I OWNED MARTIN-LOGAN QUEST Z'S FOR YEARS AND DROVE THEM WITH BOTH KRELL, AND AUDIO RESEARCH. THE AUDIO RESEARCH WAS NOT TUBED, IT WAS SOLID STATE. LS3 PREAMP AND D400 AMP. THE SOUND WAS VERY ARTICULATE AND A BIT BRIGHT WITH CERTIAN RECORDINGS. PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TRIED OUT TUBED A.R. BUT I NEVER DID. INSTEAD I SOLD IT OFF AND BOUGHT KRELL AMPS ,MDA 300'S, AND A (TUBED) B.A.T. VK51SE PREAMP. NOW THAT WAS A GREAT COMBINATION AND WORKED WELL WITH MY M.L.'S. THE 6H30'S IN THE B.A.T. PREAMP REALLY SMOOTHED OUT THE "EDGE" OF MY SOUND, MAKING THE WHOLE ENTIRE PRESENTATION MUCH EASIER TO LISTEN TO LOUD. LESS FATIGUE. SMOOTHER HIGHS, YET STILL VERY WELL DEFINED. THE KRELL MONOBLOCKS MATED WELL WITH THE B.A.T.PREAMP. I SOLD THE KRELLS AFTER A FEW YEARS AND BOUGHT B.A.T.VK600SE MONOBLOCKS, THEN UPGRADED MY INTERCONNECTS TO BALANCED XLR TRANSPARENT. THE SOUND WAS SPOOKY GOOD. I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE MAGGIES AND VANDERSTEENS. GREAT STUFF IF THAT'S YOUR CUP OF TEA. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO OWN BOTH BRANDS AND THE SOUND IS LUSH, AND LIFELIKE. THEY RUN TUBED ELECTRONICS TOO. I MYSELF DO NOT THINK MAGGIES OR VANDERSTEENS WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY IN THE LONG RUN. I LIKE MY SOUND MORE "FORWARD", NOT "IN YOUR FACE" FORWARD, NOT AGRESSIVE, BUT A LOT MORE LIVELY AND EXCITING. I ALSO PLAY ALOT OF JAZZ FUSION, CLASSIC ROCK, JAZZ, AND ELECTRIC BLUES. AND I TEND TO PLAY IT LOUD. (LOUDER THAN THE WIFE WOULD HAVE ME PLAY IT, BUT THANK GOD FOR A DEDICATED LISTENING ROOM!!). IF YOU HAVE OWNED M.L.SL3'S FOR AS LONG AS YOU HAVE,(AND BEEN HAPPY WITH THE SOUND), MY GUESS IS THAT YOU PREFER A BIT MORE OF AN "IMMEDIATE", SOMEWHAT FORWARD SOUND?? I DID NOT FIND MY M.L.QUEST Z'S TO BE "ETCHED" OR "BRIGHT", BUT THEY COULD BE DEPENDING ON YOUR ROOM FURNISHINGS AND THE TYPE OF GEAR USED. WITH YOUR A.R.C. GEAR I WOULD SAY VON SCHWEIKERT WOULD BE A GREAT MATCH. LIKE A PAIR OF VR4'S. MAYBE A SMALLER PAIR OF MBL'S, SUCH A THE 111F'S. I THINK YOU WOULD REALLY DIG THAT SOUND AND THEY DON'T REQUIRE AS MUCH HORSEPOWER TO RUN AS MANY WOULD BELIEVE. YOUR ARC REF.110 WOULD DO NICELY. AFTER I SOLD MY QUESTS, I GOT A PAIR OF MBL111E'S AND LOVED THAT COMBINATION. PLAYED LOUD AS HELL TOO, WHICH IS GREAT FOR A "ROCKER" LIKE ME! AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS I UPGRADED TO MBL 101E MK2'S AND THAT IS SMOKIN' GOOD. AND IT ROCKS LIKE A BIG DOG! YOUR ARC IS GREAT STUFF LOSTBEARS, I WOULDN'T DUMP ANY OF IT SO SOON. MAYBE DO SOME NEW ELECTROSTATIC PANELS LIKE MOFIMADNESS SUGGESTED. PRICE OF ADMISSION IS CERTIANLY REASONABLE. BUT VON SCHWEIKERT, MAYBE EVEN JM LAB/FOCAL "UTOPIAS' WOULD BE A KILLER COMBO WITH YOUR CURRENT GEAR, AND YOU CAN PICK THAT STUFF UP RIGHT HERE ON A-GON FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT IT SOLD FOR NEW, (OF COURSE YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT). FOR ME, THE ULTIMATE (AT THE MOMENT) IS MBL. IT'S ROCKIN' MY WORLD THESE DAYS. NO COMPLAINTS.
