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Audio research reference phono preamplifier review

Words and Photos By Richard Mak. In the world of high end audio two of the most revered names in the industry are McIntosh and Audio Research. S manufacturers still in operation. While McIntosh is most famous for their amplifiers featuring the Unity Coupled Transformer circuitry, Audio Research is known for having some of the best preamps in the industry. This brings back memories of my younger days where I lusted after the iconic SP hybrid preamp.


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WATCH RELATED VIDEO: Linha Audio Research Reference no showroom da HiFiClub

Audio Research REF Phono 3SE


The special edition product follows the recent launch of the Reference 6SE Line-Stage preamplifier, which kick-started the anniversary product line. The new phono preamp is a result of the knowledge Audio Research gained in making its Reference Series amplifier, and brings component and wiring upgrades onboard. Authorised service centres in the rest of the world will be able to install the SE update kits in their respective countries.

Best phono preamps budget to high-end. Touraj Moghaddam: the man behind Roksan and Vertere talks turntables and cables. During that time she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching horror movies and hunting for gluten-free cake. What Hi-Fi? Becky Roberts. See all comments 0. No comments yet Comment from the forums.

Awards winners revealed! Awards Rega and Cambridge Audio reinforce their supremacy in stereo amp category.


Audio Research Reference Phono 3 phono stage

Upgrades have to be demonstrable. While the LP was in serious decline during the late 80s, ARC still included a top- quality phonostage in its preamplifiers. Until then, included phonostages consisted solely of vacuum tubes. The benefits of such a design make for a quieter phonostage than one that is all tubes; it also cuts down the tube compliment, boosting long-term reliability.

Audio Research Corporation (ARC) as we know it today, was founded in and has been manufacturing valve amplifiers since that time.

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When Audio Research was founded in , analog vinyl playback was the de facto music source of the time. Audio Research has either incorporated or built stand-alone phono stages since the very beginning and has continuously provided phono preamplification, even during the height of digital music. The Reference Phono 3SE is the next great advancement in analog playback and represents a new benchmark. The Reference Phono 3SE continues the upgrades introduced in the Reference 6SE line-stage, including a number of new, ultra-high-quality parts judiciously incorporated into its design and ushering in a new level of sonic accuracy and musicality. Due to the extremely low-level nature of the signals involved in a phono stage, the component and wiring upgrades incorporated in the Reference Phono 3SE combine to create a startling advancement in performance. The improvements heard immediately include enhanced resolution at all levels, greater purity and focus, improved transient speed and snap, and better dynamic shading. The sum of these improvements is exceptional, further breaking down the barrier between reproduced sound and the immediacy of a live event. The Reference Phono 3SE phono preamplifier is housed in a single chassis with heavy, machined aluminum side panels and special acrylic top and bottom covers for the best sound. The vacuum-tube audio stage utilizes six 6H30 vacuum tubes three per channel , while one 6H30 and a WE provide regulation in the power supply.

Audio Research Reference Phono 3SE preamp expands 50th anniversary line

audio research reference phono preamplifier review

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Audio Research Corporation ARC as we know it today, was founded in and has been manufacturing valve amplifiers since that time. The roots of the company go back as far as

User Name Remember Me? George Prentice.

Reference Phono 3SE Phono Stage


The new Audio Research reflects the changes in the audio market, as we move further from products that are sublime on the inside only, to products that take every aspect of the design and build process seriously. The Reference Phono 3 is a perfect example of that change in stance. It needs no back story and makes no apologies for itself, being extremely well made inside and out. In fairness, the Reference series has been steadily improved inside and out for several years, but if you compare this model with the original Reference Phono made at the turn of the century, the toggle-switches, rattling case, and contrasting slimline grab-handles have all been replaced, making the product look more like it belongs in the home, not the test-bench. Of course, the big industrial design change is the move to that central black panel and large, softer-touch buttons.

Audio Research REF10 Phono Preamplifier

Vinyl record playback has been an integral part of Audio Research since our founding in Even after the introduction of the compact disc in , phono sections remained a revered part of our preamplifiers. The first Audio Research phono preamplifier in a separate chassis was introduced in After all this time, we are proud to finally introduce the first two-chassis phono preamplifier in our history, the Reference Phono This model number was designated because it mirrors its line-stage counterpart, the Reference 10, providing an unsurpassed level of performance in its category.

The Ref 3 phono is without a doubt the finest sounding phono preamplifier I have ever heard in my system. The Ref 3 for me represents a.

Audio Research Reference Phono 3SE

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Audio Research REFERENCE phono 3 phono preamplifier

RELATED VIDEO: Audio Research Reference Phono

The special edition product follows the recent launch of the Reference 6SE Line-Stage preamplifier, which kick-started the anniversary product line. The new phono preamp is a result of the knowledge Audio Research gained in making its Reference Series amplifier, and brings component and wiring upgrades onboard. Authorised service centres in the rest of the world will be able to install the SE update kits in their respective countries. Best phono preamps budget to high-end. Touraj Moghaddam: the man behind Roksan and Vertere talks turntables and cables. During that time she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by.

Restocking Shipped within 3 to 5 working days Available within 1 or 2 weeks.

Legacy link: This new site was launched in July Visit the older site to access previous articles by clicking above. Audiophiles and reviewers have it in spades. We aspire to extract ever more from our audio systems: higher levels of performance, greater realism, more emotional connection with the music. Audiophiles are derided often with justification for the upgrade merry-go-round that can result from an unchecked conviction that the sound can always be improved; but if we keep system synergies and overall balance in mind, the thoughtful incorporation of new components can indeed give us more of what we aspire to. Moreover, few manufacturers could long survive without continuing to push themselves to extract more from their designs.

The REF Phono 3 was introduced in and has been recognized and awarded internationally for its incredible performance. And you know what? So now you know!




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  1. Walthari

    Go see a good movie and take a break, I just wrote an article about where to get films. Look in the right menu section Pages, and there is an article called Where to get films? There are links to FTP servers, trackers.

  2. Neran

    It at all does not approach me.