’ll open a store called "The House of the Rising Sun."

@minorl
@fsonicsmith

Great posts/info, thanks.

I wrote a long update on the situation but the whole post was taken down by admin.
I’d forgotten we’re all children here and need to be protected from such profanity.
Does anyone know how to get a post reinstated so I can update on what’s transpired between dealer/ARC/myself?

Thanks everyone I’ve learned a lot from this thread.

Rooze