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In Reply to: Will ARC LS2 be an upgrade to LS7?? posted by cktc on July 28, 2009 at 17:21:05:
PHOTO: The Audio Research LS15, successor to the LS2B
cktc,
In 1987, myself, my business partner, and an employee all bought Audio Research SP10 preamplifiers, and I and the employee still have ours. For some unknown reason, in about 1991-2, my partner traded his SP10 in for an LS2 and PH 1 and his D115 (I have one of those still) for a V140. I thought at the time that was a big step back, the LS2 seemed a bit dry and lifeless, especially after the SP10. Ever since I've consistently liked Audio Research LS series more in proprotion to the number of tubes.
You might notice that ARC must've felt this way as well as each PH phono preamp has had more tubes than the last. Also, in the LS series, they developed a lower and upper line with the upper line like the fully balanced LS5 had 10-6922's and the lower line like the LS7 and 8 went from the LS2's single 6922 to 4.
Lately, the LS line has gone to 2- 6H30's and these are quite nice, but I still have a fondness for the 6922 versions as they are tuneable with so many 6922 choices around. _And I have over a 100 NOS of that family.
My favourite LS series preamps have been the LS5, LS15, and LS25, the 6922 versions- and while I've been happy with my solid state experiment in the office with an LS3 and D130, I've been keeping my eyes open for a good and not too expensive LS15.
http://www.arcdb.ws/LS15/LS15.html
The LS15, which was billed as the replacement for the LS2B, has two sets of balanced outputs, and I think is an excellent line stage. In my view, an LS15 would be more satisfying than either the the LS2 or LS7- which I felt was in the upper medium range sonically for ARC- still very good by any standards and can be really quite good with the right tubes. On my scale the LS2 would be in the lower medium sounding range. By the way, the only lower tier ARC in my book are the SP9/I and the D125- the early hybrids- with the D125 being the least attractive ARC product I know.
The LS15 also has a feature that I is really great about the LS3- which is the "Direct" input that bypasses the controls. The LS2 has this too but on the LS15, this input is balanced also.
In preference to the LS2, I would suggest consideration of an LS15- or LS16/I with remote, which will be more costly than the LS2 - the LS15 is in the $1200-1300 range now, find 4- nice 6922's and then plug the CD player into the balanced "direct" input. This could make a very nice sound indeed and an LS15 is a preamp I think I could live with for a couple of decades whereas the LS2 I think I would always be looking for remedial measures to liven it up, give it a richer, deeper sound. Of course, an LS25 would be fantastic- actually really fantastic, but these are still quite expensive used- $2500 or so.
This is of course, just my view on this as I became sort of entrenched in the world of the all-tube late 80's ARC gear.
One other idea- if cost is a strong consideration: The LS7 is not a bad sound at all with the right tubes and you might look into the possibility of simply having a set of interconnects with RCA's on the preamp end and XLR on the amplifier side. I think Audioquest will do this. This will not be balanced operation- and you might check with Leonard in ARC service as to potential disadvantages- not as quiet as full balanced for example- just ring him up, but I think should work. Perhaps someone will comment on this possibility.
Happy hunting!
Cheers,
Bambi B
[ ARC: SP8, SP10, LS3, D115, D130 ]
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Follow Ups
- RE: Will ARC LS2 be an upgrade to LS7?? - Bambi B 07/28/0920:03:32 07/28/09 (0)
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