Audio Research Dual 150 power amplifier

[JBT]

Review from Sterophile August 1, 1976



Speaking of the potential longevity of tube equipment, we are told that a lot of dealers, pushing solid-state components, have been telling customers that the supply of replacement tubes is due to start drying up in a few years and that prices for them will start climbing precipitously as a result. We asked several tube manufacturers about this, and while one admitted that their future plans would be predicated on US consumer demand, four informed us that they had not considered discontinuing tube manufacture and could not foresee doing so as long as the present demand for them continued! One pointed out that their biggest market for amplifying tubes was in Europe and Asia, and said they would continue making them even if sales in the US came to a virtual standstill. That does not sound to us like the incipient demise of the vacuum tube.

Conclusion
Unfortunately, the price of the D-150 is murderous. Perhaps now, Audio Research can rest on their laurels for long enough to see if they can match this kind of sound from amplifiers that some of us can afford to buy.

We must also point out that the D-150 has yet to prove its durability. It does run very cool—more so than many solid-state amplifiers—but only time will tell that story. We hope the story has a happy ending.


https://www.stereophile.com/content/...ower-amplifier

[jimtranr]

Had the pleasure of demo'ing the 150 when I worked at San Jose's Garland Audio from 1977 to 1980, typically driving Fulton Js, Magnepan Tympani 1Ds, or--occasionally--Sequerra Pyramids (a speaker system that Jim Winey heard for the first time in our shop and assessed with the pithy comment, "I'm not afraid of it"). A trouble-free amp that had no serious competition sonically from the other amps we carried (Levinson, GAS, Luxman) until the D-79 arrived.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by jimtranr

Had the pleasure of demo'ing the 150 when I worked at San Jose's Garland Audio from 1977 to 1980, typically driving Fulton Js, Magnepan Tympani 1Ds, or--occasionally--Sequerra Pyramids (a speaker system that Jim Winey heard for the first time in our shop and assessed with the pithy comment, "I'm not afraid of it"). A trouble-free amp that had no serious competition sonically from the other amps we carried (Levinson, GAS, Luxman) until the D-79 arrived.

Fulton Js and Tympani 1Ds....now you're taking me back, Jim!

Speaking of those days, I remember when I drove down to Palo Alto in 1980 to...was it Audio Excellence? to hear the Snell Type As. They were, at the time, the best-sounding loudspeaker I had ever heard. They were powered by a Snell amplifier that was likely one of the few in the USA at the time.

[jimtranr]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Fulton Js and Tympani 1Ds....now you're taking me back, Jim!

Speaking of those days, I remember when I drove down to Palo Alto in 1980 to...was it Audio Excellence? to hear the Snell Type As. They were, at the time, the best-sounding loudspeaker I had ever heard. They were powered by a Snell amplifier that was likely one of the few in the USA at the time.

Russ's shop. A good guy who knew his products.

[djcxxx]

Audio Art in Richmond, VA. D150,SP6, Tympani. Same time frame, late 70s.

[JBT]

I bought a D-150 a few years back and spent some money having it refurbished. Sounds great and IMO still one of the coolest looking amps of all time. Reminds me of



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OMonoKzkTc

[6dj8]

A reconditioned ARC D 150 was reviewed about 5 or ten years ago in a European magazine and the reviewer concluded that the sound quality was up to today’s top tube power amps.

That says lot about the staying power of the D 150.

[stjlinus]

Love that video clip, especially being a ham radio operator! But is that what happens to us when we for up an old tube amp?

[stjlinus]

Sorry, meant to say: “But is this what happens to us when we listen to an old tube amp?”