VSi60 visiting my place.

[PHC1]

The ARC VSi60 is in for a visit. Stay tuned for pics and impressions.

[PHC1]

Interesting that the VSi60 is running the KT120 tubes.

[BlueChiaro]

Man, you're busy over there! If you need help moving things around...including cars into various parking spaces...give me a call.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by BlueChiaro

Man, you're busy over there! If you need help moving things around...including cars into various parking spaces...give me a call.

The last few weeks have been very busy work wise so I am taking a few days off to just play with audio. The cars are parked until it gets a bit warmer.

[BlueChiaro]

Originally Posted by PHC1

The last few weeks have been very busy work wise so I am taking a few days off to just play with audio. The cars are parked until it gets a bit warmer.

Good for you...have a great time!

[cmalak]

Serge...I called ARC last week and they are shipping out all their current production amps with the KT120 tubes. They are keeping the bias the same as when they had the 6550 tubes in their amps, so the current draw on the KT120s is even more conservative than with the 6550s. They think this will improve tube reliability and longevity. You will get a slight bump in output power but not as much as you could if they had redesigned the circuits and perhaps transformers to accomodate the full potenital of the KT120s. On my REF 110, a simple drop-in replacement of the KT120s for the 6550s would increase the output from 110 to 130wpc according to ARC.

As for the sonic improvements they seem to think you will get better foundation for the music with the KT120s as bass is more extended and controlled. They also think the KT120s deliver a wider dynamic envelope.

looking forward to your comments.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by cmalak

Serge...I called ARC last week and they are shipping out all their current production amps with the KT120 tubes. They are keeping the bias the same as when they had the 6550 tubes in their amps, so the current draw on the KT120s is even more conservative than with the 6550s. They think this will improve tube reliability and longevity. You will get a slight bump in output power but not as much as you could if they had redesigned the circuits and perhaps transformers to accomodate the full potenital of the KT120s. On my REF 110, a simple drop-in replacement of the KT120s for the 6550s would increase the output from 110 to 130wpc according to ARC.

As for the sonic improvements they seem to think you will get better foundation for the music with the KT120s as bass is more extended and controlled. They also think the KT120s deliver a wider dynamic envelope.

looking forward to your comments.

Thanks for that info Cyril. I am focusing on the Ref 5 for the next few hours but the VSi will be tubed up and will see play time this evening with the Tannoys.

[two dot]

Serge,

Are you going to have a chance to try the ARC int on the Wilson's???

I hope so, But understand the set up is not really conducive right now.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by two dot

Serge,

Are you going to have a chance to try the ARC int on the Wilson's???

I hope so, But understand the set up is not really conducive right now.

I will do that over the weekend Stephen. The problem is no balanced on the VSi and while I can easily place the Tannoys on the opposite wall where the rack is, I really dont want to disturb the Sophia positioning since they are perfectly setup right now. So I'll have to move all the gear where the Sophias are to listen to the VSi60.

[PHC1]

The VSi60 has seen some playing time with the Tannoy's for the past two days. I am very impressed with this integrated. In combination with the Tannoy Sandringhams, it sounds rich and musical. No, it doesn't have the same resolution, imaging or spacious soundstage as the very impressive Ref5 preamp/MC2301 combo but that comparison would be just silly... What the VSi60 has is plenty of dynamics with the 8 ohm nominal Tannoys and a warmish, very pleasant tonal balance that is full bodied, rich, musical and very, very enjoyable to listen to for hours on end. The price of this integrated makes it a true bargain for someone looking for an enjoyable, easy to listen to system that focuses more on the music and a bit less on hi-fi prowess, especially with a speaker like Tannoy. This particular speaker/integrated combo is super nice on the ears.

Attemting to drive the Sophia 3s with the VSi60 resulted in an enjoyable sound but the overall synergy was not quite as good as with the Tannoys. Dynamics were knocked down a few notches and the soundstage shrunk a bit by comparison.

Off the top of my head, I can't come up with a combo that I have heard in the price range of the Tannoy Sandringham and VSi60 together that was more musical or enjoyable. A winning combination for sure.