This Audio Research VT80 amp has a big natural musical sound on a wide variety of music, is easy to set up and built like a tank. Reviews and user comments mention:
* a very clear, wide and precise, holographic image,
* a rich musical midrange,
* clean open highs,
* a powerful and defined deep bass. I agree. Singers and instruments sound like they are in my living room. Instruments, especially acoustic ones, have a rich realistic sound that faithfully reproduces their overtones. Delicate enough for chamber music but the amp can also portray rock with the physical presence and drive of a live performance. With 75 watts it has plenty of power for inefficient speakers. I got excellent results on my AR 3a speakers using vinyl, CDs and TIDAL/Qobuz streaming. The circuitry shares many of the features of the much more expensive Audio Research REF 75 amp. Including an extensive automatic startup check. THIS IS AN AUTO-BIASING AMP THAT CAN USE A WIDE VARIETY OF OUTPUT TUBES including KT150, KT120, KT90, KT88, 6550. I tried all of them. They biased up automatically and had their own individual sound. With the current shortage and prices of tubes, having a choice makes this amp very flexible and cost effective. It also allows you to tailor the sound to your taste. CHANGING THE TUBES IS PLUG AND PLAY. Just insert a quad of tubes that it supports and the amp will automatically change the bias to optimize that tube. The VT80 adjusts bias for each output tube. The circuit also automatically adjusts for tube wear or fluctuations in the power in real time without compromising performance. EACH OUTPUT TUBE HAS ITS OWN FUSE. So a bad or failed tube only blows a fuse that you can replace rather than causing a costly amp repair. No blemishes except a small 1/16” scratch in the right rear and some wear to the speaker binding posts (see photo). This amplifier records hours of use and my amp has 2511.0 hours of playing time (see photos). Inputs can be switched for either balanced or single ended. Outputs support 4 and 8 ohm speakers. Dimensions are 19”W x 19.4”D x 8.6”H. The amp weighs 45.7 pounds. Shipping weight is about 65 lbs. Please use this link for complete specifications. https://www.arcdb.ws/model/VT80 Included is a quad of KT150 tubes with approximately 1000 hours of use. (Audio Research states that KT150 tubes can be used for 3000 hours in the VT80.) Also included is the original box with all original packing materials, owner’s manual and power cord. If you’d like, I have a new matched quad of KT150s. We can negotiate the price. My price of $4500 includes shipping in the continental US. Payment: PayPal, bank check or personal check after it clears. All questions welcome.
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