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Audio research

Audio research ls3 or audio Research sp9 .Any difference in sound .Need a phono stage,have a chance to trade with a friend ls3 for the sp9 ,the sp9 is mint really mint new golden lion 6922s one in line stage and one in phono.What do you think.
maxwell
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
To help know which version, there are photos of the internals here at the ARC database. http://www.arcdb.ws/SP9/SP9.html
spinaker01
293 posts
 
Just don’t place any stock on the ARC supplied sound quality descriptions. As can be expected, each one is at the same time the best thing ever and much better than its predecessor. 
phd
1,008 posts
 
Keep in mind the SP9 is not the worlds best sounding Audio research preamp and that was not part of the op's question but the newer Audio research LS1 has the same tube linestage as the SP9 but without the phono stage. There are many people who liked the LS1 and I owned one and eventually moved up to the LS 2 MKII B with remote which I liked even better. Currently I no longer own either one  and have moved up the audio chain.
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