Iconic American Top-Shelf brand, Audio Research never stops improving its well regarded and richly awarded models. This time around three of AR’s most decorated power amplifiers, the Reference 75, Reference 150 and Reference 250 have been intelligently tweaked.
The driver ensuring this trio of amplifiers now carries the legend SE, signifying they are special editions, is all down to a new output valve called the KT150.
Anyone familiar with AR’s history will know the brand switched over from the venerable 6550 output tube to the KT120 several years ago.
They will also know the sonic improvement of this switch was significant and were clearly audible.
We kno, because SoundMag uses an AR reference 75 power amplifier in its resident audio system.
The KT120 seemed smoother, more detailed, transparent and imparted a greater sense of “aliveness” to all genres of recorded music.
Dare we say it? The KT120 was/is simply more musical than the 6550 output valve it replaced.
The new KT150 according to AR, delivers the same magnitude of sonic improvement compared to the KT120.
In switching to the new valve, Audio Research also enhanced the circuitry of the three amplifiers.
The good news is that all existing Ref 75, 150 and 250 power amps can be upgraded quite easily. But ambitious AR amplifiers please take note: you cannot, we repeat cannot do it yourself.
The 6550, KT120 and KT150 valves are not directly interchangeable. So please consult the helpful folk at the Australian AR distributor Synergy Audio before touching your amplifier.
For more information: www.synergyaudio.com
