AudioAficionado.org  

Go Back   AudioAficionado.org > Manufacturers Forums > Audio Research

Audio Research State of the Art Audio Reproduction

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old 01-19-2020, 04:59 AM
tima tima is offline
Living La Vida Vinyl
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,398
Default

No worries. Maybe you can ask Ivan for help.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-24-2020, 05:07 AM
Olskool Olskool is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: McKinney, TX
Posts: 365
Default

Congratulations on the upgrade! You are blazing a trail down the exact path i may go too. I have a great Ref 5SE now and Ref Phono2 and want to make the move. A friend shocked me by saying my Fef 5SE is the weak link in my chain and said the upgrade to 40th would make ahuge difference in my system performance. Would you mind describing what difference you heard and how things changed?

Olskool
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 01-24-2020, 09:15 AM
djcxxx djcxxx is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 216
Default

The 5SE is not that far from the 40 or the 6, detail improvements in soundstaging, timbral clarity, and imaging, based upon my audition experiences. The 10 OTOH is a major step up from the others in every parameter. I have not heard the 6SE, but given its pricing of $17K USD a preowned 10 is a very strong alternative.
__________________
Wilson Alexia V; ARC Ref 6SE; ARC Ref Phono 3SE; Boulder 1160; Esoteric K1X; Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 Statement; Ikeda 407; Koetsu Leopard, Coralstone; Shunyata Denali 6000T; Shunyata AC cables; Siltech Prince speaker cables; Siltech Princess interconnects, Avondale II phono.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 01-24-2020, 09:46 PM
tdh888 tdh888 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 93
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olskool View Post
Congratulations on the upgrade! You are blazing a trail down the exact path i may go too. I have a great Ref 5SE now and Ref Phono2 and want to make the move. A friend shocked me by saying my Fef 5SE is the weak link in my chain and said the upgrade to 40th would make ahuge difference in my system performance. Would you mind describing what difference you heard and how things changed?

Olskool
Hi Olskool ,

The first thing I notice is that the bass is tighter in the REF Anniversary 40 . I’m using huge Duntech C5000 speakers driven by the REF610T monoblocks in a 6 meter x 4 meter room w/ a 9 feet ceiling . When I was using the REF 5SE there was a little bass bloat , but not as bad when I was using my old ARC SP11 MK2 and my ARC Classic 150 monoblocks . Another big advantage of the REF Anniversary 40 over the REF 5SE was the palpable 3D imaging and air/ space between the musicians and the huge / expansive soundstage . I thought the REF 5SE was good , and I was given a chance to audition the REF Anniversary in my system for 1 week , and after that audition I said to myself this is it. Good thing my cousin in law grabbed my REF 5SE w/c I sold for only $4000 .
If you can try it in your system you’ll hear what I’m talking about .

Goodluck,

tdh888 .
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 01-24-2020, 11:27 PM
sleep sleep is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 45
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tdh888 View Post

Good thing my cousin in law grabbed my REF 5SE w/c I sold for only $4000 .
Your cousin in law got one hell of a deal! I hope he appreciates it.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 01-25-2020, 05:10 AM
tdh888 tdh888 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 93
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sleeper View Post
Your cousin in law got one hell of a deal! I hope he appreciates it.
My cousin in law was supposed to get an ARC LS 27 but when I told him that I was in a hurry to sell my REF 5SE and w/ the asking price of $4000 he bought it at once . His using it w/ a ARC REF Phono 2SE and a VT80 amplifier . He is very happy and grinning from ear to ear . I myself am very happy as well because I got to buy my dream linestage / preamp and got it as well for a very good price .
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 01-26-2020, 12:01 AM
Olskool Olskool is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: McKinney, TX
Posts: 365
Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by tdh888 View Post
My cousin in law was supposed to get an ARC LS 27 but when I told him that I was in a hurry to sell my REF 5SE and w/ the asking price of $4000 he bought it at once . His using it w/ a ARC REF Phono 2SE and a VT80 amplifier . He is very happy and grinning from ear to ear . I myself am very happy as well because I got to buy my dream linestage / preamp and got it as well for a very good price .
That’s what I love about this hobby and people who make up the Audio Aficionado membership and those who manage the site; fair minded and willing to promote others up the ladder in a fair way (sharing their good fortune in equipment, music and knowledge). People have shared with me like that too! And I’m trying to pay it forward as well.

tdh888 thanks for the review of the differences you’re hearing. Another audiophile friend said the experience would sound much like you explained. I’m saving my pennies for another giant leap in my system growth with a 40th anniversary or Ref 10...
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 01-26-2020, 02:11 AM
tdh888 tdh888 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 93
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olskool View Post
That’s what I love about this hobby and people who make up the Audio Aficionado membership and those who manage the site; fair minded and willing to promote others up the ladder in a fair way (sharing their good fortune in equipment, music and knowledge). People have shared with me like that too! And I’m trying to pay it forward as well.

tdh888 thanks for the review of the differences you’re hearing. Another audiophile friend said the experience would sound much like you explained. I’m saving my pennies for another giant leap in my system growth with a 40th anniversary or Ref 10...
Go for it olskool it’s worth it . Goodluck on your quest .
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 01-31-2020, 03:35 AM
triode12 triode12 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 148
Default

I don't believe the 40th Anniversary will be inferior in sonics to the Ref10 when the circuit boards are identical in both the pre and power units (down to the spaces provided for the larger Teflon caps in the 40th Anniversary). The only difference I could see were the coupling caps. In the 40th Anniversary, it was proprietary White Teflon caps (apparently prone to failure but any units in circulation would have failed by now and been changed) and in the Ref10, ARC uses the TRT Gold Stealth caps which are not Teflon but a hybrid cap of sorts -the material used is a TRT trade secret. The difference in sound would be marginal if any and would be due to the different coupling caps used. 40th Anniversary internals on the left, Ref10 on the right.




Last edited by triode12; 01-31-2020 at 04:03 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 01-31-2020, 04:53 AM
tima tima is offline
Living La Vida Vinyl
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,398
Default

The Reference Anniversary was sold for one year. It was a very successful offering and ARC saw benefit to continue offering a top-end model.

If you want to read a comparison between Anniversary and the Ref 10, check this review from 2015.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Audioaficionado.org tested by Norton Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:55 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.
Audio Aficionado Sponsors
AudioAficionado Subscriber
AudioAficionado Subscriber
Inspire By Dennis Had
Inspire By Dennis Had
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Wyred4Sound
Wyred4Sound
Dragonfire Acoustics
Dragonfire Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
Esoteric
Esoteric
AC Infinity
AC Infinity
JL Audio
JL Audio
Add Powr
Add Powr
Accuphase - Soulution
Accuphase - Soulution
Audio by E
Audio by E
Canton
Canton
Bryston
Bryston
WireWorld Cables
WireWorld Cables
Stillpoints
Stillpoints
Bricasti Design
Bricasti Design
Furutech
Furutech
Shunyata Research
Shunyata Research
Legend Audio & Video
Legend Audio & Video