Aesthetix Calypso Signature vs. ARC REF 3

Thanks Guys, a lot of food for thought, I had been leaning towards a REF 3 but the Calypso keeps coming up as a suggestion. I have a LS26 now and if ARC doesn't come out with an LS27 soon I am looking for the REF3. My dealer has me on his list if he gets a trade. I have never heard the Calypso but the comments here have kind of guided me back to the ARC route. I have heard one in my system and loved it but, we always want more right? The only other consideration is the McIntosh C500T, but never heard one either. It is easier to buy a 40000 car than a 10000 pre amp, since you can go to dealer and he has one to test drive. Audio companies should have demos that you could try at home for a week. It would be worth the freight charges, and I would think for them it would increase sales.

i'm a new calypso owner - stock tubes - am am EXTREMELY impressed with it. i don't find it lacking in build quality or sonics.

@ Pdreher: "and with the right tubes, it sounds great." would you mind elaborating what you tried and found?

funny how these threads go...the Calypso's build quality does not take a back seat to any preamp on the market. The term "sounds good with the right tubes" really means you can dial it in to your system and your taste. When NOS tubes disappear "in the next who knows..50 years"...they will be replaced with better tubes if there is a demand.
I found the stock tubes to be very good...but lets face it, most of us like to screw with every detail in our system. The Calypso gives you the freedom to do so, it is a very good preamp and easy to maintain...almost as easy as solid state. I have owned all the Pass Labs preamps until the current XP generation. I loved the X-0.2 but the Calypso gives more of a real flavor to the music in my system.

I think you're mistaking the tube statement. The Calypso is great with stock tubes, but because it only needs two 12AX7's and two 6922's, it tends to benefit from NOS. I could be more than happy with stock tubes, but knowing what is possible, I found it a great investment in using NOS.

Srosenberg - I'm kind of cheap when it comes to NOS tubes, so I hunt for bargains, but for tubes that are highly recommended.

The best I've found so far are Telefunken 12AX7 smooth plates (early 60's vintage) that had great specs. I managed to steal them @ $85 for the pair. I'm using Phillips labeled Amperex SQ white labels in the 6922 slot that I found for $120.

The 12AX7 tubes are the most critical... so place your initial emphasis on finding these first. Telefunken's are clear, fast & dynamic, yet still smooth and fatigue-free. In second place are Mullard CV 4004 Platinum's, which are a good all-around tube, but slower sounding with more emphasis in the lower frequencies when compared to the Tele smooth plates, which excel in the mid to high frequecies.

I have tried more expensive tubes (Mullard 10M Gold Pins) @ $800 for the pair, but I found them to be too slow and muffled for my tastes. Keep in mind, that system synergy (amp pairing, cables, room interaction, etcetera) plays the most crucial role in your systems sound, so the tubes I've found to work best for my system may not be optimal for your system.