Sound quality is EXCELENT. Build quality is high. Pre-amp controls are very good.

Not much but still… the remote control could be much better. Too high sensitivity to mains fluctuations.

The LS25 MkII very high quality, places stiff challenges to all of the known competition.
Sound stage is huge and 3-dimensional with lots of detail, stereo imaging is excellent, one can actually hear the positioning of the instruments and voices as they were recorded. The music has weight and dimension. The bass is deep and well defined, bass lines can be followed naturally (it’s right in front of you) without being mushy and rounded. Mid’s are incredibly realistic and non aggressive, gives the real sensation of the musicians and instruments being there. The treble is smooth but very detailed.
Overall the sound is smooth without loosing detail and being fatiguing. I found myself listening for hours and hours.
And, what’s most important of all, the timbre of the instruments and voices are faithfully reproduced.
This pre-amp has the best of both worlds solid state (FET stage) and tube (output stage).
Like all tube pre-amps the sound can be easily transformed with a different set of tubes and since there are only 2, experimenting will not ruin your bank account.
Controls: this pre-amp has a control for everything - sensitivity of each input, balanced or single ended, etc., it’s a luxury that once you get used to, you can’t live without. It’s something highly appreciated.
It is built to very high standards, solidly and with the highest quality parts.
Customer Service at ARC is very helpful. Leonard is always ready to help when there is any question or issue. They also sell direct the original tube sets (always good to buy direct and avoid distributor fees) and take credit cards for payment.
On the con side: the unit is very sensitive to mains fluctuation. It can mute outputs and go completely unresponsive with a variation of voltage above 10%.
The remote is not to the same standard of quality of the unit itself. It’s mostly plastic and tends to go out of order with use. ARC should offer a better remote (or at least an optional remote for a price).

Customer Service

Customer Service at ARC is very helpful. Leonard is always ready to help when there is any question or issue. They also sell direct the original tube sets (always good to buy direct and avoid distributor fees) and take credit cards for payment.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research LS16, Sumo, Conrad-Johnson

Sound quality is EXCELENT. Build quality is high. Very good Pre-amp controls.

Not much but still… the remote control could be much better. Too high sensitivity to mains fluctuations.

The LS25 MkII very high quality, places stiff challenges to all of the known competition.
Sound stage is huge and 3-dimensional with lots of detail, stereo imaging is excellent, one can actually hear the positioning of the instruments and voices as they were recorded. The music has weight and dimension. The bass is deep and well defined, bass lines can be followed naturally (it’s right in front of you) without being mushy and rounded. Mid’s are incredibly realistic and non aggressive, gives the real sensation of the musicians and instruments being there. The treble is smooth but very detailed.
Overall the sound is smooth without loosing detail and being fatiguing. I found myself listening for hours and hours.
And, what’s most important of all, the timbre of the instruments and voices are faithfully reproduced.
This pre-amp has the best of both worlds solid state (FET stage) and tube (output stage).
Like all tube pre-amps the sound can be easily transformed with a different set of tubes and since there are only 2, experimenting will not ruin your bank account.
Controls: this pre-amp has a control for everything - sensitivity of each input, balanced or single ended, etc., it’s a luxury that once you get used to, you can’t live without. It’s something highly appreciated.
It is built to very high standards, solidly and with the highest quality parts.
Customer Service at ARC is very helpful. Leonard is always ready to help when there is any question or issue. They also sell direct the original tube sets (always good to buy direct and avoid distributor fees) and take credit cards for payment.
On the con side: the unit is very sensitive to mains fluctuation. It can mute outputs and go completely unresponsive with a variation of voltage above 10%.
The remote is not to the same standard of quality of the unit itself. It’s mostly plastic and tends to go out of order with use. ARC should offer a better remote (or at least an optional remote for a price).

Customer Service

High quality ARC customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research LS16, Conrad-Johnson, Sumo.

Manufacture support. Build quailty, detail, front to back imaging, the dynamics, wow! A wide sound stage, crisp attack and speed. It's smooth, it's really smooth and totally engaging! Used market price!

The system does not sound live, but at times it seems to come close.

When I read a review I sometimes wish I knew a little more about the reviewer and their experience with different types or brands of equipment. Part of owning an expensive piece of equipment is the "pride" associated with owning it. I know I have had this feeling from time to time. When I buy somethiing that I have streached the bank to buy I want to feel good about the purchace, instead of getting it home and finding out I really don't like it and wish should had bought something else. When someone streches their bank it is probably the best peice of equipment they have ever owned, and they naturally give the equipment a shinning review, yet someone else who has more expericne, differnet tastes or has spent a lot more money (some how we relate expense to sound quality, so far I have found this to be true, but it's not always the case) may have better equipment and may find the rating only satisfactory at best.

So with that in mind, I have lived with mid-fi most of my life. I don't have a lot of experience with many different high end preamps. I didn't streach the bank to buy the LS25 MKII, but it is the most I have spent on a preamp. It is by far the best preamp I have ever owned and it made the biggest single improvemnt to my system. Source material has a lot to do with it but...finially the speakers disappear, creating a wall of sound. There is significantly more detail, front to back imaging, increased dynamics, wow! A wide sound stage, crisp attack and speed. It's smooth, it's really smooth and totally engaging! I love it. Now... I have never had an ARC REF 3 preamp in my system, and Yes, I would probably like it better, but until I try it, I will probably be very happy. My preamp was the weakest link in my system and I am sure the LS25 MKII only complements the rest of my system. You may not have the same reaction using different equipment. I like most types of music, I preferJazz for the most part, I don't care for poor quality recordings or RAP, NO RAP!

My system as is: Linn LP12/Ittock LVII/Denon DL-103D/Creek OBH
Marantz SA8260 SACD
ARC LS25 MKII
ARC VT200
ARC D400 MKII
Magnepan 3.6/sound anchor stands
2- DIY Madisound/NHT 1259 woofers
Dahlquist DQLP-1{low pass only)
Richard Gray PRO400
Analysis Plus Oval 9
Kimber Hero's.

I will upgrade to balanced cables when I find what I want.

Similar Products Used:

(most recent) Audio Research LS-3,
previously,
Audio by VanAlstine Omegastar EC (not a bad preamp) and Super Pas 3. Counterpoint, Kenwood LO7c, Audio Research SP6B,

~ Excellent dynamics and resolving power. ~ Openness.

~ Save a couple grand and buy the Audible Illusions Modulus 3a. That'll get you into one of the finest "5-star" tube preamps without costing you a divorce or bankruptcy.

Very excellent preamp. Flexible and useful feature set, has plenty of inputs/outputs. Well-built as usual from ARC, and drop-dead looks. There may be some miniscule improvements with ARC's Reference models, but I'm not sure in what areas of the presentation and at what price. Does anybody really need a $10,000 audio preamplifier??? Or a $5000. one for that matter?

Similar Products Used:

ARC LS-1, Audible Illusions Modulus 3, Adcom GFP-555, Levinson No. 383, others.

very good soundstage, very good focus, natural sound, no harsness and yet very detailed, sounds good on any speaker, fairly priced,

maybe a bit more pressure in the bottom range ??????????? maybe ( burmester 808mk5 )

after having had a lot of very expensive and not satisfying preamps. i stumbled on the ls 25mk2 i heard a friends ref 1. i cannot say that this is the best preamp but i will think twice no maybe three times to even listen to a transister preamp again. this preamp is really very very very good. it will deliver you what it is all about and that is MUSIC. no artificial hifisound. what i find that all transisterpreamps i have heard sound sharp in the upper range and they sound as if you are behind the musicians and not in front off them. Super natural sound.

Similar Products Used:

audioresearch sp6c,burmester 011, mark levinson 380s,