Sounds like they're in denial.

ARC Ref 160S
 

Too bad high end designers still rely on noisy fans to cool their gear.

Moved the 75SE to the secondary system and the 160S is now driving the Sasha 1s. Still not a lot of hours on the 160S. Certainly more heft and bass control than the 75SE, but possibly not as much detail or texture to various instruments that always impressed me about the 75SE. Perhaps in time. All my ARC gear has taken at least a couple hundred hours to “bloom”. Thinking about changing the Sasha 1s for DAWs but that’s another story.....

Congratulations! I'm sure it's a great system. If you decide to go with the daw, it will be a really great upgrade. Another choice would be to get a certified alexia 1. I've owned the Sasha 1, 2, and alexia 1. Each one was a big upgrade. I've heard the daw many times and it is really close to the alexia, with just a bit less bass extension in my opinion. Some think the daw is actually more accurate than the alexia 1. All I know is, I love my alexias and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Alexia 1 and ARC 160S was not a good match for WCSS on the Audiogon Thread "My long list of Amplifiers". This took place within the last month. YMMV He actually preferred the GS150 and remarked they were "sweeter".

To each his own, but I find that conclusion hard to believe. The alexia is easy to drive, so that's not a consideration. both amps use the exact same tube complement. In fact I believe that the two amps are very similar.

I’ve been on Agon since 2002 and the forums are, politely, a very mixed bag. Typically far more chaff than kernels of information. That amp thread has been going on since 2016 and is populated by dealers, daydreamers, and very short term “owners”.

Yes! I know... I just perused it. From what I can tell, the op said the ref160 monos were not as good as the stereo. That's... Strange. Very strange, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Another hot take was that someone said the Sasha 1 was superior to the Sasha 2, daw, and alexia. That's ludicrous! I've actually owned them (except for the Daw) and I can definitely say that is false.

I've also been spending some time on the Facebook groups, and I can definitely say there are a lot of nuts out there. AA is far more "refined"... Less trolls!

Well what he has on his side is his experience with all 3 GS, 160Mono, Stereo. What he has going against him is different speakers on each as well as speaker cables etc. He isn't speculating. He has no motive to lie and I know him personally so can vouch for his authenticity and honesty. I believe what he says HE hears which may not be what you or I would hear. He used the 160M with NEOLITH Speakers and not the Alexia...that's what he used the 160S on and quickly ditched it. According to him multiple ARC dealers came to the same conclusion...the Stereo version was Tweaked somehow and is an improvement..but that's all hearsay obviously

Manufacturers who know what they are doing don’t invert the price and quality relationship. Also see the Stereophile review of the 160S this month where Dave Gordon says the 160S is close to but not better than 160Ms.