STATUS - SOLD
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Description :
Built by hand in Plymouth, Minnesota, to the same exacting standards as the renowned Reference series, the Audio Research VSI60 offers remarkable sound quality and value. On the front there are function and volume LEDs on the left, and soft touch buttons on the right mimicking the layout of the SP17 preamplifier. The supplied remote controls all functions including power, muting, stereo/mono, input select, and volume up/down. The rear of the chassis has five pairs of single-ended inputs labeled CD, Tuner, Video, SE1 and SE2; a (full-range) mono subwoofer output; voltmeter test points for setting bias; 0-4-8 ohm, gold plated brass five-way binding posts, and a very high quality detachable line cord.
The control section of the Audio Research VSI60 is passive, utilizing microprocessor-controlled relays. The high performance input relay paths are especially short, the same as those in Reference preamplifiers. The microprocessor control remembers the last input selected and the stereo/mono setting when the unit is powered down. Upon turn-on there is an automatic 30-second warm-up mute, with the volume control reset to zero to avoid possible unwanted surprises. The active circuitry is essentially that of the VS60, but with more gain for greater sensitivity. The preamplifier and amplifier sections cannot be separated. The Audio Research VSI60 has a new JFET input stage for low noise, with 6H30 driver tubes. The KT120 output tube is used, the same as Audio Research's other vacuum tube amplifiers.
The rich, glorious, uncolored, holographic midrange of the Audio Research VSI60 makes it a natural match for well-recorded voices, reproducing it with a delicate yet forcefully dynamic grit, clearly delineating every touch of studio reverb in a bath of guttural glory. The ability to reproduce the midrange also makes it a natural match for well-recorded albums of acoustic jazz piano. Middle registers are delicately reproduced, with all of its natural warmth and subtle transient articulations remaining intact. The clean, extended, detailed reproduction of high frequencies also makes the Audio Research VSI60 a good match for jazz and classical recordings. Trumpets have perfect transient bite, a golden burnished decay, and the natural breath of the real thing. Violins are rendered with pristine, extended, and airy detail and delicacy; every ambient nuance of the recording space is captured with breathtaking three-dimensional realism.
With many recordings, the Audio Research VSI60 reproduces all transients with flawless speed and articulation and no trace of smear or hardness. The broad range of timbres of the various instruments are perfectly placed on a wide, deep soundstage, each instrument entirely separable from the rest, even in the densest passages. The Audio Research VSI60 unravels an extraordinary amount of detail from all recordings, at a level heard only from amplifiers costing into five figures. Where the Audio Research VSI60 falls a bit short is in full-throated, densely orchestrated passages in large classical works. The loudest passages have traces of compression and smearing. The bass drum is reproduced with perfectly clean shudder and bottom-end depth, and there is a bit of tension in the upper midrange in the loudest and densest passages.
Specifications :
Power Output...................................50W per channel continuous from 20Hz to 20kHz
..................................1kHz total harmonic distortion typically 1.5% at 50W
..................................0.05% at 1W
Frequency Response........................(-3dB points at 1W) 1.0Hz to 80kHz
Input Sensitivity................................0.47V RMS Single-ended for rated output
...............................(32.5dB gain into 8 ohms)
Input Impedance...............................50k ohms Single-ended
Inputs.............................................CD, Tuner, Video, SE1, SE2 (Single Ended RCA connectors)
Maximum Input................................3.5V RMS (any input)
Output Polarity.................................Non-Inverting (any input)
Push Buttons...................................Volume up, volume down (103 steps, 20 LED indicators),
...................................Input, Mono, Mute, Power
...................................All functions on IR remote control
Output Taps.....................................8 ohms, 4 ohms
Mono Subwoofer Output....................1V RMS at rated power
Overall Negative Feedback................7dB
Hum And Noise................................Less than 0.1mV RMS - 106dB below rated output
................................(IHF weighted, Vol down)
Power Supplies................................Electronically regulated Low and High voltage supplies for input stages
.................................Automatic 30 sec. warmup/brown-out mute
Power Supply Energy Storage...........Approximately 166 joules
Power Requirements.........................100 to 125 V AC 60 Hz (200 to 250 V AC, 50Hz) 300W at rated output
.........................500W maximum, 200W at "idle"
Tubes Required................................2 x Matched pair 6550 power output; 2 x 6H30 input and driver.
Dimensions(w x d x h)......................35.5 x 42.5 x 22 cm
Weight............................................15kg
Miscellaneous :
Remote...........................................Yes
Made In...........................................USA
Condition.........................................9/10
Product Information :
http://www.audioresearch.com/VSi60.html
http://www.arcdb.ws/VSI60/VSI60.html
Reviews :
http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/audio_research_vsi60_integrated_amplifier/index.html
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/amplifiers/46-valvetube-amps/210-audio-research-vsi60.html
http://www.soundstage.com/equipment/arc_vsi60.htm
http://www.audioresearch.com/pdf/VSi60-ePrint.pdf
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20107365-47/high-end-audio-sounds-great-lasts-decades/ |
