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Audio Research State of the Art Audio Reproduction

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  #11  
Old 08-26-2020, 12:09 AM
tima tima is offline
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Originally Posted by jpgr4blu View Post
Good to hear. I always felt that ARC was, in many ways, the opposite of Mac---- less bling, more attention to the finer aspects of sound reproduction.
Based upon the sale, it would seem that ARC may be losing one important guy, however---Livio Cucuzza who designed the Galileo series which led to the Ref 160 amps. The new ARC look is, to me, an elegant update of the prior "science project" look. Of course, the Ref 160 monos sound spectacular.
Cucuzza is an industrial design guy with an artistic bent, not an electronics design guy. I've never really heard him talk about any particular music or express a love of music. No doubt he is very talented. Coming out of Sonus Faber (who bought ARC from WZJ) Cucuzza was responsible more for the stylistic changes than anything to do with sound. He seems to specialize in carrying on the tradition of a brand while modernizing it, eg. Emme Speakers, Sonus Faber, ARC.

The Galileo/GS line was kinda one and done. Not really sure what ARC was trying to do with that ... a 'lifestyle' approach ? It always seemed an anomaly in their line-up, a swerve in branding that didn't pan out. The ARC sound is their real tradation.

The real loss for Audio Research was the 2017 untimely death of Ward Fieberger; I don't know if the company has yet moved on from that.
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  #12  
Old 08-26-2020, 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Msegal View Post
The changes made at AR since joining the McIntosh group have been invariably positive. They have stagnated digitally but their amplifiers and preamplifiers are top notch.
I do have concern they will prove vulnerable if their R&D slows down. They really need to focus on digital products.

Mike S.
Actually, I don't think they need to focus on digital products; I'm not sure its not in their set of core competencies. I don't see them as competitors to Lampizator, TotalDAC, EMM, Berkeley Audio Design, MSB, Playback Designs, Wavelength, Chord, or many other specialized DAC companies. They should focus on their core strengths: amps, preamps, and phono stages.
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Last edited by Puma Cat; 08-26-2020 at 12:49 PM.
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  #13  
Old 08-26-2020, 06:42 PM
lem321 lem321 is offline
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I have been a big Audio Research fan for over 40 years. I found their recent facelift to a more stylish and modern aesthetic a welcome change from their "laboratory" look. In a recent review of the ARC Reference CD9 SE CD player, the writer commented that despite a fine sounding CD player, the "finish lacks sophistication." Although the sound is by far the most important quality we strive for as audiophiles, the aesthetic and fit+finish play an important role for the prospective buyer especially at these high end price points.

I hope that going forward, in this new era, Audio Research is able to maintain a high level of finish to go along with their superb sound.
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  #14  
Old 08-26-2020, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by lem321 View Post
I have been a big Audio Research fan for over 40 years. I found their recent facelift to a more stylish and modern aesthetic a welcome change from their "laboratory" look. In a recent review of the ARC Reference CD9 SE CD player, the writer commented that despite a fine sounding CD player, the "finish lacks sophistication." Although the sound is by far the most important quality we strive for as audiophiles, the aesthetic and fit+finish play an important role for the prospective buyer especially at these high end price points.

I hope that going forward, in this new era, Audio Research is able to maintain a high level of finish to go along with their superb sound.
I'm sure they can, there a lot of good industrial designers around they can commission to do aesthetic design work for them.
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  #15  
Old 08-26-2020, 08:40 PM
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Default Mcintosh Group sells Audio Research

Audio Research design language is uniquely tech centric. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. It’s harder than it looks. McIntosh has historically done a great job with their design language- love it or leave it it is unique and has withstood the test of time.
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  #16  
Old 08-26-2020, 10:14 PM
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I am one of the few that dislikes the new faux-retro design language and prefer the previous (note I don't say old) laboratory equipment look. And I hope they return to those aesthetics and also improve the build and parts quality which has fallen in the past 5-6 years.e.g. Replaced the US made meters on the Ref250SE with ones made in China, shorter cheap glossy gold plated binding posts, thin flexible green coloured PCBs, Plastic vol and selector knobs, thin aluminium covers, thin perspex covers.

Last edited by triode12; 08-26-2020 at 10:55 PM.
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  #17  
Old 08-26-2020, 10:29 PM
damacman damacman is offline
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Man I'm with you^^!
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  #18  
Old 08-27-2020, 06:52 AM
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Agree.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
Actually, I don't think they need to focus on digital products; I'm not sure its not in their set of core competencies. I don't see them as competitors to Lampizator, TotalDAC, EMM, Berkeley Audio Design, MSB, Playback Designs, Wavelength, Chord, or many other specialized DAC companies. They should focus on their core strengths: amps, preamps, and phono stages.
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  #19  
Old 08-27-2020, 07:36 AM
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The hi end audiophile market is niche and people do not upgrade that often . I wish ARC well but think they had a better chance of surviving with the McIntosh group. It would not surprise me if ARC was not around in 10 years.
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  #20  
Old 08-27-2020, 08:16 AM
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The hi end audiophile market is niche and people do not upgrade that often . I wish ARC well but think they had a better chance of surviving with the McIntosh group. It would not surprise me if ARC was not around in 10 years.
Interesting.

I think were you privy to some of the inner workings and sheer demands on the management team of the Group, you might think otherwise. As you will see going forward, the McIntosh Group is moving in a way that would make it difficult for them to keep ARC at the forefront of its niche while also achieving all that the Group are pursuing on the Mac and Sonus faber fronts. This move allows both the Mac Group and ARC to focus on their own strengths and paths. IMO, both companies and our industry are better off for the change.

I have many friends in both places who are very, very happy today.

Last edited by metaphacts; 08-27-2020 at 08:29 AM.
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