Just picked up my REF40 today.... Wow!

[Dafos]

That's certainly a welcome confirmation, microstrip. It also explains why a members hiss problem with his ref 3 only manifests itself at volume position 1.

[klao]

Hi, this is my first post in ARC room here.

There is a very faint hiss at the speakers' tweeters I can hear when placing my ear next to them. I'll report more on that after my new Magnepan 3.7 arrived and see how ribbon tweeters hiss with the REF40.

BTW, would setting up the chassis apart (more than min 6" as suggested by the manual) help with noise issue that might come from the PS unit?

[BillK]

One of the unavoidable side effects of tube technology is, compared to solid state, there will be hiss.

The question is whether it's audible at your listening position and whether you find it objectionable.

It's like surface noise on an LP; if you can ignore it, you'll (usually) have a more musical experience compared to CD; if it bothers you you should stick to CD, or in this case, solid state.

Chassis separation is to avoid hum, not hiss.

[klao]

Thank you, BillK.

So, I guess I can place the units closer together as long as it doesn't hum. No audible hiss from the tweeters when I'm at my listening position, though.

[Dafos]

Klao, what power amp are you using? What astounds me about the ref 40 when matched with any of the new reference amps is how quiet they are for tube units. Even with the volume level turned up to around 50, I can barely hear any tube hiss with my ear next to the speakers tweeter.

[klao]

I'm using Bryston 7B-SST2, Dafos. I'm sure matching the ref40 w/ amp(s) in ARC ref line would be fantastic.

Next time I pay visits to my friends' systems, I'll check how loud their tweeters hiss. They also pair their ref40's w/ SS power amps (Plinius & Karan).

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by klao

I'm using Bryston 7B-SST2, Dafos. I'm sure matching the ref40 w/ amp(s) in ARC ref line would be fantastic.

Next time I pay visits to my friends' systems, I'll check how loud their tweeters hiss. They also pair their ref40's w/ SS power amps (Plinius & Karan).

How many friends with REF 40's do you have ?

[klao]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

How many friends with REF 40's do you have ?

Three of my friends have REF40, and the group name we adopted is "bursted wallet gang".

Unfortunately, I'm the only one in the gang who's still paying the instalment for this gorgeous preamp.

[microstrip]

Originally Posted by BillK

One of the unavoidable side effects of tube technology is, compared to solid state, there will be hiss.

The question is whether it's audible at your listening position and whether you find it objectionable. (...)

The REF40, specially when used in the balanced mode, is particularly "hiss free", when compared with other ARC preamplifiers I have owned such as the REF3. May be this due to paralleling triode sections, that reduces electronic noise significantly.

[joeinid]

Originally Posted by klao

Three of my friends have REF40, and the group name we adopted is "bursted wallet gang".

Unfortunately, I'm the only one in the gang who's still paying the instalment for this gorgeous preamp.

Ha! Sounds like a common theme