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  #11  
Old 10-07-2019, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
Exactly. I just had a conversation with Dave Gordon about this, and his only suggestion was that i make lots of room above the amp and either remove the cover or put fans on low, and/or put fans in my cabinet instead. They don't think you can hear the fans but yes, you can.
Sounds like they're in denial.
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  #12  
Old 10-07-2019, 12:21 PM
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Default ARC Ref 160S

Too bad high end designers still rely on noisy fans to cool their gear.
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  #13  
Old 01-04-2020, 10:18 PM
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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.....
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  #14  
Old 01-05-2020, 03:48 AM
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Originally Posted by djcxxx View Post
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.
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  #15  
Old 01-05-2020, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
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".
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Last edited by Billion$Baby; 01-05-2020 at 08:18 AM. Reason: Addition
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  #16  
Old 01-05-2020, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Billion$Baby View Post
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.
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  #17  
Old 01-05-2020, 03:59 PM
djcxxx djcxxx is offline
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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”.
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  #18  
Old 01-05-2020, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by djcxxx View Post
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!
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  #19  
Old 01-05-2020, 05:49 PM
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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
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  #20  
Old 01-05-2020, 07:50 PM
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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.
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