ARC GS150 ? Any owners here care to share their opinion?

[joeinid]

So, here I am, looking at all the cool new gear/speakers and wondering who has the ARC GS150 and what they think about it. The looks are really growing on me.

Usually someone chimes in and says "why don't you buy it and find out?", I will, but still looking for opinions. Could be wonderful with an ARC Reference 6.

[jdandy]

Joe.......I agree, the Ref 6 with the GS 150 would be a formidable system. Initially I was not drawn to the new aesthetics but the appearance of the new Audio Research gear is growing on me,

[joeinid]

Very nice Dan! Thanks.

I was smitten with the GS Pre and GS150 on the Wilson Sasha2. I can only imagine how amazing it will be on my Strads. OMG!

[Harlequin]

...

[Mike]

The GS150 has fans on the back. I wonder if they are audible?

[mep]

The GS150 has fans on the back. I wonder if they are audible?

Didn't you have the GS150 in house for awhile Mike? Probably depends on how quiet your room is and how close you sit to the amp. Reminds me of when I was selling a house in Maine that sat back 160' from the road. I'm standing outside with my realtor and a prospective client and everything is going great and my realtor turns to me and says "How about that road noise?" I'm thinking "How about a black eye?"

[Mike]

Didn't you have the GS150 in house for awhile Mike? Probably depends on how quiet your room is and how close you sit to the amp. Reminds me of when I was selling a house in Maine that sat back 160' from the road. I'm standing outside with my realtor and a prospective client and everything is going great and my realtor turns to me and says "How about that road noise?" I'm thinking "How about a black eye?"

No, I would love to try it. I heard the GS150 at many shows and it always sounded great.

[mep]

No, I would love to try it. I heard the GS150 at many shows and it always sounded great.

I have only heard it at shows and I second your opinion. It sounded great every time I heard it as well. It kind of sits at the point for me where I really don't want to go past with a tube amp. And by that I mean the number of output tubes per channel. One of the reasons I love my Ref 75 besides the fact it sounds great is that it only uses a single pair of output tubes per channel. It's easier to match a pair of output tubes than it is a quad. It's also cheaper to buy a pair of output tubes per channel than a quad. The Jadis Defy 7 MKII drove me nuts with 6 output tubes per channel.

I would love to hear the GS150 in my system. ARC is running the KT-150s so conservatively which should make them last a very long time. The GS150 could easily be the GS200 or GS225 if the output tubes were run in the traditional manner. Of course that would require a different power transformer and output transformers.

[Bifwynne]

No, I would love to try it. I heard the GS150 at many shows and it always sounded great.

Mike, take what I say here with a grain of salt. I recently had a chance to talk with an ARC guy about another tech matter and asked him how the Ref 150 SE compares to the GS 150. FWIW, .... and take this with a grain of salt, ... I was told the two units should sound the same. Period! The main difference is aesthetics.

But don't take my word for it. Do an "A/B" comparison of the amps .... but both have to be broken in. Or call ARC yourself and ask your contacts about the two units.

So ... if you buy-in to what I am saying, the question could be reframed as how does the Ref 150 SE or GS 150 sound? And if you asked me that question, I would tell you that the Ref 150 SE, and presumably the GS 150, is a terrific sounding amp. Very liquid and open sound. Terrific bass control. Great soundstage. All the usual audiophile superlatives.

BIF


I understand that the circuitry is the same ... perhaps identical. The difference is in the skin.

Just sayin'

BIF

[joeinid]

Hi Mark,

I've been reading the owners manuals online at ARC and even with the KT150, tube life in the manual still states to replace at 2K hours. However I remember when ARC said it was ok to replace the KT120 with KT150, tube life increased to 3K hours. I'm not sure if the 2K tube life is an oversight (or their conservative rating) in the manuals but it's a bit confusing.

From the manual ...

The KT150 power vacuum tubes in your GS150 have an average life span of approximately 2000 hours. The smaller 6H30 vacuum tubes have alife span of approximately 4000 hours. Actualtube life will vary dependant on the frequency and manner of usage of the amplifier.

. Edit .....

I would love to hear the GS150 in my system. ARC is running the KT-150s so conservatively which should make them last a very long time. The GS150 could easily be the GS200 or GS225 if the output tubes were run in the traditional manner. Of course that would require a different power transformer and output transformers.

[Harlequin]

...

[mep]

Hi Mark,

I've been reading the owners manuals online at ARC and even with the KT150, tube life in the manual still states to replace at 2K hours. However I remember when ARC said it was ok to replace the KT120 with KT150, tube life increased to 3K hours. I'm not sure if the 2K tube life is an oversight (or their conservative rating) in the manuals but it's a bit confusing.

From the manual ...

The KT150 power vacuum tubes in your GS150 have an average life span of approximately 2000 hours. The smaller 6H30 vacuum tubes have alife span of approximately 4000 hours. Actualtube life will vary dependant on the frequency and manner of usage of the amplifier.

I think the owner's manual wasn't changed to reflect the use of KT-150 tubes from the traditional output tubes ARC used to run. ARC is not recommending changing KT-150s out at 2000 hours. The best indicator for home users with regards to how their output tubes are aging is when you bias them. As the tubes age, you will find yourself turning the bias adjustment up more and more in order to keep the tubes at the optimum bias point. Eventually, you will run out of range on the bias pot and you won't be able to maintain the correct bias. You really don't want to reach that point because you are past the point when you should have switched them out.

I don't think KT-150s have been out long enough for meaningful data to be gathered on what we can expect for average life. Because the KT-150s are loafing in most of the circuits they are being used in, I won't be surprised if they last a minimum of 4000 hours and possibly much longer.

[joeinid]

Makes sense. I just thought if they were recommending "up to 50% more tube life" with the simple KT150 swap, they'd at least edit the GS150 (and current amps) online manuals to reflect the change. I should probably call them.

[Mike]

Mike, take what I say here with a grain of salt. I recently had a chance to talk with an ARC guy about another tech matter and asked him how the Ref 150 SE compares to the GS 150. FWIW, .... and take this with a grain of salt, ... I was told the two units should sound the same. Period! The main difference is aesthetics.

But don't take my word for it. Do an "A/B" comparison of the amps .... but both have to be broken in. Or call ARC yourself and ask your contacts about the two units.

So ... if you buy-in to what I am saying, the question could be reframed as how does the Ref 150 SE or GS 150 sound? And if you asked me that question, I would tell you that the Ref 150 SE, and presumably the GS 150, is a terrific sounding amp. Very liquid and open sound. Terrific bass control. Great soundstage. All the usual audiophile superlatives.

BIF


I understand that the circuitry is the same ... perhaps identical. The difference is in the skin.

Just sayin'

BIF

I'm sure the ARC REF 150SE would be incredibly close to the GS150. But I just found the GS150 so liquid, so musical, so engaging. If I had speakers that needed some juice, the GS150 would be tough to beat.

In my opinion, there are two amps that I've heard recently at shows that really caught my attention: ARC GS150 and Parasound JC1's. Don't laugh at the last one. Those Parasounds made the KEF Blade 2's sound great, took the Joseph Audio's to a whole new level and so much more.

The GS150 seems to me to be one of those amps that you stumble upon every 10 years. It's so good, and not everyone can figure out why - even the people who made it. There was a story floating around out there that the GS150 was great right from the first take in its design stage.

[Dpod4]

I would get the GS150 if it were my purchase. Appears ARC went the extra mile on fit and finish so would pay the few extra grand for this versus ref series. Even if same topology reliability, casing, actual construction and QA on inside / outside I bet is a little better (not that ref series is lacking but a new flagship line is going to be obsessed is my guess).

I have made the compromise of the most tube sounding solid state I have heard (marantz ma9s2 monos) and I don't have to worry about tube bias or tube life.

[mep]

I would get the GS150 if it were my purchase. Appears ARC went the extra mile on fit and finish so would pay the few extra grand for this versus ref series. Even if same topology reliability, casing, actual construction and QA on inside / outside I bet is a little better (not that ref series is lacking but a new flagship line is going to be obsessed is my guess).

I have made the compromise of the most tube sounding solid state I have heard (marantz ma9s2 monos) and I don't have to worry about tube bias or tube life.

That's what all the SS guys say.

[MRJAZZ]

The GS150 has fans on the back. I wonder if they are audible?

They are very quiet. I run them at the top speed ( there are 2 speed selections), and the unit remains essentially a non factor as to noise contribution, and the amp sits apprx 10 feet from my seated position . By the way the amp sounds better (to me) when used with the cage on, with the fans turned on (obviously if you are not using the tube cage, there are no fans to turn on (as they are part of the cage assembly ).
In my talks with one of the ARC people (someone who listens to all of their equipment in his own home system as part of the design process), states the GS 150 is the best sounding ARC amp they have ever made.
CHEERS...

[Bifwynne]

I'm sure the ARC REF 150SE would be incredibly close to the GS150. But I just found the GS150 so liquid, so musical, so engaging. If I had speakers that needed some juice, the GS150 would be tough to beat.

In my opinion, there are two amps that I've heard recently at shows that really caught my attention: ARC GS150 and Parasound JC1's. Don't laugh at the last one. Those Parasounds made the KEF Blade 2's sound great, took the Joseph Audio's to a whole new level and so much more.

The GS150 seems to me to be one of those amps that you stumble upon every 10 years. It's so good, and not everyone can figure out why - even the people who made it. There was a story floating around out there that the GS150 was great right from the first take in its design stage.

Mike,

I'm sure your opinion about the GS 150 is spot on. That said, if what I posted about the REF 150 SE and the GS 150 is correct, for those less concerned about the aesthetics, one could save mucho bucks and get the same performance with the REF 150 SE.

I am only passing along what I was told. Admittedly, it's hearsay. So if one is looking for an amp that can perform like the GS 150, but save a ton of cash along the way, I'd be doing some serious investigatory work to validate what I was told as posted above.

The cash saved could be pocketed or put into other system components.

BIF

[joeinid]

They are very quiet. I run them at the top speed ( there are 2 speed selections), and the unit remains essentially a non factor as to noise contribution, and the amp sits apprx 10 feet from my seated position . By the way the amp sounds better (to me) when used with the cage on, with the fans turned on (obviously if you are not using the tube cage, there are no fans to turn on (as they are part of the cage assembly ).
In my talks with one of the ARC people (someone who listens to all of their equipment in his own home system as part of the design process), states the GS 150 is the best sounding ARC amp they have ever made.
CHEERS...

Uh oh, I'm doomed

Thanks for that!

[Dpod4]

That's what all the SS guys say.

I have owned two VAC amps (300 and 450) and air tight (atm 2) and tube heat and maintenance (what I call tube worry) isn't worth it when great SS approaches tube amps and can equal / surpass if a great tube preamp is in the mix. Plus dynamics and control on inefficient speakers requires lots of wattage and current.

[ashandger]

I have owned two VAC amps (300 and 450) and air tight (atm 2) and tube heat and maintenance (what I call tube worry) isn't worth it when great SS approaches tube amps and can equal / surpass if a great tube preamp is in the mix. Plus dynamics and control on inefficient speakers requires lots of wattage and current.

Would be very interested to know which SS amp you are using now? Many thanks

[joeinid]

Would be very interested to know which SS amp you are using now? Many thanks

Marantz ma9s2 monos per above post.

[cmalak]

Marantz ma9s2 monos per above post.

But I believe they have been modded extensively by Jena Labs, so Darrin would need to describe mods and cost of doing so to fully describe the MA9S2s.

[mazzialk]

I always say... a real audiophile wil end up with the arc ref stuff....

im on the way but still have a long way to go. Lol

[bzr]

I always say... a real audiophile wil end up with the arc ref stuff....

im on the way but still have a long way to go. Lol

Is that an audiophile with good hearing or bad?

I do remember having the McIntosh 2301's & the Bryston 28's in my system with the Stradivari speakers & was quite surprised at how very similar they were in many many attributes, without that experience I would think that a comment like Darrin's comes with a certain slant, but, when the tubes bring that special magic sound of theirs', well, ......

[mazzialk]

Oeffff. Thats a beautifull setup.. Never heard the stradivari but I had the guarneri palladio number 100/100 and thats sounded pretty ok when I matched them with nagra pre/cd and the kharma mp150 monos.
I sold the guarneri number 100/100 and still hate myself ...lol

[Jack]

While the Ref 6 and the GS150 may be great sounding gear, I have a hard time believing that they will sound "better" than the CJ GAT and ART combo sitting in Joe's room now. Different maybe, but I doubt "better." If I wanted to try "different" tube gear other than the CJ's it wouldn't be with another of the "American Classic" companies like ARC and McIntosh.

[joeinid]

Jack,

Thank you. I appreciate what you are saying. I was talking this over with my friend Bruce and we discussed that very thing. I'm in a great place now and having trouble justifying new/more gear.

While the Ref 6 and the GS150 may be great sounding gear, I have a hard time believing that they will sound "better" than the CJ GAT and ART combo sitting in Joe's room now. Different maybe, but I doubt "better." If I wanted to try "different" tube gear other than the CJ's it wouldn't be with another of the "American Classic" companies like ARC and McIntosh.

[Ritmo]

Joe,

I listened to the GS150 earlier this year with an ARC front end consisting of the Ref CD-9 and the Ref 10 driving a pair of Wilson XLFs with Shunyata cables. One word, WOW!

Granted, the XLFs are very efficient but they rocked the house! If I was looking for a tube amp at this price point, the GS150 would be on my list. Now, I have not listened nor done a comparison with the Ref150SE.

I have to believe that a Ref 6 - GS150 combo will likely be stellar. We need to wait until the 6 is released and its performance is evaluated.

Thx!

[Jack]

Joe

If I wanted to try a "different" tube amp in the range you are talking, I might be looking at the Air Tight 1 or 2. According to one of Art's reviews, Shindo like sound with a tighter grip.

[Dpod4]

But I believe they have been modded extensively by Jena Labs, so Darrin would need to describe mods and cost of doing so to fully describe the MA9S2s.

You bet. For the amps she basically removed any weak parts most of which were at last stages near connectors. Jennifer Crock said 90 percent of the amp was perfect (if you know her that is a big statement - she is a perfectionist). So wiring and low cost parts removed and replaced. What it did was remove any veil on top end including last bit of electronic haze and its biggest impact was actually beating what any tube amp did prior from filling the whole room spaciously with music. The world that came to mind was "volume" as in filling the entire space.

Mods are in the $2-3k range. But even in stock form the marantz amps beat my constellation and vac 450s

[joeinid]

Great choices.

I've been lusting and looking at them and think Air Tight would be superb.

I have to say that unless I get aggressive on trying to sell (meaning give away pricing) on my CJ amps, I'll have them for life. It would be silly for me to do that and give them up. I think I have enough big tubes.

Joe

If I wanted to try a "different" tube amp in the range you are talking, I might be looking at the Air Tight 1 or 2. According to one of Art's reviews, Shindo like sound with a tighter grip.

[joeinid]

Thanks Mike,

I fondly remember the GS150/GSPre combo on the Sasha2. It was wonderful. I've never been one to gravitate towards the ARC sound. I am afraid to hear it on my Strads.

I hope to hear the Ref 6 very soon. Could be a game change for ARC.

Joe,

I listened to the GS150 earlier this year with an ARC front end consisting of the Ref CD-9 and the Ref 10 driving a pair of Wilson XLFs with Shunyata cables. One word, WOW!

Granted, the XLFs are very efficient but they rocked the house! If I was looking for a tube amp at this price point, the GS150 would be on my list. Now, I have not listened nor done a comparison with the Ref150SE.

I have to believe that a Ref 6 - GS150 combo will likely be stellar. We need to wait until the 6 is released and its performance is evaluated.

Thx!

[Paul]

Joe. I even love the looks of it. I wish they make a mono version too.

[mazzialk]

Joe

If I wanted to try a "different" tube amp in the range you are talking, I might be looking at the Air Tight 1 or 2. According to one of Art's reviews, Shindo like sound with a tighter grip.

Air tight is a beautifull amp. I had it for a while and love it.
uploadfromtaptalk1450015970249.png

The Atm 2 u can use in different ways. Thats what I love about it. It can be used as an integrated tube.but also as an power amp.
I used it in both ways and it was beautifull.

Now im using an ls17se with kharma mp150 monos. I really want to have the ref 5 se...

[ashandger]

You bet. For the amps she basically removed any weak parts most of which were at last stages near connectors. Jennifer Crock said 90 percent of the amp was perfect (if you know her that is a big statement - she is a perfectionist). So wiring and low cost parts removed and replaced. What it did was remove any veil on top end including last bit of electronic haze and its biggest impact was actually beating what any tube amp did prior from filling the whole room spaciously with music. The world that came to mind was "volume" as in filling the entire space.

Mods are in the $2-3k range. But even in stock form the marantz amps beat my constellation and vac 450s

many thanks for feedback.

[Bifwynne]

Joe. I even love the looks of it. I wish they make a mono version too.

Paul,

I love your X-mass pin up gal pic.

I sure hope that it is not you ... I'd be embarrassed.

Happy Holidays

BIF

[Paul]

Paul,

I love your X-mass pin up gal pic.

I sure hope that it is not you ... I'd be embarrassed.

Happy Holidays

BIF

Shhhhh....I'm trying to ditch her after the Christmas

[Mike]

OMG, what an amp. What an amp!!!!!


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[Mike]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tiKBbtYnV8



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[asiufy]

That's my current fave in the whole ARC lineup. And I thought the REF75SE was good... Mindblowing!

[FDPDK]

Thank you Mike for the upload on youtube , can only say i really like the look of that ARC

[KeithR]

That's my current fave in the whole ARC lineup. And I thought the REF75SE was good... Mindblowing!

I'd be curious to hear this comparison - on more efficient speakers like mine however.

[a.wayne]

Meters = Winner ....!

[Alpinist]

Wow, amplifier heaven there!

Ken

[a.wayne]

Hey Mike , looks like you are the envy of Livio ...

[asiufy]

I'd be curious to hear this comparison - on more efficient speakers like mine however.

Well, just say the word...


cheers,
alex

[rrwmd]

I thought I heard they were discontinuing this amp.

[Mike]

I thought I heard they were discontinuing this amp.

They are. I bought a bunch!




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[Kuoppis]

OMG, what an amp. What an amp!!!!!


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The GS series is my favorite ARC design, looks great!


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