Many Audio Research products, here the Reference 330M monoblock power amp, feature the GhostMeter, a VU meter that seems to float in front of the tubes.
"We're proving that something old can be better than something new."
How often have tastes and technology changed, and you have gotten rid of a product only to dearly regret it 20 years later? Perhaps your Nakamichi tape deck, your Nissan 240SX, or your original Nintendo console. How you wish you could go back in time and tell yourself that what's clunky, overwrought, or nondescript will eventually look classic and beautifully functional, while oozing character.
William Zane Johnson had no such regrets about the audio company he founded in 1970. The world had irreversibly switched from vacuum tubes to transistors, and the hi-fi industry was also well on the way to rejecting these hot, fragile bulbs that had to be so carefully matched, biased, and replaced on a regular basis. But Bill Johnson was on a mission, and he knew he had to preserve and enshrine tube technology before it went extinct.
Audio Research was not formed because Bill Johnson was nostalgic for some sort of vintage sound, but because he believed tubes were still the state of the art. Fifty-six years later, his company's belief hasn't changed, and it continues to develop some of the best-sounding reference tube gear on the planet.
We're proud to announce that Upscale Audio is now a dealer for this unassuming legend from Minnesota. We caught up with Allan Haggar, Audio Research's vice president of sales, to ask him what the future holds. Allan is excited to report that in the last three years, the company has assembled the best engineering team it's ever had, even counting the days under Bill Johnson.
Its modest roster has gone up to about 20 products, with 10 of those released in the past year alone. In the past, even the most ardent Audio Research fans have acknowledged that the casework could be more substantial, and you can immediately see this has been addressed in the new products. The company now uses multi-metal layered chassis with special damping for the circuits. "It's like having a really expensive audio rack built into your preamp," says Allan.
The new multi-metal chassis improve damping over Audio Research's spare designs of the past.
If You Know, You Do Audio Research
One sight you're sure to see on the audio shelves of hi-fi industry veterans is the relatively unassuming silver or black faceplates and dual grab handles of an Audio Research component.
Our product manager, Ash N., has years of experience in the ultra-high-end world, and sure enough, among the Grimm Audio, Musical Fidelity, and T+A components in his home system, is his beloved Audio Research Reference 80S stereo KT150 power amp. "What sets Audio Research apart for me is that it does not miss any musical detail but is still not fatiguing."
"It sits somewhere between solid state and tubes, and it is one of the fastest tube amps I've heard, with the soundstage, the air, and the extension of great tube gear."
Ash has hit upon the raison d'être of Audio Research: that tube gear does not have to be warm and syrupy with slow, bloomy bass. That, after all, was Bill Johnson's core motivation, his recognition that tubes could be as fast, deep, and impactful as transistors. "We have more solid-state benefits in our designs than even great solid-state amps, but not at the expense of tube liquidity, expressiveness, and musical flow," says Allan.
Many of you reading are long-time fans of the brand, but for newcomers, Allan has some reassurances. "Tubes are easier to operate and own than they ever used to be. There are more safeguards, and they don't run as hot as they used to." He mentions a few giant solid-state amps that run significantly hotter than even the biggest Audio Research power amps.
"Our products address everything listeners flee solid state for, and also provide everything that other listeners stick to solid state for," says Allan. "We are proving that something old can be better than something new."
Our next in-store event will be on September 26 and will feature Audio Research products across a range of systems. Mark your calendars! More details to follow.
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