The Audio Research ref 2 preamp that I have was bought used on Auidiogon for $4000.00..
before that I used a Pioneer integrated amp....as soon as I received the Ref2
I realized I needed a Phono stage so I hunted down a Audio Research PH5...
which set me back $600.00...I hooked them uip to my Bryston 4 NRB
and AR XB turntable which I bought in 1972...and is still all original....with
a lot of flutter...(hunting for a new turntable) and will refurbish my old AR..
I put on Joshua Tree-U2, Eagles..Hotell California....and it sounded super awesome..
it was like WOW,,and my new Sonus Faber Auditors are have not been broken in
they only have 15 hrs of use...on low volume I could hear the music all over the house
with extreme clarity and lushness.....I also played Andrea Bocelli best hits....that was
orgasmic....especially when Sara Brightman joined in....I played Dinah Washington,
Billie Holiday ...the LPS came to Life...made me understand term "Living stereo"..
I also purchased a used Tube Jolida CD player on Ebay...hooked that in.,.,..and WOW
Best sound I ever heard.....I used Cardas goldenref,,,,,interconnects that I pickedup
on Audiogon,,,,I went from Listenning to Pioneer,,with Klipsh Horn Speakers.....
to Heaven....

Presicion, tonal balance, realistic.

Fatigue in bad records. Too bright sometimes (if you are a tube lover).

This is about Reference 2 MKII. I have the oportunity to have in my room one MKI and one MKII, and one LS25 for comparision at the same time. Forget about the LS25, people that say that its sounds 80% like the Ref are crazy. The Ref are four times better, soundstage, tonal balance and dynamic. One thing Refs are is to be dynamics like nothing I heard. The Reference Preamps works like two monos preamps in one machine, I think thats why they sound so much better. About the MKI or MKII they are complete different too, MKII is a hybrid desing. Tube lovers won´t be satisfied. MKII is more clear, more realistic and more vivid and unfortunally it causes more fatigue (if you listen loud). This is a matter of taste, what do you prefer, presicion or confort? I don´t know if I have the two ones new witch one I would prefer (I have to listen more). I had to get the MKII because the MKI is no longer avalible. Don´t listen to the MKII before 200 hours, it´s just terrible, the j-fets take long to break in. ARC should burn them in factory.

Similar Products Used:

ARC Ref 2 MKI , ARC LS 25, ARC sp16

soundstage, tonal balance, dynamics

A (tiny) bit of mechanical noise (hum)from the unit. Size(this baby is big and heavy).

I have recently upgraded from the LS25 MkII to the REF2 MkII. Reviews of the REF1 and REF2 MkI preamps are really not relevant as the MkII is essentially a completely different preamp. Same issue with LS25 MkI vs. Mk II. First; Audio Research's Ref2 MkII is the finest preamp that I have heard in my system. I never try to evaluate equipment that I have not heard in my system because there are so many variables that it is impossible in my opinion to talk about one component. Only when you have a stable system and change out one part, can you evaluate the contribution of that part. The REF2 does almost everything well; tonal balance is near perfect, with none of the lower midrange/upper base bloat that was present in earlier models. The highs may not seem as extended as some other preamps, but the more I listen, I more I believe that any perceived lack of extension in the highs is really a result of a lack of grain and hash that so many amps and preamps add to the high end range. The REF2 highs are extended and yet clean. The preamp took about 100 hours to break in. Before that, the soundstage was somwhat shortened and there was not the sense of space around individual instruments that is now so impressive. Soundstage is deep, and very wide (extending behind and beyond the speakers on some recordings) The dynamics are simply astounding... the preamp makes my system JUMP when the recording calls for it. I have not played with powercords for this preamp yet. I am using my standard, which is the Audiance PC (bargain in my opinion). One amazing thing about the LS25 vs REF2 comparison... the REF2 clearly outshines the LS25, but the difference is by no means embarassing. At its price, the LS25 is also an incredible preamp.

Similar Products Used:

Herron Audio, Hoveland, Audio Research LS25 Mk2, Michael Yee Audio, BAT VT50.

MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC,

None

Great preamps, it offer an execptional soundstage and liquid sound. I had for five years LS-22 (the best ever hear for the price); don't listen him before 200 hours of initial warm-up. Good match together Classe' Audio DR15 and ProAC. Future One.

Similar Products Used:

LS-22,CJ PV16 mk2,ML 380S

Makes CD's sound realistic.

Much better than Sonic Frontier Line-3. My CD's sound so much better on this unit. Easy to use. One piece unit is a big plus. Very reliable. Remote control is excellent.
Rounds off the edge on CD's and makes them full sounding.
LP's sound great also.

Similar Products Used:

Sonic Frontier Line-3; ARC LS-25; Meridian 561

HUGE soundstage, deep bass

Tonally incorrect, mid bass bloat, high noise floor, runs VERY hot and terrible company policy of constant upgrades.

It is very easy to be impressed by the incredible soundstage that this preamp throws. However, there is a very noticable mid bass bloat that takes the focus away from vocals and "focus" instruments.

I listen in the "nearfield" position and find this premap to be very noisy. When I listen late at night to chamber music or jazz it is very difficult to hear detail at low volumes due to the high noisefloor. When I insert the BAT VK-50SE in place of the REF2, everything changes, detail comes out and I can actually turn the volume down even lower and hear more music.

Audio Research is notorious for constantly upgrading their product, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the way they do it makes me want to avoid this company entirely. After spending $10,000 for a preamp and within a few weeks of ownership, an upgrade to MKII status was announced. I call ARC thinking it would not be a problem to get a free upgrade and they tell me I will have to pay the full $3,000 uppgrade price... ridiculous. They abviously do not care about the customer at all and only care about squeezing more money out of their customers. They act like a prima-donna company and will suffer for it. I am not the first to feel this way and will never buy another product of their's again.

On another note, I have heard their new REF2 MKII and it should have been called REF3, it is a totally different preamp. It is tonally correct, unlike their previous model and the mid bass bloat seems to be gone. While it is still noisier than the BAT, this problem has also been somewhat addressed. The new REF 2 MKII uses the 6h30 "super tube" which is far superior to the 6922 they replaced.

There are plenty of companies out there that make wonderful products that appreciate your business and offer incredible customer service, why bother supporting a company like ARC that thinks that they are more important than the customer.

Similar Products Used:

BAT VK-50SE, Levinson 380s, Nagra PLP

Well, it arrived yesterday. I sent the Ref 1 back to ARC for the upgrade to a Ref2. First thing I played was the new Plaid. This preamp is fast and dynamic! Wow! Too early for a final analysis, but I could not believe the difference between the 1 and 2. It was like ths soundstage just widened in depth and width. Funny thing was that my dealer, American Sound of Canada ( Angie!!) loaned me an LS-5 to feed my music habit whilst my Ref 1 underwent conversion surgery.
I actually preferred certain aspects of the 5 to my Ref 1. Heresy? Maybe, but I found the mids in the LS-5 to be mighty seductive for that Jazz kind of music, deep house, or the latest beats. But when it came to electronic or highly dynamic music, the Ref 2 is the only nuclear power in a world of conventional preamps. It really is that good.
I firmly believe that the preamp is the heart of any system. Mine has just undergone a major transplant.
I will update after a couple of weeks with this piece in progress.
But, initial impressions are favorable.
By the way, just saw Blair Witch Project. Only cost $30K to make? Har! Too much spent if you ask me.
To compare, the sixth sense was more cerebral.
I will give this a 5 star just on my initial analysis. I reserve the right to post a change later.
Later

Dynamics, Timbre, Bloom, Action...Music, music, music!!!

High noise floor is the cost you pay for music that flows in 3 dimensions. I gave up my Levinson 32 for this puppy because it sounds like real instruments coming alive in my room, not 2 dimensional Hi-Fi!!

Go to a live concert at your local symphony hall, jazz club or college theatre and then go home and put on a CD of like music...you will realize just how bad sound reproduction is even today! The Ref2mkII get's you as close to reality as can be had today!!!

Similar Products Used:

Levinson 380s, 32, ARC LS-25, BAT VK-5i

holographic imaging

in my search for the ultimate preamp, the Ref Two was on top of my list for quite a while. The one thing that strucked me the most is the deep bass attacks, and the holographic imaging. It was impressive.
But the unit I listened to suffered twice from humming. No other preamp, in the exact same environment had any problem. Very odd.
Anyway, at the end, I believe I prefer three other preamps over the Ref2... the Audio Note M6 (similarly priced), Mark Levinson No.32, and Conrad Johnson ART... I ended up with a ART!

Similar Products Used:

Conrad Johnson ART

Mechanics, Sound

Well, some don't like the looks of ARC, its a love/hate thing

My goodness…where to begin. Firstly, in the last year have converted from SS to tube. I can’t believe that anyone thinks that those transistors sound so good. My last pre amp was an ARC LS16, which was not bad for the price as these things go. According to ARC, it should have been far better than the LS15. I found the mechanics to be a little wanting, and while the definition and soundstage were there, it sounded a little meager in the mid to low end (Still, at 3K, an excellent pre-amp). So I’ve always had my radar atuned for the Ref 2. At last, my local dealer had a mint demo and he only wanted 6K for it. Moreover, they gave me a good price trading in the LS16, so for a moderate amount extra cash, I’m in pre amp heaven. As a matter of fact, I am much more satisfied with all of my components when the Ref 2 is driving them.

The best thing about this preamp is that that it is not pushy or overly forward, but you can still hear everything, and I mean everything in a very musical way. A cello sounds like a wooden cello, a trumpet like a brass trumpet, and a piano like real, grand piano. The mids and lows are absolutely superb, female vocals exquisite. It simply excels at everything. Is 10k too much for a preamp? Maybe, but this is certainly one of the best opportunities to raise your system to a reference level. As my friends the Brits say, “tired of hifi? Want music?”. Then music you shall have - with all the soundstage and definition anyone could ever hope for. An excellent investment from which to base any system!!

Similar Products Used:

Audiolab 8000Q, ARC LS16