The 2011 REF 5SE came with a Sovtek 6550C for its power supply. At some point the supply of those tubes became no longer reliable - the latter tubes could not hold up over time to the specs ARC expected them to meet - and it was changed out for the Sovtek 6550WE. Depending on how many hours are on the unit you plan to purchase it could have either tube. The 5SE manual will tell you 4000 hrs lifespan for all tubes. The 6550 should be good for at least ~2000. The 6H30s should be good for ~ 4000 - 6000 hrs. With a used or new 5SE It's not a bad idea to keep a full replacement set on hand.
There may have been minor software updates to the unit over time. Those should not impact sonics.
As far as the power cord goes, take Sharp1080's advice and use the stock cord while you learn what the 5SE does for your system. It is actually well built and a very nice sounding cord - you'll see by comparing it to other cords that came with your gear. Yes, you can change the sound by using after market power cords and Shunyata is a solid suggestion, though there are others. While I had it, I ran my 5SE with a Shunyata Anaconda.
If you send the serial number of the unit you're thinking about buying to Audio Research they should be able to tell you if it was in for repairs.
The 5SE is an excellent linestage that should give you years of musical enjoyment.
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