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

Dpod4 said:
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.
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Would be very interested to know which SS amp you are using now? Many thanks
 
joeinid said:
Marantz ma9s2 monos per above post.
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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.
 
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
 
mazzialk said:
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
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Is that an audiophile with good hearing or bad? :D :D :D

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, ......
 
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
 
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.
 
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.



Jack said:
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.
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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!
 
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.
 
cmalak said:
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.
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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
 
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.



Jack said:
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.
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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.




Ritmo said:
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!
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Jack said:
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.
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Air tight is a beautifull amp. I had it for a while and love it.
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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...
 
Dpod4 said:
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
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many thanks for feedback.
 
Paul said:
Joe. I even love the looks of it. I wish they make a mono version too.
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Paul,

I love your X-mass pin up gal pic. :heart:

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

Happy Holidays

BIF
 
c8a6717d3145b6714ede7a9418cac83b.jpg


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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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