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My long search of the perfect amplifier has ended today. I am using an Audio Research 300.2 on my 803S. It is amazing. So if what you have isn't ARC, put it up on Ebay and walk towards the light. This is the happiest day of my life.
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Sparky!!!
Wake up, man!!! This is it!!! This is just the thread you've been waiting for!!!!
-Fauzi -
My 803 sound so good I started to tear up. I love my speakers and I love my amp. My neighbors must be upset because I refuse to turn them off.Comment
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yea, AR stuff is really nice. I am not sure what those whacky dudes are doing up there in Minnesoooota but they got some great gear.Comment
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HI All and fauzi,
If any of you have read my past posts you know I'm a big Audio Research fan. I have never understood why there was so little interest here on this forum. I'm happy you, pookie, found Audio Research nirvana.
I guess I do understand. Tube amps are consigned to the radical fringe. For HT in particular, tubes are a difficult sell. In fact my HT system is Krell based. Fauzi and I have had interesting exchanges where I have extolled the virtues of Audio Research. If you are interested, see post 20 in the following thread:
In fact, the whole thread is an interesting one discussing, in large part, the great Klipshhorns. Check it out. It is an interesting read.
My history with Audio Research started in 1985 when I bought a D110 power amp. I had not even heard it. A stereo shop was going out of business and I got such a good price that I thought I could sell it if I did not like it and not loose money. At the time, the amp was at Audio Research getting a factory upgrade. Well, I did like it-a lot. I soon followed up by buying an SP-8 preamp. Amazing to me, my system was now tube based.....again.
You should understand that starting in the mid 1960's tube based equipment was phased out in favor of the new, nifty solid state equipment. I fell for the hype too. Tube designs disappeared. You know the names. Marantz, McIntosh, H-K Citation, Heath, Dynaco and many others either went out of business or converted to solid state. But in the early 1980's I started hearing about a new company with new TUBE designs that sounded great. That company was Audio Research. Audio Research started the renaissance of modern tube equipment in spite of tremendous opposition from the solid state educated technical and user community. Audio Research succeeded not because of novelty but because their designs pointed out the flaws with solid state sound.
Over the years I have experimented with other equipment. Rowland and Levinson both found a home in my system for a while. But the experimentation stopped when I acquired an Audio Research D250 MKII Servo power amp and an SP11 MKII preamp. The power amp and the preamp were both on the market at the same time and were Audio Research's flagship models. The D250 was built until roughly 1990 and the SP11 persisted several years longer. The D250 was Audio Research's last mega stereo amp. After that their big power amps were mono blocks. Both are modern classics and both are great especially together as Audio Research intended.
The D250 in particular is an amp that only the audio addicted can put up with. It is a stereo amp putting out 250 watts per channel. It's huge. After I bought it I built a very stout dolly for it. That's where it lives and it has never left. All use, servicing, and admiring is done on the dolly. It has 34 tubes 20 of which are 6550 power tubes. Eight are used for output on each channel and four are high voltage regulators. The power supply is extremely complicated with all voltages except B+ fully regulated. The tube filaments are provided with DC. No simple tube amp is this one. Yet, the actual signal path is as simple as possible which implements Audio Research's complimentary cross coupled Class A/B architecture for harmonic distortion cancellation. This architecture continues in the most current Audio Research designs.
It has four fans. The transformers could do duty as battleships. Well, not quite but they are gigantic as they need to be. This amp reflects every technical asset that Audio Research, and their great Chief Designer/President William Z. Johnson, could bring to the table.
The SP-11 is equally radical. It is a hybrid design combining field effect transistors with tubes. In fact, the amplification stages are cascode designs. Each stage uses an FET and tube in a cascode pair. Cascode amplifiers are usually used for RF applications because of their low capacitance and low noise, Thus, they provide excellent high frequency response. They are rare in the world of hi fi. The phono stage is outstanding and has plenty of gain coupled with low noise for use with low output moving coil cartridges. Each stage has its own power regulator. The SP11 is a two chassis configuration with the power supply occupying one the active circuitry the other.
I call the D250 "Mother". She resides in a converted closet with wall penetrations for cables. She has her own air conditioning and dedicated AC power. I have installed upgraded, very high quality, signal capacitors in both units. The original capacitors were the best available when the amps were built but better ones are now on the market. All in all, one must love a piece of equipment to go to this much trouble. Do I think she is worth it? You bet!! When one finally acquires the gem of their desires, no lengths are too great to make it comfortable and feel wanted. That, my friends, is called love.
SparkyComment
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Originally posted by Karma
I LOVE IT!!! Each time you write about "her", it's like we're reading an audiophile Mills & Boones trash romance novel!!!
Anyway... pics please! Would love to see your baby!
Maybe she and I can have an affair, and carry on the romance novel tradition!
FauziComment
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HI fauzi,
Given the nature of romance, I would never introduce Mother to a potential rival suitor. Sorry.
As for pictures, the crowded confines of her closet pretty much prohibits picture taking. Besides, she is shy.
I will try to find a picture on the web. Found one. check this out:
And this one for the SP11 MKII:
Romance novel huh? Really. :T
SparkyComment
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My next step is to upgrade the processor. I listen to a lot of 2 channel stuff on the system, but the wife and daughter prefer home theater. We also use the system to watch a lot of sports. I need to find a processor that will complement the performance of the ARC amp and B&W 803s speakers.
Here is the dilemma; I did an in house test with a couple processors from the shop, and a couple from 2 friends. During the evaluation, we wanted to focus on sound quality first, including decoding the movie tracks. The video performance wasn’t as important. I use an external DVDO-30 scalar that would out perform any processor I could afford that was equal. I wanted balanced output if possible (not all units had them). My goal is to have a simple system that exceeds in performance. To keep things on the up and up, we put the processors behind a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood for the listening test.
The test dummies were Rotel 1068 (dealer), Krell Showcase (dealer), Anthem AVM 40 (friend), and Outlaw 990 (friend). I controlled the system with a Harmony 880 remote (sticking with the simplicity theme),
The biggest hit on the Rotel was lack of balance outputs. The Krell was really nice. It seemed to do everything, but you pay for that. Same feelings with the Anthem. I really liked the headphone jack that we designed for great quality. It made my Grados sing. I think the room equalization on the Krell helped move it a head of the Anthem.
My big surprise was the Outlaw. During the blind test, I could hear differences in the systems, but couldn’t necessarily find one to be significantly better than the rest initially. But I left the room while my buddy did the room EQ o the Krell and Outlaw. When I can back to listen, two of the units stood out. The room sounded more open, bigger. It had a very clean low end sound. The units had un-muddied the swamps and fortified the week areas. I know if I was talented, I could do these adjustments myself to achieved the same results. But my talents do no reside in this area. The kicker was I could tell the two units apart. Both units exceeded my expectations and will meet my need.
The reviews are good, so give me you opinion, should I take a chance on Outlaw?Comment
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I forgot to mention the dark house. I didn’t mention Arcam, but the 700 is definitely in the price range and I have heard good about it also. Depending on finding a dealer relatively close, I might try and give this a listen. Any experience with Arcam? It would partner with my ARC amp and B&W speakers.Comment
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Pookie,Originally posted by Pookie007
It's sooo good to hear that you are a) happy and b) trying to incorporate your family's want and needs into the system (he he, silly man!)
Anyway, yes, I do have experience with the Arcam, and with the Rotel and the Krell Showcase... not with the Outlaw ... However, not to confuse matters anymore, I'm going to suggest the Lexicon MC-12B EQ. It's got balanced 'puts, like you want. It's got built in room EQ. It's an amazing build, and the Logic7 Mode is just fantastic. For those who are not familiar with the Lex name, they have always been on the front end recording equipment for studios... As such, since they've started providing home equipment, they are able to use that know how, to decode the various formats in a very accurate fashion.
Unless HDMI is important to your setup, used MC12B EQ's can be had on the net (a'gon, ebay) for less than half the new $12,000 price.
I have the smaller brother, the MC8, and the amount of tweaks and adjustments in there are just unending... a tweaker's dream! And the menus and interface are just amazingly simple to use. The various modes in there, especially a mode called Panorama are so well executed, it's scary. Your room seems a different animal than the one you're used to.
I really think you owed it to yourself to check this out.
Good luck and let us know what you decide!
FauziLast edited by fauzigarib; 29 August 2006, 06:39 Tuesday.Comment
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I looked at the Lexicon but it is priced out of my range. It is about twice the price of the Krell and 11 times the cost of the Outlaw. I am having a hard time still looking at the Krell after hearing the Outlaw.Comment
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Waaaaait a minute...
I don't get it... What are the prices in question here?
How much is the Outlaw, the Krell, and the Lex that you saw?
Like I said that I don't have ANY experience with the Outlaw, but the Lex really puts the Krell to shame in many respects...
Let me know the prices (if you can) and I should be able to help out further.
Thanks,
FauziComment
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The prices I've seen are
Lexicon MC-12 $12,000
Lexicon MC-8 $6500
Krell Showcase $5000
Arcam 700 $2200
Outlaw $1100
I already have a DVDO VP30, the so video section probably won't get used.Comment
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Just to get you started
Pookie,
I thought so.. The last time I paid retail for ANY equipment was a loooooong time ago... The MC-8 that I have, though retails at the price you mentioned, was bought for quite a bit less... almost 10-15% less. brand new...
However, for a used MC12, here's a link on audiogon to get you started... Like I said, if you don't mind buying used, the Lex is really the way to go. I'm not sure how it compares to the Outlaw, but I really don't think I'd be going too far out on the limb by saying that the Lex would be a considerably better buy.
You should really check out some of the internet forums for Lex discussions... You'll find it interesting how advanced some of their execution and equipment really is.
Good luck... and pm me if you have any further questions.. I'd be more than happy to help out.
Regards,
FauziComment
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