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Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

Without more information, I'd suggest the LS25 or REF3

Bigromano,

As you say, Audio Research has made a lot of preamplifiers. In my view, the consistent quality of these leans towards: neutrality with great detail, natural timbre, palpable 3-D soundstage, and discretion between sounds, and always a high build quality. Customer service has to be among the best in the World for any product. ARC had made tube, hybrid, and pure solid state preamp designs.

My overall preference is still for the late 80's pure tube preamps, and I still have an SP8 (1985) and SP10 (1987). These two in their different ways are wonderful, the 12AX7 based, tube regulated SP8 is listenable forever, and the SP10 just forms sculpture out of air. An SP8 with a tube amplifier and electrostatics is fantastic.

About four years ago I bought an LS3 solid state line stage with a D130 amplifier and this pair is astoundingly quiet and neutral sounding. All the system personality will come from the sources.

I've heard a lot of Audio Research and without knowing which sources, speakers, nor music you listen to, my favourite line stage are: LS5, LS15, LS25, LS26, REF 2/II, REF3, for phono stage only: PH3SE, PH5, and PH7, preamp with Phono: SP3, SP6C or after, SP8/II, SP10.

Overall, as you mentioned phono was not important, for a main system I would consider the LS25 but there are quite a few REF3's now going for as little as $5500 and if that's in your budget, a REF3 could be a lifetime purchase- really fantastic. But the LS25 is too for half that, plus you can tune the LS25 by changing the 4- 6922's to your favourite flavour. The LS25/II uses 2-6H30's and is excellent also, but with good NOS 6922's still around, the earlier model would be my choice. However, if you don't want to fuss with tube swapping, and like the 6H30, consider the LS26 instead of the LS25/II- it's all worked out,..

> The "Audio Research Database" is extremely useful for your shopping- see link below to the site's LS25 page.

I don't know the Classe DR6 preamp to compare it, but Audio Research seems to lean towards a high resolution, dynamic, and transparent sound- that is, not warm and the LS25 and REF 3 I think are two of the company's best ever products.

Happy Hunting!

Cheers,

Bambi B

[Audio Research: SP8, SP10, LS3, D115, D130]







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