Lifesdream

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from audiogon

Summary:
The other reviews have said it. Great value on the used market. It sounds wonderful, speed, power, delicate, depth, wide image, dynamic, quiet. The best I have ever had, although D79B come close. I am sure Ref 210 are better but costs a lot more. When buying make sure of the condition of the tubes, it is expensive to retube.

The few negatives still make it worth while.

Strengths:
It sounds wonderful, speed, power, delicate, depth, wide image, dynamic, quiet

A great Value on the used market.

Weaknesses:
Very expensive to retube, its heavy and needs to be shiped on a pallet. Do not UPS or FedEx. You need two people to move it. Generates a lot of heat,
Not for everyone.

Similar Products Used:
ARC D400 MKII, AVA OmegaStar 440HC, ARC D79B, Kenwood LO-7M, Hafler 500,

Current system,

Linn LP12/Ittock/Valhala/Denon 103D
ARC PH3SE
Cambridge 840C
ARC LS25 MKII
ARC VT200
Magnepan 3.6
ACI Titan XL
Autoformer
Black Mountain XLR's
Analysis Plus Oval 9
Kimber Hero
Denon TU850

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
What an amp! Improving source, preamp & cables all to very high end around it has not reached its limitations. Bass is deep & tight enough to resonate internal organs & mighty fast - this really surprised me from my first valve amp, albeit a hybrid one. Midrange fluidity, tonality & palpability, soundstage & noise floor top notch. Very very detailed. The reviewer below has summed up this latest generation Mk2 very accurately - best of both worlds of semi-conductors & conductors! in this respect, it has similar characteristics to my Pass labs aleph 4 100W stereo amp which was also a cracker. System: Cary 306/200 CD, 240V VT200 mk2 run single-ended from First sound Prescence deluxe mk 2 4.0 paramount upgrade with concierto string quartet & violin biwire into proAc Future 2s. PSaudio P600 & lab cables. Cardas RCA caps & Shun Mook isocubes/platforms.

Weaknesses:
Need to run aircon in the summer as it pumps out around 900watts of heat. It is a bugger to lift.

Similar Products Used:
Pass Labs, Krell.

Price Paid:  $8000.00 from Local Dealer

Summary:
This is about VT-200 MKII. Perfect match for the REF2 MKII. Hybrid? Who cares? It´s sounds, perfect like tubes and fast like transistors.

Strengths:
Power, power, power. Very fast and open for a tube amp. Perfection in the mids.

Weaknesses:
$$$ expensive. Tube replacement value.

Similar Products Used:
ARC VT-100 MkII

Price Paid:  $5000.00 from Lotus Hifi Istanbul

Summary:
In previous review, the end part was missing: ..... Krell was also analytical but not for my taste. I felt the listening fatigue with both Rotel and Krell after 1-2 hours but with VT200 my listening sessions were limitless. I mostly listen to jazz and to me, jazz requires a cleaner, better represention, imaging and defition by the audio setup especially for its self improvization. VT200 fulfilled the missing parts in previous setup which Rotel (even Krell) could not match. I also tried VT100mkII, although it had the magic of tube warmness, it lacked the latest detail and soundstage of VT200. Since I also consider to upgrade my speakers in future, I chose VT200 for both better performance and future compatibility over VT100. This is the first time that I fully discover music inside the cds, it is a big big improvement. By adding the magical cd processor+tube preamp Audio Aero Capitol 24/192, the music is much more alive, detailed, neutral and I have the synergy of tube pre and power amplification. I think VT200 for the price i paid, is a bargain since the tubes inside are also new. I think of trying a tube preamp (ARC LS25, Ref2 etc.) to see if any dramatic changes or improvements. In my current system, Capitol 24/192 is directly connected to the power and I do not have a seperate preamp. Choosing the right audio equipment is a very subjective case. I am trying to argue tubes are better over solid state, or ARC is better than Krell etc. But what I discovered is that there is much more fun and happiness for me with tubes and for the system have now. Rest of the system: Transparent Audio Ultra Bicable; Ultra XLR connectors; B&W Nautilus 803; PS Audio Ultimate Outlet+Lab power cord

Price Paid:  $5000.00 from Lotus Hifi Istanbul

Summary:
Perhaps this is the story of how I shifted from the solidity of Solid State to the magic of Tubes. I try to improve my audio setup and always thought SS is a better solution for power amplification. The idea was simple, during my previous listening experience I liked the tube sound, but tube amps were more subject to heat, they were generally expensive so were the tubes inside, bass definition was weaker (what a mistake by me) etc, so I always felt tubes were less practical. I upgraded my speakers, cd player, preamp, connectors, speaker cables but not touched to the power amp which was a Rotel RB-1090. It is a champion for the value wrt price (Read my review for Rotel RB-1090 on November 1, 2001). I tested it against more expensive SS power amps and although this comparisons showed me its weakness in some areas, I was never forced to upgrade it, until I had a chance to try an AudioResearch VT200 at home. Last month my favorite dealer sent me an ARC VT200 and Krell FBP 300 to try. Both of them showed me the areas that I suffer (critical tones of midrange, smooth and detailed highs, a better and detailed midbass and bass harmonics etc.) But while I was listening to Krell, I felt that I am listening to Krell's own bass and soundstage. I am not arguing FBP's quality, soundstage, bass definition etc, but to my taste, the soul and neutrality of music was not there. Then came VT200, a second hand unit which all of the lambs were replaced. VT200 gave the music with a pure, neutral and musical way. It had a huge sounstage that I never felt with SS amps. No exaggaration of bass, or critical tones, no coloration, but just music in its pure and simple way. Bass definition was well defined with full of details and deepness. Although Krell and Rotel was louder in bass, lower information was dominating the rest of the band in critical passages, so the full body of music was dissappeared. On the other hand, VT200 had a better sounstage, and I never felt that the musicians and frequencies overlapped, squizzed, compressed, and full body of music was completely there. VT200 gave the bass lines as exactly as they were. The highs were rich, smooth, vocals shined, I discovered the hidden or missing textures and details in my cd collection which I never heard them this way with Rotel. Krell was also analytical but not for my taste. I felt the listening fatigue with both Rotel and

Strengths:
What can I say: It is something very special

Weaknesses:
heat is a significant issue. After 1-2 hours, the room needs cooling by air condition. It is huge, not so easy to fit to any hifi rack etc. It needs definitely a big space to breath and to circulate its heat. For its brand new price, I should give a three or four stars for its value (VT200mkII is nearly 11k)

Similar Products Used:
Krell, Rotel, Mark Levinson, Classe, Conrad Johnson etc.