Audio Research in Recievership

[hifi_dave]

I heard the SP6B via a couple of Chinese customers and was impressed sufficiently to persuade Ab Sounds to import ARC. The SP8 was then the current 'bottom of the range' and we sold many of them. Along came the SP11 which was an improvement on the SP8 but we had a lot of trouble with noise, microphony and valves. Graham, you may have repaired a couple of SP11s for us ?

It was the problems which persuaded me to seek alternatives from Croft and EAR.

 

[RJohan]

I have repaired a couple of those D250s. Back in the day those and the SP10 nearly bankrupted ARC because of equipment returns due to valve/tube failures or valve/tube noise. When the 6550's blew, a handful of parts also had to be replaced around the faulty 6550. I practically made a living out of repairing ARC amps back in the early 1980s. Those were the days...

A bit like a Lambo, then. As it's been mentioned in this thread...

 

[Venus Isle]

Potential buyer already lined up next week, according to Jay's Audio Lab.

There's also an interesting Youtube video just posted from OCD Hi-Fi Guy on their 750 SEL amplifier. He can sometimes be your typical brash American stereotype, but he knows his stuff...

 

[stevec67]

Case in point. Most people who have spent £23k on a preamp are likely quite rightfully expecting that it will be designed and built of sufficient quality to last a lifetime.

I don't care how good an item sounds - I can't hear its SQ if its in the repair shop.

Dead right. The hifi industry needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Every day I see examples of real innovation in consumer electronics, and every day I see a hifi manufacturer trotti ng out a circuit that was publicised in application notes 40 years ago and runs from a PSU circuit that I could have drawn and built in my 6th form.I

Fortunately a few have worked out that having a computer connection for setup is now a basic requirement. Carry on, gentlemen, this is the future. It's only going to carry on, so best get on board now.

Am I the only one who thinks the name is strange ? Audio yes , Research err for a retail hifi company ?

It's not strange. They are trying t to convey that their hifi is bleeding edge technology, that they spend millions a year on research, that the retail bit is the result of this millions of R&D and that consequently their stuff is far ahead of everyone else. See also AR speakers, AR turntables, EAR amps UK, etc.

 

[GT]

I heard the SP6B via a couple of Chinese customers and was impressed sufficiently to persuade Ab Sounds to import ARC. The SP8 was then the current 'bottom of the range' and we sold many of them. Along came the SP11 which was an improvement on the SP8 but we had a lot of trouble with noise, microphony and valves. Graham, you may have repaired a couple of SP11s for us ?

It was the problems which persuaded me to seek alternatives from Croft and EAR.

I remember those times very well Dave. You sold me my first SP8 and I repaired a lot of ARC products for you over the years. It was the SP10 that had all the valves and was the troublesome preamp. There were 8 valves (6DJ8/ECC88) all double triodes in the phono stage and 4 valves (6DJ8/ECC88) all double triodes in the line stage, so 12 in total, plus another 3 valves in the power supply case. The problem was keeping a noise free set of valves in the amplifier which was very difficult to achieve due to the large number of valves used in the design, plus the very high gain of the whole preamp. Any noise was massively amplified by the high gain. The SP11 was ARCs answer to the very noisy SP10 and was rapidly rushed out to prevent the slide of the company due to these products downward reputation. The SP11 has 2 token valves/tubes in circuit, one in the phono stage and one in the line stage. The main gain circuits were all solid state to keep the noise levels low and try to recover some credibility for the company. Sound wise the SP11 was nowhere near as good as the SP8 and SP10. Same for the SP9 vs the SP8 as that had a similar design in the it was more solid state than valve. You might as well have bought a Krell or Mark Levinson as opposed an SP11 as the SP11 sounded just like a solid state amplifier and not tube like at all. Do you remember the SP12 Dave? I remember you had one in the shop in Radlett. That was a cracking single box preamp too, much like the SP6, SP8 and very underrated.

Do you remember that customer from Berkhampstead Dave, who came in your shop one Saturday with his SP8 and D115? I was helping you that day. He had just bought both from Popeck at Subjective Audio? The customer was worried about buying a valve amplifier due to some not being as reliable as solid state. But Popeck had sold him the SP8/D115 telling him that he would always be there for support so he needn't worry. Two weeks later when the power amp blew up he took it back to Subjective Audio and the shop had gone! He came to you in desperation thinking he had just been sold a pup. We repaired it for him. It was another ARC amp that had never been biassed up correctly by the dealer that sold it (Subjective Audio).

As you say the Croft and EAR amps had much better reliability. Happy days...

 

[davidsrsb]

There is really no excuse for a preamplifier having reliability problems.
Decent signal valves run sensibly should last decades

 

[abbydog]

The SP11 has 2 token valves/tubes in circuit, one in the phono stage and one in the line stage

Don’t you make valve equipment? Here is a link to the SP11 manual and schematic:

https://www.arcdb.ws/Database/SP11/ARC_SP11MKII_manual.pdf

if you read it, you’ll find it doesn’t fit your description above - in fact, I’m left wondering what you’re talking about throughout. I’m sad to see these sort of errors.

 

[Hooch500]

Don’t you make valve equipment? Here is a link to the SP11 manual and schematic:

https://www.arcdb.ws/Database/SP11/ARC_SP11MKII_manual.pdf

if you read it, you’ll find it doesn’t fit your description above - in fact, I’m left wondering what you’re talking about throughout. I’m sad to see these sort of errors.

Essentially he’s right - the SP11 is a hybrid with FET’s. The SP10 uses all tubes in the amp stages and has double the valve count.

 

[GT]

Don’t you make valve equipment? Here is a link to the SP11 manual and schematic:

https://www.arcdb.ws/Database/SP11/ARC_SP11MKII_manual.pdf

if you read it, you’ll find it doesn’t fit your description above - in fact, I’m left wondering what you’re talking about throughout. I’m sad to see these sort of errors.

Apologies, I've got the SP11 mixed up with the SP9 which just had 1 x 6DJ8 in the phono stage and 1 x 6DJ8 in the line stage. It's been a number of years since I checked out the SP11 schematic, but it is still a hybrid design using valves and FETs, unlike the ARC circuits that went before. My point was that to improve reliability ARC had to reduce the valve/tube count. Also, making it a hybrid design with FETs changed the established ARC house sound radically from what went before.

 

[davidavdavid]

Potential buyer already lined up next week, according to Jay's Audio Lab.

Buyer lined up??? Hmm, makes you wonder, IF the article in Stratagee has its facts straight, then the following is true:

The bank did not see enough value in the company. The Venture Capital firms who were approached wanted no part in the company. The assigned financial management company which specializes in turnarounds, did not see it as an opportunity.


Makes you wonder if whomever is looking to buy ARC is thinking with their heart and not their head. I"m not disputing that ARC made great products in its history, but that's just it. What does it really have left in the tank? Are today's audiophile and future ones the company's demographic? In the past few years has there been any real innovation? Has ARC's new models, and it's updates been truly substantive?

How many of its past dealers, decided to go a different route after ARC was acquired by the Fine/McIntosh Group and subsequently Trent Suggs? and more importantly why?

Warren Buffett used to quip that he was a member of AA*, and that he had a sponsor. And that every so often when he pondered investing in the airline industry he would immediately call his sponsor to talk him off the ledge. (* Airlines Anonymous). In this instance perhaps it should/could be Audio Research Corporation Anonymous

 

[crimsondonkey]

I think there’s a business there that could be successful, but will require much better leadership, and greater attention to delivering reliable products. The brand name still carries weight but there’s a lot to do to back this up.

 

[Darren L]

I think there’s a business there that could be successful, but will require much better leadership, and greater attention to delivering reliable products. The brand name still carries weight but there’s a lot to do to back this up.

For sure, I think there's a good market for retro styled audio components, they've got the history, Luxman and Leak seem to be doing well and popular. I've a feeling if AR's latest integrated had of been a retro styled VU metered ,wooden sleeved/cheeked affair it may have been more successful.

 

[terrycym]

The ARC online shop says it’s ‘down for maintenance’, really!

 

[hifi_dave]

I remember those times very well Dave. You sold me my first SP8 and I repaired a lot of ARC products for you over the years. It was the SP10 that had all the valves and was the troublesome preamp. There were 8 valves (6DJ8/ECC88) all double triodes in the phono stage and 4 valves (6DJ8/ECC88) all double triodes in the line stage, so 12 in total, plus another 3 valves in the power supply case. The problem was keeping a noise free set of valves in the amplifier which was very difficult to achieve due to the large number of valves used in the design, plus the very high gain of the whole preamp. Any noise was massively amplified by the high gain. The SP11 was ARCs answer to the very noisy SP10 and was rapidly rushed out to prevent the slide of the company due to these products downward reputation. The SP11 has 2 token valves/tubes in circuit, one in the phono stage and one in the line stage. The main gain circuits were all solid state to keep the noise levels low and try to recover some credibility for the company. Sound wise the SP11 was nowhere near as good as the SP8 and SP10. Same for the SP9 vs the SP8 as that had a similar design in the it was more solid state than valve. You might as well have bought a Krell or Mark Levinson as opposed an SP11 as the SP11 sounded just like a solid state amplifier and not tube like at all. Do you remember the SP12 Dave? I remember you had one in the shop in Radlett. That was a cracking single box preamp too, much like the SP6, SP8 and very underrated.

Do you remember that customer from Berkhampstead Dave, who came in your shop one Saturday with his SP8 and D115? I was helping you that day. He had just bought both from Popeck at Subjective Audio? The customer was worried about buying a valve amplifier due to some not being as reliable as solid state. But Popeck had sold him the SP8/D115 telling him that he would always be there for support so he needn't worry. Two weeks later when the power amp blew up he took it back to Subjective Audio and the shop had gone! He came to you in desperation thinking he had just been sold a pup. We repaired it for him. It was another ARC amp that had never been biassed up correctly by the dealer that sold it (Subjective Audio).

As you say the Croft and EAR amps had much better reliability. Happy days...

Good ol' days.

The SP8 + Krell KSA was our go-to high end amp combination for a while, then along came the SP10 and we lost confidence in the brand. I don't remember the specifics of the SP10 as you do, all I remember was the constant hiss, microphony and a large number of blown valves. The SP11 just wasn't as good as the SP8 nor was the SP14. I don't remember the SP12, we were probably happily selling EAR and Croft by then.

Your memory is better than mine because I don't recall the Berkhampstead chap but then again there were more than a few disenchanted ARC customers. I do remember Subjective advertising they would give the full retail price as p/x for any ARC product and thinking that couldn't work. Maybe that's what happened ?

 

[monya]

Only just seen this - I have a Ref 5 pre + a CD9, both seldom used but hoping they don’t pack up. Who’d fix them should it be needed?

 

[CTank]

Deco Audio. They had a massive ARC valve power amp in their repair department, last time I was there.

 

[RoA]

Always liked the semi pro/semi industrial look of AR. Unfortunately never owned any.

 

[hifinutt]

Audio Research Corporation Is Dead! Long Live the New Restructured Audio Research Corporation!
NEW OWNERS
While this may sound unusual it is not. In order to protect all parties, the "old" Audio Research Corporation had to be dissolved and a new one formed. As many of you have for some time known, in early April the original ARC entered into an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC), with Lighthouse Management Group Inc. as the assignee. This is a voluntary alternative to bankruptcy in which the debtor company's assets get transferred to a trust controlled by the assignee, which then makes all operational and financial decisions to dispose of the assets for the benefit of the company's creditors.

This can result in all of the assets being sold off, or as what's just been announced here, a "white knight" steps in, pays off the debt (or whatever financial arrangement satisfied the creditors), acquires the assets and forms a new company with the goal of keeping the company up and running as it was previous to the company's current financial difficulties.

The new owners have examined all aspects of the old company's operations and have determined that it can successfully operate a new company under new management and with a new infusion of capital. As for who the owner is (or owners are), please watch this space tomorrow for full details including the names of the new owners.

This is great news for the entire High Performance Audio community!

https://trackingangle.com/features/...l5Qhl4VXu-ZGTYipuWw5ahG4QunEX55tCsTKRXJYdeUHo

 

[davidavdavid]

It would appear that the Lighthouse Financial Group tasked with overseeing the Audio Research Corporation has found it a suitor, who is ready and willing to take the job of righting the reins over there. The name of the suitor should be made public no later than Friday. Hopefully, for its customers and its dealers there will be reassuring words, if not actions.

Please bear in mind, that ARC would not have gotten to this point if certain management decisions had not been taken. The company has been thrown a lifeline, a reprieve of sorts. The task at hand is not a walk in the park, so I'm not exactly sure why this alone is being heralded as "great news for the ENTIRE High-Performance Audio community". It is indeed welcome news for the company creditors and for the moment, employees of the company.

 

[kernow]

Not directly related, but what's happening with McIntosh also? They are doing some weird trade up deal where you'll get full or double price for your used kit, towards any new kit of theirs as long as it's double the price. Weird! Is Fine sounds group where old brands go to die or what?