ARTICLE: ORIGINS OF AUDIO RESEARCH

29 November 2021

THE BEGINNING

Audio Research continues its dedication to unparalleled musical expression and crafting components of the highest quality and lasting value for its customers. Our long-term dedication to service is peerless in this industry (Audio Research, with few exceptions, can repair anything ever produced during its entire history). We continue to seek out new and exciting ways to make music more real and more enjoyable. More than just a name or a marketing tool, Audio Research has come to represent exceptional performance and long-term value. Experience Audio Research – experience High Definition®.

 

THE RISING TECHNOLOGY OF AUDIO RESEARCH

(Creation of Poweramps and Preamps)

At the heart of our Power Amplifiers is decades of proven Audio Research vacuum tube technology, a legacy unrivaled by any other manufacturer of tube electronics. Developed through hundreds of hours of critical listening, the carefully selected components comprising our Power Amplifiers combine to provide an array of amplifiers which transcends traditional hi-fi, instead relaying music with realism and tangibility. Audio Research has produced some of the finest components for music reproduction; this is especially true with regard to preamplifiers. In 1973, the SP3 was hailed as the best preamplifier available, and this tradition of excellence has continued ever since. The Reference Series from Audio Research was first introduced in 1995 and has been the ultimate representation of performance, musicality and power. From the same engineering and design team responsible for the award-winning Reference Series, the Foundation family of vacuum tube components has been created to provide incredible musical experiences. Spatial definition, dynamics and detail abound while providing the most natural musical experience.

                                                                      

HOW THEY PUSHED BOUNDARIES OF SONIC EXCELLENCE

For any high-end audio company, the lofty goal of trying to attain sonic perfection is a problematic one. First off, what exactly constitutes perfect sound? Second, how can sonic perfection be measured as it relates to recorded music?

To audiophiles, the idea of an absolute sound means to recreate a live musical event so accurately that it suspends disbelief. While listening to recorded music, if the sound of the stereo system is so pure, organic, and natural that it allows a listener to close their eyes and—literally—believe that they’re listening to a live performance, then the stereo must be considered state-of-the-art. The question still lingers though: how does any manufacturer measure sound quality? Is it better to use precision machines to bench-test the electrical efficacy of circuits? Or, alternatively, should manufacturers rely upon subjective listening tests conducted by human beings to evaluate sonics? For 50+ years, Audio Research Corporation (ARC) has continually strived to deliver reference calibre sound from its gear. ARC measures the sound quality of its components through two methods. The first uses precision machines to analyze the electrical performance of individual circuits. The second grades sonics through subjective listening tests that are done by humans.

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