audio research

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I have owned five different AR preamps....., and I loved them all except the SP9 Mkiii. It was too thin sounding and totally lacked guts and body compared to the others... I sold it after owning it for only a week.

.... Other AR preamps that I have owned

LS 10, Ref 1, Ref 2 mk2 and Ref 3

Cegtv1, you might try and listen to a CAT preamp. I use a SL1 Sig with rolled in tubes with my ARC D70Mk2 and IMHO it is a great match-up. The ARC is good enough to reveal most of the faults of up stream gear and a great tube preamp really lets the ARC do its thing.

I have also owned the Sp-9 mk1 and mk2 and hated both units( went to SP-11 )..Much too thin and bleached out..I have owned many Audio Research pieces and the SP-9 (mk1 and 2 ) was by far the worst of there products I have ever owned...Spend the extra $$ and get a SP-11..You'll be a much happier person once you do...........

i want to thank everyone for input, i will now decide what to do

My experience is simillar to Thorman`s, I owned the SP-9MK2 for about 15 months(durning the mid 1990s). I found it to be rather thin. flat and electronic in character, I replaced it with a Quicksilver full function(all tube) preamp and it was a much better preamp, more dynamic,vivid,better tone,harmonics and more natural sound. I`d consider something else in the AR line.