Audio Research Testimonials

Unsolicited Customer Testimonials - Every client has paid The Upgrade Company LLC in full.   No kickbacks, no commissions, no fees of any kind for recommending our products and services.

October 2007

You'd be a little nuts to expect two "top-of-the-line" components like the ARC Ref 2 Mk 2 pre amp and the Reimyo CDP-777 could be improved. But that's exactly what The Upgrade Company achieved with a little bit of technical magic.   Upgrade Co. truly "upgraded" almost $24,000 (when new) units.  The enhancements include expansion of the musical space, dead-quiet, far more detail in the most complex musical passages and, that foolproof marker something's a lot better: "old" CD's suddenly seem new and exciting. I'd recommend The Upgrade Company without hesitation!

Jon Farbman, NJ

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June, 2009

I have been an audiophile for well over forty years. I've collected more than 4000 LP’s over the years.  I'm nearing retirement,  so I decided to make my last system as musically satisfying as possible. With that in mind I bought new speakers and  amplifiers,  but I was not satisfied with the preamps I bought and nor those I had demo'd  so I looked forward to finding one that would finally fit my system's requirements.

I had planned to buy an AYRE Kx-r  and was perusing along AUDIOGON’s pages when I read that there was an ARC LS-10 for sale.  I e-mailed to inquire about an Upgrade Co. upgraded LS-10 advertised on Audiogon by a private individual but it was sold already. I called Upgrade Co. and they happened to have a later production LS-10 for sale that was more recently upgraded by 2 years with an IEC inlet installed and newer capacitor selections.  I needed 240v conversion to operate here in the French West Indies, so I agreed to purchase the newer upgraded LS-10 provided it was 240v converted.   I received the LS-10 two weeks ago  but I refrained from listening to it immediately.  David told me that the 240v conversion required 2 new transformers and would take aa bit of use to reach full potential.  He also said that if I didn't like it he would buy it back.  How could I refuse such an offer?

Once I received the SE upgraded LS-10 I let it cook for a long week  to give the new 240v transformers some burn-in time.  I started listening finally on Mother’s day.   My wife told me that she and all the women I love (mother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law) would be leaving the house to have their own celebration.  That was the second blessing.  I switched everything on and started my listening session bright and early at 9am.  David is not stretching the truth here folks.  The Upgrade Co. Signature Edition LS-10 took off to new heights and fathomed depths I thought were mere reviewers’ hype.  I heard things in the music  that had gone totally unnoticed for years.   My system finally came together:  ultra quiet background, incredible dynamics,  subterranean bass weight and depth, the purist highs and mids I have ever heard.  I was stunned that a preamp alone could produce such a major shift in the sound quality.

I have owned ARC gear before (REF1, LS3, Classic 60) and I have heard many other more recent and much more expensive preamps in my system recently and in friends’ systems trying to decide which one to get, and  I can tell you that upgraded ARC components can make real music.  

I stopped listening @ 5pm  to have dinner and resumed listening an hour later.  It was well beyond 10pm when my wife called to tell it had been three hours or so already.   The music just flows.  The sound is effortless yet extremely fluid and detailed.  Simply amazing that a preamp upgrade can make such a big improvement.

If you really want to lift the veils and hear all that Audio Research equipment can do, then send yours to The Upgrade Company. They will replace everything that is "For Profit built" with super top of the line parts and shielding….and that will be the start of a love story.  You won't find anything better. I sure can't.  I've continued A-B'g my LS-10 and I haven't yet.  The LS-10 design is now 16 years old yet upgraded it performs better then the new ARC preamps, and better then any preamp have I have heard anywhere.  Extremely ripe and full yet crystal clear and highly informative and detailed.

Don’t  just take my word for it.  You'll never believe this unless you heard it for yourself.  Give David a call  and see to it .  I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.  Upgrade Co will buy anything back so you have nothing to lose really.

I'm sending Upgrade Company my AYRE C5-xe CD player next!

Patrick Griffith
Martinique
French West-Indies