I wouldn't say all that. The verdict on the ARC 3 is that it is "Audio Research's best preamplifier ever".
The C1000 got Stereophile's Product of the Year. I wouldn't even mention the two pieces in the same breath. The McIntosh is the clear winner here by a country mile, even though I will admit I haven't heard the ARC. I heard an ARC Ref 2 for a while, and the C200 murdered it IMO. The 1000 is so far beyond the C200.
The C1000 got Stereophile's Product of the Year. I wouldn't even mention the two pieces in the same breath. The McIntosh is the clear winner here by a country mile, even though I will admit I haven't heard the ARC. I heard an ARC Ref 2 for a while, and the C200 murdered it IMO. The 1000 is so far beyond the C200.