[2fastdriving]

Originally Posted by Slange00

This forum is fantastic! Thank you all for your help and input! As you all put it, there is no substitute to actually auditioning gear.

I spent several hours doing a head2head comparison of the ARC REF75SE and D'Agostino Progression Stereo (as well as a Linn Klimax Twin that was on site) using Yvettes and the dcs Bartok at my dealer (same speaker cables, same room, same speakers, same tracks). The amps were fed directly from the dcs most of the time, but we also pulled in the REF6 at the end to get a sense of the impact an amazing pre would make.

The REF75SE did exceedingly well against the Linn, much more organic sound, far superior sound stage, more transparency and a surprisingly definitive advantage on low and mid bass response. It matched the Yvettes quite well and was very lively and engaging to my ears.

When comparing the REF75SE against the DAG Progression Stereo, the tables turned. Predictably the progression stereo had significantly better bass rendering, clarity and response, generally digging lower, while delivering superior dynamics as well as slightly better imaging. What surprised me however was that mids and highs generally were ( to my ear, in that setup and room) more musical and more richly rendered on the progression stereo amp compared . The voicing and harmony between that amp and the Yvette's seemed to gel more , especially when listening to classical tracks and highly dynamic electronic music.

That being said, the REF75SE more than held its own, and surprised me especially on bass response and definition.

I realize this is an ARC forum, so please dont crucify me, but I ended up ordering the progression amp after being offered a great deal on it. I hadnt intended to spend that much on an amp but I fell in love with that speaker&amp combination. I intend to add a REF6 at a later point when finances have recovered...

Congratulations, of course the D'ag is great. But The progression stereo retails for twice that of the Ref75SE. It wasn't really a fair fight in my opinion. If you are adding a Ref6 anyway, maybe it would have made more sense to go with (or at least audition) the Ref150SE? Plus, the GS150 can be had used for about 8 grand, and that would be a great comparison with the progression as well.