Solid State to replace Audio Research REF110?

Might want to check out Octave amps if you stay with tubes. I owned a V70se and traded up to the V110 integrated. I've had several tubes go bad including arc over and the protection circuit works. No damage. They also have a soft start feature to extend tube life.

Does using an ARC power amp with another brand preamp void the warranty?

You did not mention a price point you wanted to stay within; so I will assume you are looking in the price range of the REF 110. I went from the REF 110 to a Krell 402E, but it sounds every bit the SS amp that it is. It is very articulate, great dynamics, and very extended in its high and low frequencies. I'm not sure that is the sound you may be looking for. However, I also have a VAC 160 Sigma, at 85-90 watts, it controls my W/P 8 (dips @ 2 ohms) easily. Other SS suggestions: Bells, Modwright, and Ayre. If you can help it, don't give up on tubes. There are many reliable tube amps that can serve your purposes.

12-08-13: Zd542
It does say on the first page of ARC's tube amp owners manuals that: ARC tube amps must be used with ARC preamps or damage will occur. I guess they put it in bold print for a reason.

Interesting. I'm thinking that the reason for that statement, and for some of the problems that have been reported, might be the effect that Ralph (Atmasphere) described in his two posts starting here, which relates to interactions that may occur between amplifiers having very extended low frequency bandwidth and preamps having less than ideal stability in their power supplies. I note that the specified 3db bandwidth of the Ref 110 extends to a very low 0.6 Hz. I note also that Ralph mentions ARC specifically in his second post, although that experience occurred many moons ago.

Another possibility, of course, might be that ARC is anticipating that some users will not follow the proper turn-on and turn-off sequences (amp on last and off first), which might result in the amp having to process large transients that may be generated by some preamps at turn-on or turn-off.

Regards,
-- Al

I would not jump the ship with tube amps. Like Bojack,I have been using QS products for years and never a problem.