What is the best used ARC Pre-Amp to get?

Speaking of the tape loop, if all else fails and you end up with a rig that has no remote, Creek makes a nifty little passive volume control that is remote controlled. You can rig it into a tape loop and voila, you have remote control of volume when the tape monitor button is engaged. Since it is passive it is very transparent. If you wish to listen to the utmost in clarity you can always bypass it, again with the tape monitor button.

The SP8 is the very best for your dollar, hands down.
I've had the SP9MKIII and it's a sterile and overrated pre.
The SP8, like the all time champ, SP10, are the last all tube series from AR.

Was just looking at the SP8 and I will be looking out for one that won't drain my pocket!Is there any Tube tips I need for it?And what do I do ,buy an outboard Phono Stage?I could just use the Phonostage from a Rotel Pre-Amp I have to hook into the Linestage correct?

the sp8 has a built in phono. re the sp10II besides the price there is a sonic difference to consider. the sp8 has a more up-front sound - the sp10II is more laid back. if you can find one and spring for the extra bucks the sp10II is worth the difference. i've had mine for 16 years now - i won't be selling it soon i can promise. i also use a creek for casual volume control. works just fine.

Honestly I feel that preamps like the bat vk-30/30SE w/phonostage are quite a bit better than the modern day arc preamps. I haven't heard the ref 2. I use a vk-5i and feel that it's in the same general league as the ref 1 which I also owned. The ref1 is far and away the best arc preamp I've heard. You might want to look at a vk-3i with a built in phono stage if you want to keep the price down.

I think bat makes the best tube preamps on market. They all mated very well with my vt100. Just my opinion and taste of course.

I heard the ls15,ls12,and demoed the older ls-5mkII. I didn't care for any of them. I didn't like the 12 and 15 at all - not enough transparency. The ls-5 had a great soundstage & I can hear why it is a classic. In my system it sounded a touch grainy, and lacked dynamics compared to the champion vk-5i. Maybe the tubes were bad - it was 8 years old or so & the solder's all looked remarkably dull and tinny. I have a feeling it had been repaired. The vk-5i easily defeated this contender.

I know you want to keep it all in one, but a decent low cost alternative would be the adcom 750 ($750 used) with a lehman black cube ($4-500 used). The black cube is physically very small. The adcom has a processor loop and can act as a passive pre. The 750 also has remote volume, active or passive mode, and a processor loop so you can run your home theater through it. A nice nice package that is sonically at the 90-95% mark of the best I've heard.

The arc ph-3 ($950 used) is an awesome tube external stage - warm and tubey yet very transparent with good bass. It's voiced with the arc house sound - big and powerful with a full, weighty midrange. Run the ph-3 into the (passive mode) adcom and you will have wonderful sound.