Vintage Asylum

Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

Return to Vintage Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Audio Research VS. Golden Age Amplifiers

171.159.64.10
Posted on July 15, 2014 at 07:41:26
Ross
Audiophile

Posts: 1814
Joined: January 24, 2000
 Audio Research produced their first amplifiers in the early 70's and by the mid 70's were considered to be one of the original "High End" companies as we use the term today.

Looking back, their first products were introduced barely 10years after the industry changed to SS designs. Meaning that older AR amps are actually much closer in age to "classic" vintage amps than to more modern designs. If one were to aquire an AR amp from the mid 70s, it would be 40yrs old. It would be prudent to at least check if not replace all of the caps and check the reistors etc, just as one would for a vintage Fisher or Heathkit amp produced in the early 60's.

But- AR is considered to be "modern", while Fisher, Scott, Heathkit, Pilot etc are considered to be "vintage".

Did 10 years really make that much difference ?

Why ?


Thanks !

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
Yes, posted on July 15, 2014 at 08:28:39
airtime
Audiophile

Posts: 11287
Location: Arizona
Joined: February 4, 2003
 Sure did!

Not only did design technology change, but also component material technology.

End line - your ears will be the judge. But yes, even a year can see big differences. Of course some good and some bad. In the case of a company trying to "economizzzzzzz"

charles

 

RE: Audio Research VS. Golden Age Amplifiers, posted on July 15, 2014 at 10:15:33
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 2438
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
 There is sort of a 2 period line for vintage vs modern. The 1st is around the dawn of the transistor era and the 2nd as digital tuners came into being.

While a bit arbitrary, they are as good as any. The period between the pair of cutoffs was to many the vintage ss period for amps, tuners, etc. So there is the classic tube period, the vintage ss equipment period and bpc period. During the vintage ss period there were still a few tube equipment manufacturers but the number and production numbers was not sufficient to warrant a unique period classification. To some degree currently there is the emerging Chinese industry that is going to eventually create a new period for us to consider as some of it is turning out to be prety good tube gear.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

A bit of clarification regarding abbreviations, posted on July 15, 2014 at 11:31:13
1973shovel
Audiophile

Posts: 10117
Location: Greenville SC
Joined: February 25, 2007
 ARC = Audio Research Corporation

AR = Acoustic Research, while most noted for their speakers and turntable, also produced electronics.

Interesting topic, thanks!



 

RE: A bit of clarification regarding abbreviations, posted on July 15, 2014 at 15:57:00
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 2438
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
 Then there is ARC, a Canadian electronics company with at least a tuner and amp; have seen a couple and rather interesting.

Then N.E.A.R., New England Audio research that used NOS Bozak drivers and made the Bozak Concert Grand, Symphony and 302 on special order and using Bozak technology made a really nice series of speakers with drivers using the technology but not a Bozak product.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

Don't know about the assigned label, but..., posted on July 15, 2014 at 16:16:36
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37643
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 first hearing ARC gear when I was 17 completely recalibrated my listening perspective.

I visited a new shop in '74 when my system consisted of Dyna electronics and Double Advent speakers. It was then I was introduced to ADS speakers and H-K electronics (which I later purchased), but...

The shop owner took me upstairs and played the big system. I was completely blown away by the realism of Magneplanar Tympani IIIs tri-amped with ARC electronics. I'd heard quite a few speakers by that time including Bozaks, AR-LSTs, Altecs, Klipshorns, but none replicated the natural scale, depth and purity of that system. I purchased my first Audio Reserch component, an SP-6 preamp, in '81 and have owned several since.

I'm a fan of their sound and their no-nonsense instrument grade construction and appearance. Coincidentally, I just ordered an SP-20 today. I'll be moving the SP-9 MKIII to the vintage system. :)

 

Oh yes........, posted on July 15, 2014 at 17:47:19
viridian
 The ARC amps are from a different planet entirely, circuit boards rather than point-to-point. Very, IMHO needlessly, complex power supplies and many gain stages. My D75 was a needlessly complex amp that sounded very veiled.

 

RE: Audio Research VS. Golden Age Amplifiers, posted on July 15, 2014 at 20:42:12
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4309
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 What ARC did was go to more complex circuits which is why they were so costly for the period. The amps were all push/pull at every stage except the phase splitter and there were 2 gain stages(hope I recall correctly) when there were often just one. Plus each gain stage had a cathode follower to improve drive to the next stage. And, of course, the power supplies were a big step up for the times as was the overall parts quality.

I consider ARC and Levinson to be the seeds of what is now super high end. Their gear was at least an order of magnitude step in their goals audiowise and in cost. They opened the gate for the escalation going on still today for better or worse(probably a bit of both).

 

RE: Don't know about the assigned label, but..., posted on July 16, 2014 at 08:24:39
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4614
Joined: March 26, 2001
 Fast forward 40 years and I think you would still be impressed with the Tympani III driven with ARC electronics. I visited ARC a couple years ago and this is exactly what I heard.

The speakers were a fully restored set of Typmani IIIa obviously driven with modern ARC electronics. The sound was simply outstanding by any measure. While there were other speakers on hand including the Wilson MAXX3, Wilson Sasha, Magnepan 3.7 and the big Sonus Faber the Tympani was in the main listening room the day I was there. I understand why Warren uses them as a reference.

 

Cool! , posted on July 16, 2014 at 10:37:13
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37643
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Given the improvements with electronics and source gear, I can only imagine how that would sound today.

Who wouldn't like having a job like that of Mr. Gehl being Chief Listener for ARC? :)

 

Agreed. On the other hand I have a modified ARC LS3 that is transparent as all get out. Very simply Schemo~nT, posted on July 20, 2014 at 08:50:01
Cleantimestream
Audiophile

Posts: 7551
Location: Kentucky
Joined: June 30, 2005
 ~!
The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.

 

Why? William Zane Johnson proved to the audiophile world that..., posted on July 20, 2014 at 09:44:12
Cleantimestream
Audiophile

Posts: 7551
Location: Kentucky
Joined: June 30, 2005
 POWER SUPPLIES were important {he used integrated circuitry instead of brute force magnetic iron {COSTLY} to achieve his goal but the results proved a power supply was indeed important in design. Years ago, Bill Thalmann {former chief designer for Conrad Johnson} once commented {"Bill would use 10 parts when 1 would do"} I do agree. The comment does not detract from his business sense/prowess to give the public enough choices,reliability, service after the sale whilst keeping the looks the same, whereby the appeal is long lasting. I LOVE the old Conrad Johnson look {sorta stolen from Marantz say I}, do not like the new Conrad Johnson look even if their Preamps sound superior to ARC reference {IMHO}.
The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.

 

Page processed in 0.033 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]