Audio Research 40th Anniversary Edition Reference Preamplifier from avguide.com

[Tonepub]

They keep selling em. HP at TAS has had one for over a year, but no real review. Lew keeps promising me one, but I think I'm going to get an ET5 pretty soon. I can't blame him for not wanting to take a $25k preamp out of circulation, especially when they are selling every one they can build.

I have heard it in a few systems, and I'd say it's by far the best preamp they've made. It has the warmth and weight of the ART 3, with the speed and inner detail of the ACT 2/series 2.

Definitely a masterpiece, but aren't we kind of hijacking an ARC thread here?

[joeinid]

Originally Posted by tonepub

Definitely a masterpiece, but aren't we kind of hijacking an ARC thread here?

I'll glean information from any place I can Thanks for all the tidbits.

[wizard]

A review from Hifi News - Press Room

[joeling]

Hi,

Joe here from Malaysia. I have an anniversary on loan from my dealer. Just hooked up to my system a couple of days ago after sitting there for a couple of weeks. I was only toying with the idea half heartedly but decided that since I have it on hand, might as well put it in the system. Looks like my wallet will be thinner soon.

I have had the ref 5 in the main system for nearly 1000hrs. The anniversary at only 120+hrs already exhibits :

1) more 'air'
2) more bass weight

However, there is a slight sibilance on some tracks that irritates me a little. Overall, wow wow wow.

My system :

1) Fanless Zalman PC Intel core 2 duo running old foobar in XP
2) Empirical Audio Pace Car USB
3) ARC DAC 8
4) ARC ref 5
5) ARC ref 110
6) ProAc D80R
7) CD player AMR CD-77

Regards,
Joe Ling

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by joeling

Hi,

Joe here from Malaysia. I have an anniversary on loan from my dealer. Just hooked up to my system a couple of days ago after sitting there for a couple of weeks. I was only toying with the idea half heartedly but decided that since I have it on hand, might as well put it in the system. Looks like my wallet will be thinner soon.

I have had the ref 5 in the main system for nearly 1000hrs. The anniversary at only 120+hrs already exhibits :

1) more 'air'
2) more bass weight

However, there is a slight sibilance on some tracks that irritates me a little. Overall, wow wow wow.

My system :

1) Fanless Zalman PC Intel core 2 duo running old foobar in XP
2) Empirical Audio Pace Car USB
3) ARC DAC 8
4) ARC ref 5
5) ARC ref 110
6) ProAc D80R
7) CD player AMR CD-77

Regards,
Joe Ling

Joe...welcome to AA Very nice system you have there. By the way, on ARC's Anniversary Reference preamp, everything I have read on the unit's break-in suggests 600 hrs before it fully settles in. I don't know for how long you will have the unit on loan but my sense is you will notice it break-in over the next 300-500 hours as those giant caps in the unit stabilize. Let us know from time to time how the Anniv Ref pre is coming along. Thanks

[joeling]

Hi cmalak,

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I guess those gigantic output caps are quite a sight. Much bigger than Ref 5's caps.

Regards,
Joe Ling

[Ritmo]

Joe - Welcome! Indeed, very nice system.

Mike

[Masterlu]

joeling... Welcome to AA!

[Tonepub]

Welcome! Grab that anniversary if you can, I think ARC is done making them...

[piolaxo]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

The 40th Anniv Edition.

I sold my C1000C/T/P in Florida; I had a great offer that I couldn't refuse.

Wow!! Has this happened? I kind of missed the middle of this thread. Since it is a special edition and the production numbers are small, it will be an event when these get installed in the Room. Will they be in black?

Sal