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Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference

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Posted on June 20, 2016 at 20:21:49
TitaniumTroy
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Posts: 626
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Joined: October 14, 2006
 If you click on the second video at the 1:54 second mark, you can see that Audio Research Corp. uses Magnepan 20.7 as their reference speaker. Along with a lot RPG diffusors, some tube traps, a VPI TNT turntable and of course their own amp & preamp, and CD player.

I thought read somewhere that Wendel thought this was the best he heard the 20.7's.

Another listening room has Sonus Faber Aida's, which makes sense as they owned by Fine Sounds an Italian conglomerate who also owns McIntosh.

Sorry for the opps, but I fixed it now.

 

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Source for the video?, posted on June 20, 2016 at 21:52:45
M3 lover
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  Since: July 4, 2007
 TT, you left us hanging on what to click . . .

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

Here you go!, posted on June 21, 2016 at 07:03:12
E-Stat
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 I always just go to the Stereophile page and scroll down to the bottom for the related sites.

Analog Planet

 

Thanks muchly!, posted on June 21, 2016 at 07:46:11
E-Stat
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 I purchased my first of many ARC products in '81.

That extensive tour reinforces my opinion of the commitment to quality and sound reproduction that is one of their hallmarks.

 

RE: Thanks muchly!, posted on June 21, 2016 at 08:35:28
Norman M
 I can beat that by having bought ARC electronics in 1975 which were 'supposed' to mate (better than did others') with their Tympani 1C: SP-3-A1, D-76As, EC-2A.

 

About when I first heard , posted on June 21, 2016 at 10:23:15
E-Stat
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  Since: April 5, 2002
 Tympani IIIs tri-amped with Dual 75s on tweeter / midrange and Crown DC-300a on woofers, SP-3a, Linn Sondek LP12/SME/Ortofon SL15. That experience was the first of several major recalibrations I've experienced as to how realistic an audio system could sound.

Alas, I was but a poor teenager at the time. Since I had purchased an HK Citation 11 and Crown D150 from that dealer to drive my Advents with Microstatic tweeters, he lent me the SP-3a over a weekend to audition. I can still remember how much more realistic the shakers and cymbals that open Steely Dan's Do It Again sounded with the ARC. It was then I became both a planar and ARC fan.

As a speaker guy, I had to address that first. Two years later had MG-IIs and another year following, a pair of Acoustat X. Now I was ready for a really good preamp!

 

RE: About when I first heard , posted on June 21, 2016 at 11:09:44
Norman M
 Microstatic tweeters (MS-1, IIRC), I had a pair of those sitting atop my Acoustic Research AR-3 bookshelf loudspeakers before the AR-3A appeared on the scene.

 

RE: About when I first heard , posted on June 21, 2016 at 11:15:00
Sondek
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  Since: April 5, 2002
 Stats will show up short comings in the pre PDQ. When I first got my Acoustats I had a seriously tricked out Counterpoint SA3000. I thought it was a damned good pre, but through the Acoustats it was immediately obvious that my judgement about it was quite premature. Fingernails on chalkboard is an apt description. So, out with the Counterpoint and in with a CAT. Huge difference, and from a CAT pre that was almost as old as my Acoustats and one that had no updates/upgrades vs. highly upgraded Counterpoint. That old CAT has since been replaced by newer, current model and yet another step up in performance. Stats are ruthless in exposing weaknesses up the chain from them.

 

" Stats are ruthless in exposing weaknesses up the chain from them.", posted on June 21, 2016 at 14:13:00
E-Stat
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 Indeed!

I began with a Jensen FET-5 (Frank Van Alstine modified PAT-5) in '77. Pretty decent design where the sins were largely of omission. It was then I learned the value of power supply stiffness.

The three ARC preamps I've owned afterwards have all been much better. :)

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on June 22, 2016 at 00:51:45
mondial
Audiophile

Posts: 891
Location: S.E. ASIA
Joined: January 14, 2007
 Hi fellow inmates,

I wonder what arc amp was being used to drive the Magnepan 20.7 . I did not see it in the video made by Michael Fremer of Analog Planet .

Mondial

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on June 22, 2016 at 05:02:51
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4614
Joined: March 26, 2001
 The amp driving the 20.7 is the REF150. It is in the video but is easily missed. Look for it when Michael first enters Warren's evaluation room. It is in the back of the room away from the rest of the equipment.




 

RE: Here you go!, posted on June 22, 2016 at 07:10:28
Norman M
 I believe this gets you there (but I find boring as hell) plus the video pans around too much and too quickly and is hand held shaky:

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/analogplanet-visits-audio-research-corporation#PWqTOidEfPF4I1Qf.97

(Excedrin headache of your day)

 

Perhaps..., posted on June 22, 2016 at 09:20:45
E-Stat
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 you mean to post this to M3lover - but you'll notice that I have already provided a clickable link for both videos.

 

Here's a pic, posted on June 22, 2016 at 09:26:57
E-Stat
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RE: Perhaps..., posted on June 22, 2016 at 10:54:27
Norman M
 When you wrote scroll down to the bottom, I did do just that and missed it.

I took "the bottom" too literally, checking it for me it appears 1/3 the way down from the top. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered posting what I did. :-(.

On another issue, IMO those Microstatics weren't so great. They were said to bring the performance of the AR-3 close to that of a AR-3a, being useful to listeners (like myself) who bought AR-3s before AR-3as entered the scene. As I can remember them, I didn't think very highly about them. Having several (3?) mediocre conventional cone tweeters mounted along their fronts/sides didn't bring them up to the performance of the AR-3a dome tweeter, neither in their sound nor dispersion characteristics. Even when new their level controls weren't too 'positive' and their sound 'scrappy' or plainly, crappy.

 

RE: Perhaps..., posted on June 22, 2016 at 11:07:21
E-Stat
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Posts: 37607
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Having several (3?) mediocre conventional cone tweeters mounted along their fronts/sides didn't bring them up to the performance of the AR-3a dome tweeter, neither in their sound nor dispersion characteristics.

It was an improvement over the original Advent, but admittedly it was an inexpensive patch solution.

About a year later, I replaced the Advent/Microstatics with used Braun LV1020s (got a great deal) which were far more open sounding with a more solid and consistent image.

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on June 22, 2016 at 22:52:31
mondial
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Posts: 891
Location: S.E. ASIA
Joined: January 14, 2007
 Hi Kentaja ,

Thanks , you have a sharp eye. I was expecting that the 20.7 were driven at least by REF 250 or the REF750 monoblocks. Or their DS450 M Class D amp monoblocks. I know the REF 150 will be able to drive it but w/ authority? Maybe one can get away listening at low level. I thought the 20.7 are hard to drive & needs a lot of current to sound good. But they said planars although hard to drive are purely resistive loads and will work w/ tube amps .

Mondial

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on June 23, 2016 at 07:24:18
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4614
Joined: March 26, 2001
 I did see it in the video but I already knew where it was at. I visited ARC in February and the set-up has not changed since then.

Warren and I listened to the 20.7 driven by the REF150 for about an hour. Lots of dynamic music played at moderate to loud levels. The REF150 seemed to drive the 20.7 nicely. Warren told me he feels the REF150 is the sweet spot in their current REF series of amps. This is a smallish listening room compared to their main listening room.

I had not heard the large Magnepan for many years and this was my first time listening to the 20.7. An incredible speaker especially when driven by a complete ARC Reference system.


 

Would be a great new thread, posted on June 23, 2016 at 14:31:42
Ozzie
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Posts: 3814
Joined: August 1, 2002
 You guys gave some good history of your early rigs, and how you got to where you are now at.

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on June 23, 2016 at 15:19:41
mondial
Audiophile

Posts: 891
Location: S.E. ASIA
Joined: January 14, 2007
 Hi Kentaja ,

I also had the audio research factory tour back in 2007 . When Warren made me listen in the big room , he was using the REF 110 driving Wilson Max 2's . It sounded glorious like wise . But we did not play symphonic spectaculars , just small ensemble music and vocals. During that time Warren's favorite was the REF 110 .

Mondial

 

RE: Analog Planet Visits ARC with 20.7's as their reference, posted on August 29, 2016 at 19:52:50
goldenthal
Audiophile

Posts: 1001
Location: Ontario
Joined: March 28, 2003
 & compared to your Soundlab U1s?


Jeremy

 

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