i just want to inform all the members here, that the SP11 HAS a balanced output and it sounds even better with a balanced amp like for example the V70, if this possibility is used!

it has no XLR output (this was not usual at this time i think), but there is place to install some (compare back of the SP-15 !)

on the back you see very right a pair of sockets called "direct" beneath some called "invert".
all you have to do is to install a female xlr output and to connect the "hot" fo "direct" with pin 2, the "hot" of "invert" with pin 3, and if you want - see explanation below - the ground with pin 1.

in the SP-15 this is done from ARC in exactly this way!

if you want to let the body original you can do this:

all you need is a cable (of course per channel!) which connects the direct output with pin 2 on a male-XLR on the other side and the invert output with pin 3. if you want, you can also connect the ring of the chinch-connectors to pin 1 (grounding) - my experience is, that it sound better without grounding. i think because the body of the SP-11 and the body of the used amp are grounded, so it needs no further grounding.

sorry for my english, i am austrian and school is long ago ;-)

be careful, if you do version with XLR-females, its your own risk, disconnect the unit and be careful.
version two with two chinch to male-XLR ist riskless, if you do anything right!
if you have questions, ask at > - your welcome!

Superaltive soundstage, quick response, non tubey sound yet tubey, 5 cartridge matching positions, etc., etc.

1 hour minimum warm up time. Sonics get better the longer the preamp is powered up.

I was just browsing at some of the reviews and noticed this review for my SP11 mkII.
After reading thru all the posts (5), I couldn't agree more with other evaluations of this great preamp. I've tried the Cary SLP-98p (which is a fine amp in its own rite), the CAT, Joule Electra LA-100 MkIII, and a couple of older preamps, and NONE compare to the SP11's linestage and phonstage.

Customer Service

Fast and friendly service from ARC. They do not overcharge. Bought the manual for $10.00 plus postage.

Similar Products Used:

Cary SLP-98p, CAT, Joule Electra LA100 MkIII, many older preamps.

Man, I hate to be piling on top of all these reviews with another one of the same. However, given its performance, I simply cannot disagree. After having chances to many state of the art preamps (Boulder, Cello, Burmeister, Levinson, CAT, Marantz 7C, Counterpoint, ARC SP-10 MK2, ARC SP-8 MK2, ARC Ref 2, etc.), I still love this bad boy and would not trade it for anything else. Be sure to find a MK2 version and hang on to it!! I think a pristine condition one for $2500 or so is well worth it.

The Sound is by far the strength of this unit and I love the seperate gain and level control for volume it allows you to play very low volume with almost all the richness and bloom and shimmer that I would only get at a fairly high level of power,No More.

Very few people are willing to sell thier beloved SP-11

WOW I am Shocked,super pleased,audio heaven.The ARC SP-11 has got to be one of the best devices to bring a system into synergy Period. Before I got the SP-11 I was endlessly chasing the sound I was looking for,when the SP-11 got here it not only met that sound it blew way past what I needed in Hi Fi. I had a sonic frontiers line 1 before and boy was I missing the boat,The SP-11 is a wonderful piece of gear that I feel privliged to own if you have a chance to get one do not hesitate,don''t even think about it,you won''t even miss the remote.

Similar Products Used:

Sonic Frontiers Line 1 ARC VT-200

transparent, airy, acutate sound stage, responsive, detailed, neutral

too much trouble switching tubes for different sound.

This is one of the all time king of the hill preamp. If you're willing to spend over $10,000 for the ARC reference two then you should really listen to this SP-11 MK II.

Many listeners don't realize the potential of this preamp with different mix of the 6922 tubes ( NOS ) and the different flavor of amps ( solid state or tube .)

I tried it with many setups and my conclusion for this preamp is: excellent pair with tube amps and Jeff Rowland solid state amps.

Okay, why do listeners rate this very high?
I've listened to so many different systems with so many speakers and I always found that SP-11 produce very clean and neutral sound. I then replaced the Sovitek tubes with the amperex and I found a much more dramatic result. The change made the system sound even more dynamic with a good punch. The mids and bass came out alive with the amperex tubes. For the money, you can't find anything that came close to sp-11. Since I don't have a balance system, this is the best value single-ended preamp money can buy and you will not need to look any further. Just spend your money on your music and enjoy the sounds of heaven. The most important thing is to have the right match of your amp and preamp.

preamp: Audio Research SP-11 MK II
pwr amp: McIntosh MC240
interconnect: Audio Note VZ
NBS King Serpent II
Speaker wire: NBS Master
Speaker: ATC SCM 10 with Targent stand
CD player: Marantz CD 67-II SE
Turntable: EMT 930-ST

Similar Products Used:

MFA, ARC SP-10 MKII, Cello, B&K, sonic frontier SFL-2

Wonderful sound quality, accurate, detailed with a big room.

No balanced in- and outputs.

The SP 11 is a real bargain in a used "tube" preamplfier. I only miss the balanced in- and output, which I prefer.

The sound of the preamp is very accurate, and detailed in its sound reproduction. I haven't heard before a "room" like this. The soundstage is breathtaking. It is incredible how much music I was losing to hear in the past.

I can't give information about the phono stage because I use only CDs. But believe me, the AR sounds also with digital-equipment wonderful to my ears - mated with a transistor amplifier.

If you ever have the chance to go audition one used do it.

Similar Products Used:

Counterpoint SA-3000. Threshold T2.

When it comes to audiophiles, there seems to be 2 camps from which to choose from. One side consists of old-school enthusiasts who desire the warm, lush, tube-y sound that is a departure from accuracy that is easy on the ears. Others demand absolute transparency and high resolution, even if it does ruthlessly reveal imperfections in a recording. And as many audio vets will presume, you pick one side or the other, and never should the twain meet. Well, for a long time, I believed that bit of conventional wisdom and took it as the gospel. Until now, that is.
Up until my obtaining a used SP-11, I had mostly used budget pre-amps in my system. A conrad-johnson PV10AL and a McIntosh C-22 were what I was holding when I chanced upon the ARC in a local classified ad. The price was good. It was in excellent operating and cosmetic condition. I knew the legendary reputation that the SP-11 made for itself in Stereophile in the late 1980s. So I thought, what can I lose? Even if the pre-amp was unfit for my system or taste, I could probably recoup the purchase rather easily. So I plunked my cash down and took it home. (The guy must have been desperate to sell. As if the $1200 asking price wasn't low enough, he even threw in a set of Stax headphones for free, even though the ARC doesn't have a headphone jack!)

This is a 2 chassis pre-amp with the transistorised power supply in its own box. The control unit looks like, well, like your typical ARC. There are 8 toggle switches, a couple of tape-loops for dubbing, seperate gain and level knobs to control volume, balance, phono impedance, and mode (stereo, stereo reverse, mono, L & L, and R & R, etc.) knobs. The SP-11 accepts 4 line-level inputs as well as one phono source. Six 6922 tubes are what you need to get this baby glowing and singing. The power supply box is of similar size to the control unit, but with only 2 toggle switiches and no knobs. One switch turns on the power while the other turns on switched outlets that you can use to plug-in other components. When it comes to ARC pre-amps, this is about as full-featured as they ever got.

How does it sound? To me, this pre-amp makes the whole warm, tube-y/transparent, detailed argument moot. Yes, I know this sounds like hype. But with the level of quality in parts and engineering that ARC bestowed on their former top-of-the-line pre-amp, you have to hear it for yourself to believe it. Even though it is tubed, a few minutes of listening to this pre-amp will dispell you of any notions that this a lush sounding component, like an old tubed McIntosh is. First of all, the highs are not rolled off. You can still hear astonishing amounts of detail. But unlike typical SS units, the highs are not spitty and analytical. With the ARC, cymbals crash, shimmer, and decay like they do in real-life. Midrange instruments like saxes and trumpets come to life and sound like they are in the room with you. Tonal and instrumental balance sounds as it should in a concert hall soundspace. It's soundstage depth is the best I have heard in my home. Dare I say it? This is the first pre-amp I have owned (tube of SS) which certainly brings together the best of both worlds. Gobs of detail, accuracy, but maintained within acceptable parameters of being palatable to the ears.

For a long time, I have used the Paradigm Reference Studio 100s, the Rega Planet CD player, and the McIntosh MC 275 power amp as my reference. In particular, the Mac is tranparent enough to make clear the characteristics and "sound" of all the pre-amps I have used in my system, including the aforementioned c-j and McIntosh. With the SP-11, I believe that I have finally found a pre-amp that is worthy of my power amp. While the bass was leaner on the ARC compared to the c-j and the Mac, the bass control was tighter and the midbass cleaner with the SP-11. My guess is that the SP-11 is the most accurate of the 3 when it comes to tonal accuracy.

One suggestion for anyone thinking of getting the SP-11. Experiement to see whether your system sounds better with the bypass switch turned up. This switch bypasses the balance and stereo/mono mode knobs to shorten the circuit path. Also, compare the sound coming from the main outputs with the direct output jacks. On the latter, the phase invert switch and one of the tubes is switch out of the circuit path. When it comes to my system, I found it best with the direct outputs and the bypass switch engaged.

Once you find the best set-up for your pre-amp, sit back, relax, and enjoy. :)