The Pinacle of Valve Amplifier Technology. The Top of the Line Reference product in Audio Research's Stables. 

Follows the legacy of the Reference 600 to create an ultimate, tube-driven amplifier with enough
power to drive any speaker load, and provide a musical experience unlike any before it

Capable of delivering 750 watts of power into speaker loads of 4, 8 & 16 ohms

Massive, custom-built power transformer delivering current from sixteen KT120 vacuum tubes

Monolithic tower design features twin analog meters - 1 for output wattage and bias, 1 for incoming A.C.

Available as a special order. Learn More

 

REFERENCE 10

LINE STAGE PREAMPLIFIER

In 2010 we announced the Reference Anniversary preamplifier, a special limited edition product commemorating our 40th anniversary. It was acclaimed by many as the finest preamplifier available and a fitting tribute to all of the classic Audio Research products that were introduced during the forty years that preceded it. That we would only accept new orders for this special product during the anniversary year surprised almost everyone, but we considered the limited time frame appropriate. Since that time, we have learned a few things, and the result of that knowledge led to the development of the Reference 10. Included are critically chosen new components, proprietary custom-made capacitors, wiring, and new connectors that cumulatively provide a level of performance never before achieved. Key Audio Research design traits remain: The signal path is fully discrete, all-tube, pure Class-A, with zero feedback. Other attributes and choices remain, too: Each unit is completely hand-soldered and hand-constructed in our Minnesota facility using the finest materials, with major components such as custom transformers, plated-through circuit boards, and casework sourced locally. All engineering is performed in-house.

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This is an ambitious high end single brand system that throws down the gauntlet from Japan to the rest of the World. Needless to say Yamaha have the resources to pull something like this off. Although the elements of the 5000 are firmly based on the iconic NS1000 loudspeakers and the turntable pre and power amplifiers of the time, this system is thoroughly representative of third decade 21st century materials and design. The Absolute Sound on the Yamaha 5000 system

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Audio Research is pleased to announce the Reference 160S stereo power amplifier. A vacuum-tube design, it follows in the footsteps of the internationally-acclaimed 160M monaural power amplifier, introduced in 2018, which has won multiple amplifier-of the-year honors from publications such as Stereophile, Hi-Fi+, and others.

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The Reference 6SE replaces the Reference 6 and offers the highest performance ever available in a single-chassis preamplifier. Benefitting from the development that went into the Reference 160-series amplifiers, and the latest Reference 750SEL, the 6SE incorporates a myriad of new parts that have been judiciously incorporated into its design. The final 6SE would not have been possible without these revolutionary amplifiers.

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Every now and then one gets the privilege of being in custody of something that is a work of absolute beauty and performance ... having a pair of these on demonstration is the High Fidelity equivalent of a violinist being rendered with a Stradivarius by a patron.

Putting them into the Sonus faber Aida 2 system immediately bought the musicians into the room ... I have a particular opera recording that was sold in by Hartleys in Melbourne in 1957 that I procured in a lost corner of a curio store from a deceased estate. Playing this with these amplifiers Puccini and la Boheme were born again in the space ... time travel is a reality with a system like this ... yes we cried a little.

"Hi-Fi News" on the Ref160M. 

The official website for the Ref160M. 

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There is occasionally in this saturated market place a product that elicits a raw primeval desire to own and nurture.

Surround sound amplifiers come and go with their intemperate changes of HDMI protocols and surround formats.

The sheer conservatism of many excellent UK stereo products never penetrates the aesthetic sensibilities of many a potential music lover.

And then there is this McIntosh reference kit. Like a turbocharged Harley Davidson gate crashing Moto GP it is impossible to ignore, absolutely functional but outrageous design and audio quality.

An immediate object of desire after encounter and audition.

Come and try them

. McIintosh MA12000 Amplifier official site 

McIntosh MCD12000 Cd Player official site 

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Only a rare handful of power amplifiers withstand the test of time. The BHK Signature 300 is one such amplifier. Hand built, uncompromising. Learn More

This replaces the much loved Reference 75 ... now with the Ghost Meter display and the minimal signal path circuitry that characterises thius new range.. It's a beautiful thing.

The Audio Research Reference 80S stereo amplifier continues Audio Research’s latest design effort in creating a vacuum-tube amplifier that not only redefines ultimate music reproduction, but does it in an incredibly beautiful package. Learn More

The day this amplifier came into the shop was the day of our annual Christmas party. We plugged in this unit and played it hard. In fact it was still being blasted at 2am in the morning with a soundtrack of Madonna and Daft Punk.

In an era where so many products in consumer electronics are retro faux this is the real thing, it has a quintessential character that is true to the brands own rules with no compromise to marketing theories. It is sheer fun.

Straight out of the box, it doesn't feel tight and reserved. We've had it mainly playing on a set of Spendor D9.2 and they come alive. The bass is deep and full; bouncy and agile. There's also a consistency through the speaker and a real presence that lifts this amp above the rest.

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350W of serious power amplification. This unit is not only a work of industrial art, it's everything and more than what you'd expect in terms of grip, control and musicality.

I've been pleasantly surprised with the new versions of Chord Electronics Pre and Power combinations. I found many of their previous models of stereo power amps harsh and brittle but this is different - this sings. 

This is a must listen if you're looking for a beefy power amplifier.

It has had some stellar reviews, unsurprisingly and it's no wonder that there were lots of Chord Power amplifiers powering speakers at the latest Munich HiFi show earlier this year.

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Now born again under Heinz Lichteniger tutelage this massive state of art integrated amplifier has beautiful needles, remarkable nuvistor hybrid semiconductor devices, and makes 2.2 kilowatts into 1 Ohm.

Now this uses the unique output devices being the Nuvistor valves.

Nu-Vista refers to Musical Fidelity’s spin on Nuvistor tubes/valves that, according to the press release, “…were invented in the 1950s to solve the many shortcomings of conventional tubes. Unlike them, Nuvistor tubes offer very high reliability, low microphony, low noise, consistency from batch to batch, small size, relatively low power consumption and great technical performance.”

 

 Musical Fidelity official site for NuVista800.2 

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Available for Demo. This wonderful power amplifier has Audio Research's proprietary auto-bias circuit which adjusts for tube wear. The new VT80SE is Audio research's much-anticipated entirely new entry point power amplifier combining an enticing new esthetic with worry-free operation and great audio performance, the VT80SE is a vacuum-tube amplifier that will open doors to a new customer base. Learn More

The LS28 has been a favourite pre-amp of mine for a number of years trumped only by Audio Research's Ref 6SE. But that Ref 6SE stays put (generally) in our reference system. It's the LS28 that gets moved around, played and loved in a whole lot of combinations. It was sad to see our demo unit go but it's gone to a good home where it'll be appreciated.

The new LS28SE has the same musicality and relaxed engagement but even more clarity, focus and quickness. It's taking the expensive gold coupling caps from the REF 6SE and the same wiring and parts upgrades that the REF6SE went through.

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Chord Electronics has generally steered clear of full size integrateds prefering to manufacture separate pre and power amplifiers. There are many advantages with the separates design but many HiFi enthusiasts will appreciate the convenience and simplicity of the single chassis.

This is still a 'no compromise' sort of integrated amplifier. The focs is on the very best of components especially the power supplies to create that Chord Electronics signature resolving sound. We find the new Ultima range though is warmer than its predecessors making it more forgiving and suitable to a broader range of speakers.

At the moment, we are love the Ultimas with Spendor D-range and Dynaudio Contour and Confidence.

This unit is expected to arrive in Australia in September/October 2023.

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Significant step-up from the VSi60 in every meaningful way Muscular 75 watts per channel, 50% more than the VSi60 New low profile anodized front panel Power transformer designed around the new (4x) KT150 output tubes Incorporates some key parts from the REF75 including proprietary coupling caps Learn More

A Solid state beast of a machine that can play loud and hard.

"An astonishingly good amplifier... Blending together the brand's modern take on traditional analogue approaches with a healthy dose of digital inputs plus a top flight phono stage, headphone amp and battleship build quality." ... "A very elegant sounding amplifier with a lot of power in reserve... a hefty amplifier that is capable of great things and a lot more than just brute force, the MA7200 doesn’t just look the part, it sounds the part!" ...

Come and try it out.

McIntosh MA7200 official site 

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This is a rare amplifier and Rab's favourite. A classic, Japanese built elegant monster. We believe this is the only one in Australia.

It has sat in Rab's favourite demo room for many years and he has in particular loved its pairing with a set of Monitor Audio Platinum 500s. As we're moving around our demo rooms a little, it's time to find a good home for this chiseled jaw beauty...

The extension in the bass that this amp can produce is incredible and its mids are smooth and mellow. The highs are agile, brilliant but not harsh.

This is a whole different ball game from the commonly available Denon amps. It was a classic as soon as it came out of the factory.

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Top of the ACTION range, the A100 Titan is a hi-performance valve integrated amplifier using all tube technology. 100W per
per channel using 8 x KT66 valves in ultralinear push-pull configuration. Input stage uses ECC83/12AX7, phase splitter uses
12BH7. Utilising a custom output transformer resulting in a rich sound stage with an authority that must be heard to be
appreciated. 4 line input, USB and SPDIF inputs, pre out. Inbuilt DAC uses dual mono Wolfson WM8740 dacs, sampling up to
192KHz / 24bit. Remote control for volume and inputs.

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