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Audio Amplifier Model D-76
Right on Target, Again.
Every person has a predilection. It is a result of reinforced experience. If you will note, I hold in high esteem products produced by Audio Research Corporation (ARC). The company is typically right on target with their products, a consistency that has not been duplicated by any other high end audio manufacturer. These guys must have ears of gold and hands of Midas. Provenance I purchased this piece of audiophilia from Mr. Frederick Schmitt of Champaign, IL who advertised the ARC D-76 in the Audio Shopper. He had purchased the unit second hand from an audio dealer whose sense of fair play was on the darker shade of gray. (I use the past tense because this dealer has since been banned from advertising in several audio magazines.) Mr. Schmitt had to send the equipment to ARC for repair. In addition, he instructed that the amp be reconditioned to last another 20 years or so. This piqued my interest. I knew that old components require servicing to bring them up to their original standard. Hence, after a brief negotiation I purchased the unit. Subsequently, I requested ARC for a copy of the service performed on the amp. FYI, the total cost for the extensive servicing and parts replacement came out to $340. Tube replacement was extra, and I suggest you do this before sending the unit to the factory for service. Buying the tubes yourself, if your are knowlegeable, can save you money. ARC followed Mr. Schmitt's instructions, and I am confident that the unit will endure another two decades. On my part, I purchased from ARC their last gold faceplate for the D-76. I have that stored at the attic. There is a ding on the right hand side of the existing faceplate. While this does not in any way affect the performance of the component, I personally like to have equipment that is relatively unblemished. That's another thing I like about ARC. The company takes a long term view of servicing and stocking parts for their equipment. Conrad-Johnson is this way too, I have heard. I am sure that there are other manufacturers with long term commitment to their product, but these two come up on top of that short list. Technical The ARC D-76 is an all tube dual channel design utilizing 2 matched pairs of 6550 output tubes per side, 4 ECC83/12AX7 input tubes, 8 6FQ7/6CG7 tubes, and another 6550 as regulator. The amplifier provides 75 wpc output at 4, 8 or 16 ohms. As one will note, the D-76 has more tubes than most amps. The D-76 looks like its progenitors in the ARC lineage. Its dimensions are 19"x6.87"x13.44". A 0.187" thick rectangular plate in either silver or gold with 1.44" black handle bars on both sides and a green translucent lens as power on/off indicator make up the face of the amp. This is followed by a pair of output transformers on each side and the power transformer in the middle, then by a pair of three capacitors lined up in between the power and output transformers. Behind these are the circuit board, output and input tubes. A steel cage is provided for cover and protection. The amp weighs about 50 lbs. Reference The following components were used to evaluate the D-76: Audible Illusions Modulus 3 tube preamp, Audio Research SP-3 tube preamp primarily for listening to LPs, Classe' DR-9 amp, JVC XL-Z1050 Compact Disk player, the original Pink Triangle turntable with Sumiko MMT arm and Promethean Green cartridge, Inouye power conditioner, Kimber 8TC speaker cables, Promethean and MIT interconnects. The speakers that I used for comparison were the: Spendor SP1, Sound Dynamics 300Ti, Linn Index, and Acoustic Energy Aegis 2. In typical fashion, I would listen more intently after about two hours or so after I have had the system turned on. Sound Right from the start, one gets the distinct impression that the D-76 is an accomplished performer. It has the roundness and airy signature of a tube component and the balance that some old tube amps do not possess. You will note that some tube amps excel in the mids and mid highs. Vocal rendition is simply magical. Have you ever stopped to analyze why? It is their superlative midband processing capability that brings this about. Nevertheless, when one listens to compare long enough, one will also notice that most old tube amps soften the extremes and shorten the decay of musical notes. The upper highs are attenuated while the bottom end is either wooly or wobbly. The ARC D-76 has a wider band of excellence. It certainly sounds very well balanced. Listening to Judy Collins in Colors of the Day/The Best of Judy Collins (Electra 75030), one is held spellbound and bewitched by her lovely voice and singing. Her trembling voice is distinctly rendered with the roundness intact. But that is not all. One also appreciates the entire recording. There is synchronicity of voice, rhythm and bass guitars, snare drums, and other musical instruments. There is a natural ebb and flow. There is ambiance. Ambiance? By that I mean the musical detail and microdynamics that draws one closer to the music. I tried another recording--The Best of Friends by Loggins and Messina (Columbia 34388). I was rewarded with the same results--another musically fulfilling session. The D-76 is hard to find fault with. It is capable of revealing detail, microdymanics and macrodymanics in a coherent manner. It does so with polish and quiet poise. It does not draw undue attention upon itself except for the many points of glowing light emanating from the tubes. Track after track I listened without any fatigue, and was still eager for more. I could hardly find a trace of granularity within its frequency range. It was a joy to listen by. Is the ARC D-76 amp faultless? No, not at all. The Classe' DR-9's bottom end is certainly more extended, precise and solid. Mind you the DR-9 is not known for superlative bass extension, yet it still goes down lower and more solidly than the D-76. From that aspect, the D-76 is deficient and slightly loose. The Classe' is also slightly ahead in detailing and macrodynamics. It takes control of the speakers and just never lets go. I believe that this ability to control is significantly more critical in ported speakers. Ported speakers will honk when fed through amps with wooly bass. Trust me, I've heard it often enough, and it is irritating. But the D-76 is also smoother, rounder and fuller. The Classe' DR-9 is one of the best solid state amps I have heard. It is near grain free, detailed, dynamic, and musical. It is smoother than the YBA Integre' and that is an integrated amp with excellent poise. I recall this distinctly because that is one of the reasons why I decided to keep the DR-9. But side by side with the ARC D-76, one can perceive the slight variance. The roundness of the musical notes cannot be duplicated by the Classe' solid state amp. A rose is a rose. Relevance The ARC D-76 is a gem awaiting your discovery. To start with, the ARC brand wreaks of high end and pride of ownership. You can hardly find a better premium brand. With the additional outlay of having the unit serviced by ARC, you will have an amp that will be both musical and collectible. It's value is not bound to depreciate much further from its current market level of $600-$800. Moreover, with due care and maintenance, the ARC D-76 will last for decades. A caveat of the ARC D-76 is the need to bias and balance the unit after each tube set replacement. Since these are not intuitive processes and there is no end-user instrumentation for biasing and balancing, it will be a challenge for those unfamiliar with these procedures. Moreover, the unit has a lot of tubes that at one point or another will require replacement. That can be expensive. Not too many people relish this part of tube amp ownership. If you prefer a maintenance free amplifier, the Classe' DR-9 continues to be an excellent alternative. With its 75 wpc power output, the ARC D-76 is no powerhouse. That's alright. Within its power range is the polished ability to deliver musical refinement that caresses the soul. This amp runs away with four clefs.
by Rome Castellanes
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