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Anywhere I can find the TAS review of the SP4 and D100?
These were ARC's first venture into solid state (excuse me, 'analog modules') back in the late seventies.
The TAS review killed sales dead and ARC almost folded.
Would be interesting to re-read that little bit of hi-fi history....
"The problem with quotes from the internet is that many of them are just made up."
-Abraham Lincoln
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Check your inbox for the lengthy team review work.
BTW, thank you for asking me to take out this golden oldie issue as it brought back so many fond memories. My recollection likely contains some sugar frosting and along with my electrostats, I am biased as it reminds me how much I enjoyed reading the reviews from a long term and greatly influential audio mentor to me, JWC. It was hearing his Dayton-Wrights in that time frame that forever etched a preference for full range stats into my late teens psyche.
1977 represented a significant step in my audio tutelage and ascent upon the steep part of the bell curve of audio goodness awareness. It was that year I purchased my first stats, the Acoustat X having heard them the year before at JWC's when Bob Rieman and Jim Strickland brought a pair for review. HP (who I was to meet about a year later at chez Coolege) had a lengthy commentary on them in this issue. I was using a Van Alstine FET-5 MKII preamp (also reviewed in this issue).
PM me and I'll send you a copy of the text.
The D-100 got so so to bad reviews from everyone. It certainly wasn't a solid state amp that had much of the ARC tube sound.
They used potted modules which they claimed would destroy the insides if you tried to cut into them. this was to protect the amplifying devices inside which were claimed to be a new invention.
And there was a bad turn on problem. If you didn't dress the interconnects just 'right' which was parallel to the back panel the amp picked up the 60 Hz from the AC cord and produced a high power surge as the caps charged. The amp destroyed the woofers on my LS3/5a's.
In its favor, it was beautifully built and the internal packaging was superbly done. Not a favorite of mine.
Rowland had(has?) potted modules as well. I blew up one of the modules, they sent me a new one, and the amp was like new again.
Volume 3, Number 9, pages 15-24, spring 1977, according to a friend with all the earliest issues.
I had a D100...I bought it because I loved the Audio Research house sound....It was a major disappointment.....I quickly sold it to someone who wanted it because of the logo....how could it not be wonderful??
I had similar high expectation for the Rogue Audio Medusa 'hybrid class D' amp. Based on my experience with their all-tube gear, I was expecting great things from their much hyped (in the press) 'hybrid class d'.
What a let down! I sold it within a couple months of ownership. It was veiled, rolled off, soft, etc. It sounded much worse to me than many of the more common 'standard Class D' designs that used off-the-shelf modules.
Sorry, but not what I expected from Rogue.
nt
Harry says Bill Johnson told him the reviews almost tanked the company. Evidently, the production "analog modules" were never as good as the prototypes. The good news is William Z went back to the drawing board and came up with the SP6 / D150 models which were excellent.
I heard the D150 in 1975, five years before "analog modules"!
I heard the D150 in 1975, five years before "analog modules"!
According to ARCDB, the D-150 preceded the D-100 by one year, but point taken. Perhaps I was thinking about the D-79 which came out in '79.
I've seen a couple ARC DSi-200 integrated amps show up for sale on Audiogon over the years but I am very gun shy on buying any pricey Class D amps based on prior experience with several such amps.
And I read rumor here that ARC is coming out with a new Class D amp ??
When I was looking for my next and ultimate amp about 6 years ago I auditioned the Audio Research 300.2 and the PASS X250 with Magnepan MG3.6's.
I like the Audio Research so much I was going to buy it, but found a used Pass X250 for 2600 at the time with warranty...The 300.2 was bout 3500 new.
I thought its sound was very similar to the PASS, the PASS just had a tad more there in the overall presentation.
I like that it stayed cool and would recommend staying with a AR preamp....
Hi Abe,
Your Ampzilla 2000 Mk2 will smoke any class D. I own a Son of Ampzilla 2000 and like it very much.
I owned an ARC D240 MK2, and had a friend that had the 100.2 and D300 from the 90's. All were very nice, but not as good as my Son of Ampzilla 2000.
I do not feel the newer ARC class D hold up to those older ARC amps. I don't understand why ARC went to Class D. The local twin Cities ARC dealer told me the new class D amps do not sell as well as the older ARC analog SS did.
I wish they'd go back to making the 100.2.
I think standards in Europe may require class d or similarly efficient designs in the future. Gotta save the planet, don't cha know.
"The problem with quotes from the internet is that many of them are just made up."
-Abraham Lincoln
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive
This sealed the fate on some chrome plating and special purpose PCB boards:(.
Yes, the EU is making it harder to sell non RoHS compliant electronics their. European hifi manufacturers have been slowly adopting their products to reflect these new requirements. You see a change in anything from faceplates and knobs, PCB boards, and the amplification means. It WILL affect any US made product sold in Europe, a major market for US made hifi electronics as the US manufacturer must also meet the new EU norm if they are sold in Europe. This is especially true for tube and SS amps with large transformer cores. The material must be RoHS compliant.
ARC's third generation solid state preamp the SP-7 was good. A friend had it in a system driving a Bedini amp powering Spica TC-50 speakers.
Much later (circa 2000) the D100.2 amp is still highly sought after on the used market. Not sure about the companion LS-9 linestage. Anyone know how it is?
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