Is ARC Updating/Discontinuing the DSi200?

Courant, how did the ARC compare with the Modwright?
I bought the latter but am considering swapping it out for the Hegel (or ARC if there are any around)

Hi The_rang,

The DSi200 (Auditioned with B&W 805Ds) reminded me very much of when I owned Linn Separates. Very Neutral; Very Detailed; SoundStage that was Very Good but not Awesome. Leaning towards the Analytical.

Great with stringed/piano classical; great with Coltrane & Brubeck; okay with hard rock (but great with Abbey Road). Definitely not the "typical" ARC tube sound (which I also asked to listen to briefly for a comparison).

I was on the fence, my thought being that if I wanted the "flat earth" switch-amp sound that it made more sense just to stick with Linn (who have been doing switching amps for years) or something like a Naim SuperNait V2. (I thought the Ax-7e sounded better than the SuperNait V1, but haven't heard the V2.)

The Modwright was a completely different beast... To put it mildly, this puppy had THUMP. I liked the sound, but was concerned it might be too much for the Condo HOA (the HOA President is my ceiling neighbor). Which brings me back to the Ax-7e. My ceiling neighbor LIKES my AX-7e, because she pretty much almost never hears it... I really liked the Modwright, but the allegedly "mature grown-up" in me thought I would be asking for trouble...

As per my post, I'm still kinda/sorta thinking of tempting fate, but this "mature grown-up" thing keeps getting in the way. I do REALLY like my Ax-7e, but I'd like it more if it had 40-60 additional watts.

Hope that helps clarify

Courant, why not borrow a power amp with the 40-60 additonal watts, IE if your ayre is 40 watts - add a 100 watt powr amp (hook up ayre as a preamp) and see if Ms HOA shoots you over an evicton notice.

Hi Cerrot,

Sounds like you've had limited experience owning property or working with or within an HOA.

As I'm an OWNER and not a tenant, I'm not subject to immediate eviction by notice.

And, while your comment was more than a bit snarky, it was similar to a home audition scenario I almost did.

I planned to contact my ceiling neighbor to let her know I was "testing" audio equipment over the weekend, and to let me know if there are any issues. This would allow for a home audition with minimal risk. But, the discounted floor demo Supernait V2 I was interested in buying actually got sold before I could audition it at home (this is why the SN2 is not one of my "finalists"). I had a sense when I checked out the Modwright that it wouldn't "survive" such a home audition, and so I didn't bother contacting my ceiling neighbor (again, since the home audition wasn't going to happen).

As noted in other threads, condos are different and often require a modicum of mutual respect and diplomacy if one is to thrive in such a living environment.

Make sense, Wadia has this market covered.