Has anybody heard the new Audio Research LS 27?

"ARC may come out with new products every few years,but how can one criticize when the continue to push sota forward?"

Personally, I think the state of the art was maxed out years ago and now they are just offering products that are more complex and different sounding, but not really better. I would not mind seeing a rerun of some former products that were great for the time and still better than 95% of what is made.

6550c, perhaps the point I was trying to make:)

Unless Humans stop evolving and using their brains and leaning new things, the state of the art will never end and become stagnant. Simply replacing a few parts with newer parts on an old obsolete piece of equipment, will never outdo a new one if the new one's design is different and better. There are new circuit designs and comparing with the old one there is really no contest. Unless the new and old have the same circuit design and layout. As I have stated several times in previous posts, there are many reasons why manufacturers come out with new equipment. 1) upgrades on previous models that they discovered after the model was released. Auto, airplane, computer manufacturers do this all the time. one cannot wait until a project is perfect before releasing it. 2) Total redesign of a product that is simply better than the previous design. 3) Magazines will not review older equipment, even if they are still in production, and therefore, in order for manufacturers to keep their names in the press, they must come out with new, even though sometimes the new is not always better. This is the one I don't like. Also, remember, for high end, there is a limit on which there is a customer base. Many of us simply cannot affort the high end. Cars, stereo equipment, cameras, computers, clothes, etc. For low end and mid fi, people are willing to spend a certain amount, but will not venture into high end as often. I could come out with a new revoluntionary product tomorrow and the next day, someone will reverse engineer it, put their name on it and sell it and I am yesterday's news. So, the basic truth is, unless you are in the amp of the month club as is the case of many audiophiles, if you are very happy with the sound of your system, you are there. But, there is always something out there that is better. The question is are you willing to go get it or do you need it? or can you live with what you have? With me, I love my system, but I know the problems are with my room, which is not so easy to fix. I always advocate that you/we find a reputable dealer that you can trust and that trust you, and is willing to let you borrow equipment to listen to for a week or so. This way you can hear the equipment in your system and your home. My dealer (Stereo Design, in San Diego, CA, will let me do this with a credit card on file.) If I like the equipment, I let them apply the card. If I don't, I return it and no harm, no foul. I have demo'd many pieces that way. One point, after doing this, I will alway buy that equipment from that dealer if I decide to purchase it.

enjoy

No manufacturer that designed a great circuit the 1965, from a 1940s recipe would still be in business selling the same thing - even it was as good as it gets. While immature technologies evolve quickly, a preamp circuit is not one of them. Better parts with better tolerances and indeed improvements, especially if reliability goes along with it, but preamps, if they are to evolve at al, in terms of sound quality, will do so very, very slowly - digital? well that is another story, we may see significant improvements there. We seem to be wired for the new, and the marketers know that, soap or stereo, and nothing wrong with the fun in all that, but great preamp design was figured out a long time ago IME. New functions geared to dealing with new technologies, well that is a legitimate upgrade to older models that did not contemplate changing sources and connectivity requirements.

i heard it and bought it. from a marketing standpoint it may be too close to the REF at this price point. using with the PH-7 with power supply upgrade. excellent.