Is my ARC LS25 MkI holding back the sound?

[birdland]

Randy - thanks.

John - very funny and very true.

[Randy Myers]

Birdland, I sent you a PM...

[2fastdriving]

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Birdland, I sent you a PM...

And so it begins.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Birdland, I sent you a PM...

Uh oh, Randy's on the move again.

[Randy Myers]

Probably not.... but honestly, don't want to discuss this in this thread.... market discussions out of market and all....

[birdland]

So, pre-amp is supposed to arrive on Friday. I can't wait.

According to the seller, who seems reputable, it only has 200 hours on it in total and the new tubes have 0 hours. So this pre-amp isn't even burned in. I was a little suspicious about a 3 year old pre-amp with only 200 hours but the seller travels a lot or so the story goes.

Obviously, I don't have to look for tubes for the pre-amp except maybe for the 6550 tube in the power supply. Is it actually worth trying a different tube there?

Now, I've got to think about tubes for my REF150. It has 1525 hours even though the seller said that it only had 750. It basically had double that when I received it. Although I would normally get the tubes from Audio Research, has anyone purchased tubes from some other source and had no issues?

[brad225]

I would suggest NOS GE 6550A for the power supply. I put 2 in my 40th Anniversary pre and there was an immediate improvement to the sound stage, image and general timber of the mids and highs. They were well worth the cost.

Search any of the threads in Audio Research here and look for tube choices. You will find Harlequin talking about them in much more detail than I am capable of. It was at his suggestion I purchased them.

[birdland]

Hi Brad - yes I saw the various post regarding the GE 6550A tubes. I've also read that the GE tube is not necessarily a good fit for some of the ARC products or maybe they were bad tubes.

What about the fact that an audio research tech indicated that the GE 6550 tube was not a good fit electrically for the power supply? Do you still let them go for 2000 hours before replacing?

[birdland]

Before I describe my listening experience, I would like to know if the MUTE and INVERT buttons on the front panel of the pre-amp are supposed to actually do something? I cannot push them in at all. Those features work on the remote but not on the front of the pre-amp. The other buttons except for POWER, which I have not pushed since I am still listening, do work.

Now onto the listening. Keep in mind that the pre-amp is supposed to have a maximum of 200 hours of playing time total and the new tubes have 0 hours on them.

After first turning on both the REF 5SE and REF150, I was not impressed and wondered why I purchased this unit. The first thing I played was Beethoven's 6th Symphony conducted by Ivan Fischer (DSD64). The bass was bloated and overpowering as compared to the rest of the frequency range. The sound stage appeared narrower and the depth was slightly less than what I was used to.

After 30 minutes, the bass was less boomy and tighter. It seemed to be better integrated with the rest of the music although not quite there yet. After about an hour, things started meshing quite well. The tubes now have 2 hours on them.

As compared to what I am used to with the LS25 Mk I:

• the bass is tighter and more defined and more powerful which isn't necessarily a good thing for me at least
  • hopefully, the bass won't be as prominent as more hours are put on the tubes/pre-amp
• instruments are better defined and have more detail
• not sure about the sound stage
  • might be the same or just slightly less
• depth is definitely as good if not better
• there seems to be better placement of instruments
• sounds (instruments) seem to have more body
• there is more extension in the higher frequencies
• it is easier for me to hear cymbals, etc in some songs than before
• the cymbals sound even closer to the real thing than before
• the decay of instruments seems more natural and longer
• recording venue's ambiance is easier to discern

So now, after a few hours, I am not so apprehensive of my decision to purchase a REF 5SE. I just hope the bass settles down. I know that the pre-amp is not really burned in and the tubes are completely new so I expect the above attributes to improve.

After listening some more to the REF 5SE, I will be putting my LS25 Mk I back into play some time this weekend. I'm sure I'll miss the REF 5SE as soon as I start listening.

[2fastdriving]

I'm concerned about the buttons on the front. It sounds like the unit is broken? If the invert is stuck on (should say on the display) it will affect the sound.