audio research purchase

@skids 

That was a great buy and while you passed on this deal, take the next one.  It is a fabulous/end-game preamp.  You can continuously build upon a great preamp.

I will just say that I have a REF 6 and I really like it.  I have the stock Sovtek tubes and a Tung-Sol power tube.  Coupled with a Pass Labs 250.8, I feel like I get the best of both worlds.  And ARC has an excellent track record of supporting their older models so this will last for a long time!

@skids the common trap to pursue better SQ is to upgrade the equipment. It’s a solution, and itch to scratch, that’s easy to reach for.

But the lift you can get from a Ref 5SE to a 6 is minimal compared to other steps you can take. (I have a Ref 10, so it’s not like I don’t know what they can do.)

The biggest, and most likely the least expensive, is 1) proper placement of your speakers (often a $0 investment, only time but take the TIME), 2) room treatments (you can do a lot for $2-4k, which is dwarfed by most any equipment upgrade), and 3) proper subwoofer integration (if you are using a sub or subs, obviously).

Unless you have these three areas optimized, reaching for a marginally better piece of gear is not the best use of your time and money. Yet, many people do it, all the time.

(As for isolation platforms, I would also look at Townshend Seismic Platforms if you think that’s a good way to improve your SQ.)

Typically I'll wait for a full cycle upgrade... like 5 to 6 or last time 5SE to 6SE. Makes for a more notable upgrade. 

I don’t know which model, but our friend Steve Leung at VAS uses an Audio Research Preamp to demo Cartridges he rebuilds. He is not advertising them, but I know he has a few AR Preamps he will sell.

here it is, behind his TW Acustic Raven AC TT with VPI Unipivot Arm(s)