I combined a Mark Levinson amp and an LS25. The best of both worlds. I enjoy both analog and digital. Over the years I’ve leaned the importance of speaker placement, my Teals! The LS 25 is a winner the synergy of a good stereo is very important.

The only weakness I can mention is the remote is sometimes temperamental.

Warm midrange, relaxed sound with good dynamics and resolution, not as revealing as BAT.

Little soft in the bass, and the soundstage lacks a little depth compared with the two more expensier preamps.

The LS-25 is a mk.1 with the 6922 tubes. Very good match together with ARC VT-100 mk.2. Wide soundstage, warm midrange. Good dynamics and resolution, but not as good as CJ Premier 16LS and BAT VK-50SE. The soundstage also lacks a little depth compared with the two other. Rest of my system: Avalon Avatar loudspeakers, Audio Aero Prima CD, Audio Research VT-100 mk.2, Transparent Audio cables.

Similar Products Used:

BAT VK-50SE, Conrad Johnson Premier 16LS

Has its own taste when coupled with VT-100mkII. Good imaging and good control with deep and wide sound stage. I like the Sovtek 6922 tubes it produces good and sweet sound. One of the very best pre-amps.

Similar Products Used:

CAT SL-1ultimate, VTL ultimate, Manley reference, Bob Carver signiture VTCC

Rich harmonics, full rythmic bass, extended smooth highs, open deep soundstage, natural palpable midrange and strong dynamics.

Extremely revealing of source component colorations and performance varies drastically with aftermarket powercords.

This pre-amp is the updated LS-25 Mk 2. Having gone thru every type of nos tube substitute for the 6922 I decided to upgrade to the 6H30 tube. The Ls-25 mk 2 preserves all the goodness of NOS Amperex and Siemens tubes in a more consistent product. The biggest improvement with the mk 2 is in the rich harmonics and clearly defined bass lines. The highs are also clear smooth and liquid. The midrange is still the main emphasis of this product but is deeper than the original. I don't use the factory supplied tube damping rings but use another brand that allows more air to enter the sounstage. Best performance will not be achieved until you find the "right" power cord and speaker placement. This is mainly due to the units generous bass potential and rich harmonics. I highly recommend the upgraded version and the upgrade is well worth the price to original LS-25 owners-even if you have found magic with NOS tubes. This pre-amp is a winner.

Similar Products Used:

Audible Illusions, ARC LS-15, Original ARC LS-25

Enchanting Midband, Amazing Highs(Very detailed highs with astonished layering!!!), User friendly(Remote and gain control)

Lows not as tight as others, but transparent(yes! listen it for yourselves)

This amp produce very wide soundstage, excellent resolution,
depth, transparency from top to bottom.
I have never experienced any pre-amp with such good balance and high frequency response. You can't find these in above listed pre-amp.

This gem not only sounds big and wide "horizontally", but also "vertically", with incredible depth.

What surprised me even more when I partnered it with Dynaudio, I though I was playing ribbon speakers! yet full of body.

Strongly recommended!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

VTL Ultimate, S.F. Line 3, Mcintosh C22, Ayre K-1 MK 2, Klyn SK-6

extreemly quiet, great soundstaging, tonally accurate, smooth, smooth, smooth.

none

I had the LS25II home for an audition along with the Audible Illusion. The ARC simply sounded bigger with a much more extended top end and extended bass. The real difference though was the midrange. The ARC just sounds beautiful no trace of hardness or glare. The audible Illusion was quite noisy/ARC dead quiet. I also had the ARC LS16 for a while along with a VTL pre again ARC sounded much better to my ears. LS 16 was wonderful but lacked the majic of the 25II. Only wishes volume control takes some getting used to, If only it had a great phono pre onboard (keep dreaming). If you want a really nice tube pre this may be your answer.
System:
ARC LS25II
Sonic Frontiers PowerII
Theta Miles bal.
Martin Logan Prodigy
VPI HW19Jr.
Acurus phono pre
Nordost cables

Similar Products Used:

ARC-LS16, Audible Illusions, VTL, Acurus

The LS25 is one of the best preamp I have used in my system.The only other preamp that can match/better its performance is ARC's own Ref 2.

Awesome dynamics yet very liquid.
The LS25 does not emphasize any spectrum of the music, it's almost completely neutral.
Compared to the Ref 2, it does have a smaller soundstage and less precise imaging. However, for me, the staging and imaging of the LS25 is good enough.
Of course, for a money-no-object preamp, the Ref 2 is the choice. However, for an average income audio madcap like me, the LS25 is the best tube preamp that can be found on the market today.

There is no debate for the well listened audiophile..the LS-25 is the most "Musical" preamp short of the Ref 2 that exists for a fully dynamic system(the 2 watt per channel crowd excluded of course). I have owned or experienced in my home most of the major competitors to the LS-25, some far more expensive; they do not transport the listener to the "Live Event" the way the LS-25 does.

Transparency, dynamics, musicality, soundstaging, ease

none detected so far

My ARC LS25 coupled with the VT100 mkII produces seamless, coherent, refined, detailed and dynamic music, performed on an open and vast soundstage, with power and scale. I have been brought so much closer to the music, that I have to restrain myself from being too excessive in my praises for the LS25. It recently replaced the excellent ARC LS2B mKII in my system (the LS2B mkII was no slouch and provided many years of top-notch performance.) However, the LS25 is in another class entirely (as it should be at $5000). It is an extremely musical peramp as it gets out of the way and allows the music to speak for itself. How does it compare to the other top-notch preamps? Who knows? But to me, it rates 5 stars for its ability to transport the listener to the original event.

Similar Products Used:

ARC LS2B mkII, ARC REF 1, SP9 mkII, SP14

Admittedly, the assessment of audio products is very subjective and depends on listener preferences as well as the associated equipment and room. It is true that everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, for someone to
characterize a super pre amp as the LS25 as "piece of junk" certainly borders on the ludicrous. I think Mr. Legion needs to have his hearing checked. Or, does Mr. Legion have a personal vendetta against Audio Research?