What is Audio Researches best preamp period

Sandro

you are onto what I call the great mystique in audiophilia. Whenever I audition a new piece of gear and am taken by its sound, I always stop and ask myself whether what I heard sounded better or did it just sound different. If only the latter, I do not buy it.

I haven't had the pleasure of auditioning the Ref3 in my system, nor would I be able to spring for a $10,000+ preamp
I'd spend the next big chunk on speakers first and a loricraft record cleaner for my vinyl end

But I did audition the LS 25 MK II, and the Ref I and found them lacking to the LS 5 MK II which I still think is the best bargain in the Arc line as far as musicality goes

The Ls 2 MK ii may have been Stereophile top rating at one time but it never blended well in my system. I tube rolled Mullards, Telefunken, Amperex and couldn't tame it. I tried various interconnects to my Arc D200 (solid state) In another sytem it may have worked, and it was the weak link in my system, but once I bought the LS5 it was a herculinian leap and with selling my LS2 for a good price at the time I only shelled out a thousand more

With deference to the above opinions I will still offer that the SP-10 marks the pinnacle of ARCs preamps. It is the last pure ARC design to rectify the power supply with tubes, something now being quasi-revived by various companies such as Asthetix. I don't believe Jadis ever lost the faith in that either. The problem is SO MANY TUBES!. Without the proper complement the magic is easily lost. The SP-10 requires 15 tubes all told but if they're all dialed in the phonostage is incomparable and the line stage almost as seductive. Big "if" however. The SP-10 cured me of tube rolling and convinced me that reliability and liveability have as much to do with "perfection" as sonic absolutes. Unless, of course...

there is no need for tube rolling with the Ref3. Simply put...it is just that good.

BTW, it only uses 5 tubes.