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  #31  
Old 10-30-2013, 09:43 PM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
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Just to be clear, I have great bass in my room with my Sasha's. Both preamps provide detailed, textured bass. I didn't mean to say the arc has poor bass. What I feel is that the arc has a more laid back bass presentation than my 2300. The 2300 has more punch. It seems better suited for rock. The arc is better suited for vocals and folk type stuff. In my opinion, of course.

But neither is lacking. It's a Matter of presentation.

Honestly, this has been very much a learning experience for me because I didn't realize just how important the preamp is to the overall demeanor of a system.

I also feel very good about the mc452. It takes either one and makes everything sound special!
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  #32  
Old 10-30-2013, 11:56 PM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
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I must say...after several days of demoing this arc ref5se...

I cant let them take it back. Its everything I have read about. Why did I do this to myself!

I just cant believe how wide and deep the soundstage is. Its incredible. Will the c1000 really do this?! The only reservation I have is the bass on hard rock. But its so good in every other measure that I may need to let that slide.
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  #33  
Old 10-31-2013, 12:06 AM
junker junker is offline
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ARC5SE/MC452/AnalogDAC, Wilson Sasha W/P, NAD C565BEE, Mac Mini, VPI Classic One/DV10x5, Transparent cabling
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  #34  
Old 10-31-2013, 12:28 AM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by junker View Post
ARC5SE/MC452/AnalogDAC, Wilson Sasha W/P, NAD C565BEE, Mac Mini, VPI Classic One/DV10x5, Transparent cabling
Where's the effing like button?
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  #35  
Old 11-01-2013, 03:14 AM
bzr bzr is offline
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Nice to see some keeping it real.
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  #36  
Old 11-02-2013, 09:21 AM
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jdandy jdandy is offline
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Marc.......So how's the ARC/McIntosh preamp smackdown going?
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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
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  #37  
Old 11-02-2013, 10:05 AM
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prepress prepress is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
I Decided to try several audio research preamps and compare with my c2300 with psvanes installed.

First up is the DSPre, which is solid state and has a built in dac. I have to say that it betters my c2300/d100 combo in every way except one. Hard rock. I'm not sure what it is with arc gear, but it doesn't like to rock in my experience. Lacks bass drive and speed. However, on every other type of material, separation is greater, voices more lifelike, instruments portrayed more realistically. It's really a great preamp! The bass is actually very good until you try to play hard and fast rock. Something seems to be missing.

I'm going to try using my d100 as the dac with this thing and see if it's the dac or pre section.

Next week, I'm getting a Ref5SE . That will be interesting. Then I get the brand new SP20.

I am not sure if I have the funds to do this for a while, but trying to chart my course for the future. I think it has ARC in it!

But for looks and build quality...the mcintosh kills ARC. All of them.
I don't play in the same rent district, but I did do a general though brief comparison of the C2300 and the ARC LS3 (solid state) a while back. The main difference I heard was that the 2300 was smoother, more open, with a bit more detail than the LS3, but the LS3 is a bit more dynamic. That gap is narrowed by using JJ tubes over the stock ones; low-end weight was about the same, subjectively, after that.

The JJs have broken in well now, and when a friend from church came over two weeks ago, I found there was nothing in the sound to complain about. The one caveat is that I have to turn up the 2300 a bit to get this sound. The LS3 is solid state and plays louder; to get the volume of the LS3 at 1/3, I must turn up the 2300 to almost 1/2 (42 out of 100 steps, vs. 8 out of 30 steps).

in my dealer's showroom I heard a 2300 and an ARC LS27. The 2300 seemed more dynamic, but the LS27 tamed some system brightness and, in that system, was easier to listen to. It was a bit darker by comparison than the 2300, I guess. I did quite like the LS27's silver faceplate. I thought it looked elegant.

Also, no two recordings are recorded at the same levels or in the same way, be it CD or DVD. Some are louder than others. That may be a factor also.
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  #38  
Old 12-23-2013, 04:51 PM
erniejade erniejade is offline
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I am coming in late on this. I am new to the board.

I had a McIntosh c-39 and replaced it with a AR SP16. I know its tube vs SS but, I found the AR a bit more space, wider, sweet in the mids but not veiled.
FF to present day. Again, not a fair fight in a way but, McIntosh MA6900 built in preamp sounds wonderful, and a bit more accurate but, the AR played through the amp in on the same MA6900 widens the sound stage a bit and again, the shapness is off the upper end but, not vailed. The built in pre on the MA actually has more bass but, the AR tube, ( using 1959 tugsol tubes) is just a different sound on the low end.

I need to get my hands on a tube McIntosh pre to make a fair fight AR tube vs McIntosh tube.
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  #39  
Old 01-14-2014, 02:49 PM
erniejade erniejade is offline
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"Every time I hear ARC, I feel like the mids are the most glorious thing ever, but something is missing from the bottom end. "

When I first got the ARC, I thought the same thing till I changed the tubes. The stock EH tubes just didnt get the bass right. When I put RCA 3mica 5751 in, it had way more bass but, it lost a bit off the top end. I sitll need to try a set of gold lion in it.
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