[Charles]

There was a pair of 5 year old 750's with 660 hours on the existing tube set selling for 19,750 dollars. It came with a new tube set with genuine ARC tubes valued at 11K. I would have thought that it would have sold for twice that. Your getting it essentially for the price of the new tube set. There's also a VAC Statement 452 (one amp) IQ for 37K, retail price 75K.

This amp is rated at 450 watts/ch mono. Here's the actual: VAC specifies the Statement 452 iQ's maximum power when used as a monoblock as 450W into 4 ohms (23.5dBW). With our usual definition of clipping, which is when the output's percentage of THD+noise reaches 1%, the VAC clipped at 235W into 8 ohms (23.7dBW, fig.4, footnote 1). However, less power was available into 4 ohms at 1% THD+N: 183W (19.6dBW, fig.5), though 370W was available at 3% THD+N (22.7dBW) and 410W at 10% THD+N (23.1dBW). I doubt that this shortfall in maximum power into 4 ohms would have affected the auditioning. Given the high sensitivity of the Wilson speakers, Michael was never asking the amplifiers to deliver more than 40W or so.

This is why I say that for practical purposes, the 3500 is the King. If I were VAC I'd be embarrassed by such a poor showing on the test bench. MF must play his music very softly. His DarTZeel NHB-468 tested out at: With that caution in mind and with "clipping" defined as when the THD+noise reaches 1%, I found that the NHB-468 clipped at 216W into 16 ohms (26.2dBW, fig.4), 398W into 8 ohms (26.0dBW, fig.5), 205W into 4 ohms (201.1dBW, fig.6), and 101W into 2 ohms (140dBW, fig.7). In each case, the amplifier's protection circuitry operated soon after the THD+N reached 1%. This amplifier offers high powers into higher impedances, but regarding the reduction in ultimate power into lower impedances, Hervé had explained in one of his emails that the 468's circuit is optimized for loads of 6 ohms, with the distribution of power "as if we would always work into the SOA (Safe Operation Area), not only for the output devices, but for the entire amplifier circuit design."

I play my XVX soft. I play it loud. I play it super loud. The 3500 handles my XVX easily. My XVX has a sensitivity of 92 dB. It loafs at 350 watts/ch. I have never heard it compress the sound. Speakers sound loud (tear at the ears) because they suffer dynamic compression. With my 3500 it has the best bass, best midrange, best treble I have heard without going into details. The min impedance is 1.6 ohms. My 3500 gets mildly warm when I listen to roller skating music at 300 plus watts/ch. I love the Drifters, Supremes, O'Jays, The Rascals, etc. You've never heard "In the Midnight Hour" until you hear it at 350 watts through an XVX.

Last night I skated on the wood for 3 hours, no break. I'm known as "Dr. Charles" on the wood. I have special t-shirts. I have made more friends than you can imagine. Pivots are very difficult. I can string two 360 degree pivots together quite nicely. I'm 74 years old but my friends treat me like I'm 30. T-Stacks Frank skates at my rink virtually every night. I see him every night. He one of the best in America. When I see my physician they ask if I have any falls. I say yes I fell 3 times last week, roller skating.

One may debate other specs but my XVX needs watts. It's an absolutely massive speaker. Its crossover weighs 45 lbs. The test bench exposes these so called high end ultra amps as "Emperors Without Clothes", i.e., "Without Watts" and also exposes deficiencies of reviewers. Either one of these amps would clip severely with me with my XVX.

I have respect for ARC. I think they are an excellent company and make superb gear.

Best

Charles