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In Reply to: RE: Cheap out as you will posted by E-Stat on December 16, 2024 at 14:08:24
Perhaps you're familiar with ARC's history of part identification obfuscation. It's been going on for decades.This is what remains of my D100A with all its "analog module" glory on display.
No discussion of "sonic's" is necessary. This was THEE MOST UNRELIABLE piece of equipment I've ever owned. Main heatsink too small. Main filter caps mounted horizontally by their terminals causing cracked terminal seals that allowed electrolyte to leak out. Frequently blown output transistors requiring a trip back to the factory and many hundreds of $$$ to ship and fix. And then there's those irreplaceable Analog Modules. Must contain Area 51 alien technology to have to pot them to keep earthling eyes away. Actually, pure marketing bullshit. Have never even considered ARC let alone buy the stuff over the past 45yrs. New, used or gift, ARC is not going to be a part of any system I have any involvement with. AFAIC ARC deserves its current "somewhat diminished" status and reputation.
Edits: 12/18/24Follow Ups:
...I found part designations on the PCBs and part numbers on the parts for a couple ARC pieces that I repaired myself. The schematics were also good. Perhaps I was lucky in getting the schematics as there was an ARC tech named "Leonard" who just sent them to me upon request.
But in the end, I learned that the ARC sound is not for me. It's like taking the best of SS and the best of tubes and compromising the benefits of each in the mix. Most of their preamps appear to be SS JFET with 6H30 tube buffers on the output.... which only roll-off and veil what the SS side is capable of.
which only roll-off and veil what the SS side is capable of.
I cannot hear what a 0.5 db rolloff at 20 kHz sounds like with mine . More power to you! ;)
View YouTube Video
.
This was THEE MOST UNRELIABLE piece of equipment I've ever owned.
the worst sounding ARC had ever produced as Harry Pearson observed when they first came out. Did you audition before purchase? Bill Johnson said the negative TAS reviews nearly put him out of business. He claims semiconductor provider didn't deliver same quality production devices.
It didn't take long before even better sounding and reliable tube based gear arrived from them.
Have never even considered ARC let alone buy the stuff over the past 45yrs.
In nearly that space of time (44), I've enjoyed a power amp and three preamps, the last of which I continue to happily use. It was the first to *beat* the transparency of a passive. Took me a while to digest and directly experience what Charlie Hansen and John Atkinson had been saying for years. :)
Still isn't. The amp was a poor physical implementation of an unstable design. A design that can't accommodate normal production tolerances of active components isn't ready for prime time. If they still wanted to proceed with this they could have selected parts. Apparently they didn't. Holding component suppliers responsible for their lack of design and manufacturing expertise is just shifting blame. A bad look.
I acquired the amp after listening to it. i liked it. I don't give a shit what Harry Pearson thought of it. He's not me. He doesn't have my system. He doesn't have my room. He doesn't have my ears. Plus he obviously didn't have it long enough to really experience it in all its DC rail fuse blowing glory. No more ARC for me . . . One lifetime.
For any future equipment acquisition. New or used or "gift". Friends have ARC Ref something preamps. Sound decent but unreliable. Most pieces have been back to ARC for repairs at some point. Two of those ARC Refs roll off high end significantly depending on setting of volume control. ARC says "normal". No thank-you! Life is too short to put up with this kind of product (un) reliability and design. Plus, there are plenty of other worthy brands to consider with equal or better sonics. And they don't rely on Russian "super tubes" (6H30).
Edits: 12/19/24
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