My new ARC REF 250's

Mike said:
Going from memory is tough, but I would say they have a perfect midrange and highs. The bass is fast, but not as pronounced as I would like (I think that will improve with break in). Even as I've been listening now for several hours, it has improved. Don't get me wrong, these are amazing amps. They sound like a great mixture of solid state (speed) and tube (midrange warmth and sweet sweet highs).

As to your question: my first thought was, these are the amps Kevin (bzr) should audition.

Mike
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/stirring the pot :D
 
Lookin' good. They are monsters for sure Mike. 600 hours! I'm glad I buy my gear used! Are they going with KT120's with the REF250's?
 
dlb2 said:
Lookin' good. They are monsters for sure Mike. 600 hours! I'm glad I buy my gear used! Are they going with KT120's with the REF250's?
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Indeed. Monster tubes in monster amps. I just can't believe their power reserves.

Mike
 
Glad they're meeting your expectations so far Mike! The break-in should improve bass and you always have different cables should you not be 100% satisfied. Wow, I'd love to hear them paired with your Ref 10...it must be amazing :)
 
You're right Mike. I'm also using the stock PC's until I decide what to buy. Thinking Shunyata Cobra's.
 
Mike said:
You're right Mike. I'm also using the stock PC's until I decide what to buy. Thinking Shunyata Cobra's.
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Don't go anything under Ananconda, trust me, I've heard them.

I've also heard the ref 5se & the ref150, with 20.7's & the DeVore Orangutans, they were really good, about as good as it could be considering, almost as good as what I have.....:D... stay tuned.
 
bzr said:
Don't go anything under Ananconda, trust me, I've heard them.

I've also heard the ref 5se & the ref150, with 20.7's & the DeVore Orangutans, they were really good, about as good as it could be considering, almost as good as what I have.....:D... stay tuned.
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OK...I will get a price.

Mike
 
Congrats Mike!
I'd suggest anaconda CX PCs if you can find them. Excellent performance and substantially cheaper than current Ztron Anacondas.
Have fun!
Chris
 
tunes said:
Congrats Mike!
I'd suggest anaconda CX PCs if you can find them. Excellent performance and substantially cheaper than current Ztron Anacondas.
Have fun!
Chris
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Thanks Chris. I will take a look. I need the 20amp IEC connector for the ARC gear though.
 
Can't wait to read about how they compare with some of the other amps you've had in your system as you get more hours on them Mike. I imagine the compatibility with the REF10 is pretty stellar!
 
Thanks guys. I've had them on all morning and I've tried to pop in and out for a listen. They sound incredible. I've decided to leave the fans on all the time (you can barely hear them when you're right next to the amps). The synergy with the REF10 is incredible. I've never heard anything like them. Massive sound staging. Glorious (but not over bloomy) midrange. PERFECT highs. Bass is just a pinch soft....but I know the amp needs a lot of hours to break in and that will improve. All in all, I'm delighted. They have exceeded my expectations.

The biggest surprise? Power. Last night I was getting 103db at 1 meter with just 2.5 watts. They have balls - big balls! No wonder people said they could drive Revel Salon 2's. I believe it now.

Mike
 
Thanks Scott. I played them all day and the bass improved quite a bit. I got wonderful definition off the Oscar Peterson - We Take Requests LP (Analog Productions).
 
Those amps really won't take 600 hours to sound good. When I had the pair here for review, much like the REF 5SE and Phono2SE, they sounded pretty darn good right out of the box and by 100 hours really sounding fantastic. That's probably 85% of the sound change you'll hear. If you'd like to break em in a little bit faster, cycle them in 5 hour on 5 hour off increments. Steve Deckert at DECWARE told me about this a couple of years ago and it's worked pretty well at shortening break in time.

Enjoy! They are fantastic amps. And a pretty big jump from the REF 150.
 
Mike said:
Thanks guys. I've had them on all morning and I've tried to pop in and out for a listen. They sound incredible. I've decided to leave the fans on all the time (you can barely hear them when you're right next to the amps). The synergy with the REF10 is incredible. I've never heard anything like them. Massive sound staging. Glorious (but not over bloomy) midrange. PERFECT highs. Bass is just a pinch soft....but I know the amp needs a lot of hours to break in and that will improve. All in all, I'm delighted. They have exceeded my expectations.

The biggest surprise? Power. Last night I was getting 103db at 1 meter with just 2.5 watts. They have balls - big balls! No wonder people said they could drive Revel Salon 2's. I believe it now.

Mike
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The only way we'll know if they can drive the legendary, power hungry Salon 2's is for you to send them to me,for a full review !!
 
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