How's the Audio Research Ref Phono 2 Working Out?

Stickman, I am happy with the bass performance. But as you know nothing is perfect, even at this price point and I think well beyond.

I run it balanced and I am confident that using the single ended outputs would degrade performance vs balanced.

The change I made 9 months ago included the Ref5 pre and I thought the combination of the Ref5/Ref2 phono was a little better in the bass overall than the Ref3/Einstein balanced phono. My impression was that the Einstein bass performance was solid but I never thought it was an over achiever that way either.

I hope to try another cartdrige sometime this fall. I would find it interesting to learn of TT/arm/cart combinations that others like with the Ref 2 phono.

But for me, I have stopped looking at phonostages.

Terry

Prior to getting the Anniversary preamplifier I told everyone that the Ref2 phono was the biggest jump I have ever had in my system.

If you have the right system and cables for it, it will help you to forget about the "vinyl sound" and focus on the grace and symbiosis of music. I listen to a lot of chamber music and with the Ref2 in my system I "feel" better when one musician is waiting for his term to chain in the music. When a note is ending the decay seems to be preparing the entrance of next instrument while everyone holds.
Sorry I do not know how to explain it in terms of bass, treble, noise or distortion.
Even melodic lines in strange jazz music - e. g. the Black Saint label - seem easier to follow.

Anyone owners got any updates?

I heard one a few weeks back and it was superb. Highly transparent, extended but very smooth. Soundtaging and seperation of instruments and studio effects is spooky good. Columbia eq made those earlt Dylan mono's sing.
Bass did not quite have enough impact and weight for me. However I have been told that the bottom registers fill out more between 300 & 500 hours.