I posted my comments over on that site
I had missed them - but you are spot-on about the Aida's "individual uniqueness" and "avoided fatness".
Reference 10 preamplifier
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I had missed them - but you are spot-on about the Aida's "individual uniqueness" and "avoided fatness".
Just auditioned Ref 10 and Ref250 driving SF Aida's. I must admit that I really liked the new Ref 10 and as well as Ref 250 monos. Overall performance, handling of crescendos, LF performance, depth of sound staging, micro & macro details and the lucidity and the clarity finally merging with the darkness/quietness of the SS. It s a really showstopper, well done Audio Research.
REF 10 is a killer preamp, especially in a good company like Momentum monos from D'Agostino. You simply wonder how is this astonishing sound possible. Perfect balance and enormous musical detail ... It is wonderful to see so much development during the last few years from certain manufacturers.
Vess
Vess
Hi all - this is my first post here. I've owned the ARC Ref 10 for about three weeks now. It outperforms my McIntosh C1000C/T/P and all other previous preamps by a mile. The micro detail is incredible. Bass is fast and tight. Soundstage is wide and deep. Highs are sweet. Tone and texture are second to none. It's absolutely the best preamp I've had in my system (in 30+ years) and the best I've heard.
My amps are Pass XA160.5's, speakers are Sonus Faber Stradivari, DAC is EMM Labs DAC2X.
Mike
My amps are Pass XA160.5's, speakers are Sonus Faber Stradivari, DAC is EMM Labs DAC2X.
Mike
Mike - Welcome! Stunning system! There is another thread where people were looking for someone who'd heard the DAC2X...pls feel free to share your thoughts! I used to run SF Strads with Gryphon Antileon, CJ pre and Zanden digital, so have some appreciation for the tremendous sound you've got. Enjoy and congrats!
BTW, had you heard the Anniversary Pre from ARC? Just curious as to how they compare.
Hi everyone - thanks for your kind words and welcomes. I'm happy to be here! Hopefully I can add some value.
My EMM Labs DAC2X is now about 2 months old and well broken in (I never turn it off and always have music playing through it - redbook, high res and DSD files). Let me preface this by saying I've been DAC obsessed for almost 2 years now. I've gone through no less than 15 DACS in that time period. Everything from Weiss to Wavelength to Benchmark to MHDT Havana to McIntosh to....
The EMM Labs DAC2X is in another league AFTER breaking in. Right out of the box, its a tad bright. After 200 hours - it's glorious. It is uncolored and doesn't try to be something it's not. It simply plays digital files in the purist form possible (ok, I admit, thats a bit of an oxymoron for the Vinyl folks out there!). I A/B it to my MCD1100 (now sold), Musical Fidelity M1DAC (no sold), Classe CP-800 (now in my Family Room) and Oppo 105. I did not compare it to previous DACS - since they were long since sold - so I was going by memory.
The DAC2X reveals micro details in a completely uncolored, natural manner. You hear much more of the music. Chris' review on computeraudiophile.com is spot on. Guitar and piano sounds so pure and natural I was amazed. Especially acoustic guitar. Wow. Voices have a natural purity and certainly more space around voices and instruments. Every detail is there.
I've now stopped my DAC search. The DAC2X does everything and more and sounds more pure and natural as anything I've ever heard.
ARC 40th Anniversary Preamp:
I did have a chance to hear the ARC Anniversary edition, but it was such a poor setup (Ayre multichannel amp on some Wilson Sophia speakers) - that I just can't comment. I would suspect they are close, with maybe the slightest edge to the REF 10. There is an ARC press release on the REF 10 which discusses the differences - and states the REF 10 is better. But really? By how much? Both are world class - and I LOVED the REF 5 SE as well. But, the REF 10 is at a whole 'nother level IMO.
My EMM Labs DAC2X is now about 2 months old and well broken in (I never turn it off and always have music playing through it - redbook, high res and DSD files). Let me preface this by saying I've been DAC obsessed for almost 2 years now. I've gone through no less than 15 DACS in that time period. Everything from Weiss to Wavelength to Benchmark to MHDT Havana to McIntosh to....
The EMM Labs DAC2X is in another league AFTER breaking in. Right out of the box, its a tad bright. After 200 hours - it's glorious. It is uncolored and doesn't try to be something it's not. It simply plays digital files in the purist form possible (ok, I admit, thats a bit of an oxymoron for the Vinyl folks out there!). I A/B it to my MCD1100 (now sold), Musical Fidelity M1DAC (no sold), Classe CP-800 (now in my Family Room) and Oppo 105. I did not compare it to previous DACS - since they were long since sold - so I was going by memory.
The DAC2X reveals micro details in a completely uncolored, natural manner. You hear much more of the music. Chris' review on computeraudiophile.com is spot on. Guitar and piano sounds so pure and natural I was amazed. Especially acoustic guitar. Wow. Voices have a natural purity and certainly more space around voices and instruments. Every detail is there.
I've now stopped my DAC search. The DAC2X does everything and more and sounds more pure and natural as anything I've ever heard.
ARC 40th Anniversary Preamp:
I did have a chance to hear the ARC Anniversary edition, but it was such a poor setup (Ayre multichannel amp on some Wilson Sophia speakers) - that I just can't comment. I would suspect they are close, with maybe the slightest edge to the REF 10. There is an ARC press release on the REF 10 which discusses the differences - and states the REF 10 is better. But really? By how much? Both are world class - and I LOVED the REF 5 SE as well. But, the REF 10 is at a whole 'nother level IMO.
My cables are all Wireworld Eclipse speaker and IC's and Electra PC's. I've had other cables, but I feel these are excellent. I had silver eclipse and silver Electra and really disliked them. Even after break in, they sounded unnatural and bright. I'm just not a fan of silver anything. Buy top notch copper and ignore the marketing nonsense. If I was buying today, it would likely be Shunyata....but the WW eclipse stuff is definitely the sweet spot in the cable market IMO.
Great stuff!!! Thanks for doing that! Great read...and will likely re-read at some point.
Did you listen to the Kubala Sosna Elation's? They are a great match with ARC gear and Sonus Faber.
lifecycle on ARC products getting shorter and shorter...
I bet the 500 hour breakin time hasn't changed. Maybe someday, when breakin is finally accomplished, the next model will be introduced...
I also have a Ref10 and the sound out of the box is intoxicating.
[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S-5JWcViPi8[/video]
[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S-5JWcViPi8[/video]
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