ARC SS amp vs tube - bass question

Kevziek, check to see how many VT-100's are for sale compared to 100.2's. I will admit that there are more VT100's sold, but there are also many for sale. Ask owners of 100.2's if they would sell their's. I'll bet not many would. I stand behind my statment that this is a wonderful sounding amp without the drawbacks of tube amps.

How many VT-100s are for sale means nothing. How many PS Audio HCA-2s are for sale, and this is a brand new amp with rave reviews & comments. The 100.2 has been discontinued -- if it sounds that fantastic, why?

Furthermore, when I asked 3 different people at ARC, they all say, "no comparison," in favor of the VT-100. And these people had no vested interest, since I told them I was looking at used ARC amps, and asked their opinion. I'm not knocking the 100.2, but Slowhand's opinion that it sounds better than the VT-100 rubs opposite to almost every opinion out there.

We all have our opinions, I respect yours, but I have listened to both of these amps in the same system and prefer the 100.2. Sorry I don't agree with the majority, but I call em as I hear em. I know of people at ARC that own the 100.2. All that says is that some prefer the 100.2, some prefer the VT100. Good listening!

Slowhand, I don't doubt the 100.2 is a nice sounding amplifier, & I am glad you are happy with it. The people I talked to at ARC simply don't believe it provides the sonics that a tube amp can. Yes, ARC also told me that some of their staff own 100.2s, but for the reason that these same employees didn't want to deal with tubes & their maintenance. Additionally, the 100.2 might have been a better match in the system you listened to it in.

thanks for the responses

perhaps the preamp(LS16?) (or even the ARC CD-3) were more
responsible for generating the impressive bass that I heard
in the 100.2 system I heard-I assumed it was the amp
but that may be an error on my part. I didn't have the
opportunity to swap in/out components to see what made the most impact. At any rate I came away thinking that the
audio research stuff generates music that rocks the way I like to hear it. I was just afraid that the speakers I;ve been looking at will need more than 100 watts of solid state amp to drive them (based on other info I have received). It may be that the tube amp (VT 100) will not be any more capable of driving the load (response 3.8) than the 100.2 and I will need the VT200.