Audio Research VT-100 mkIII With incentive for local pickup

We all make audio decisions which we later regret.  Mine may by the sale of my beloved ARC VT-100 Mk III.  I had a VT-50 and I regretted selling that but consoled myself with the acquisition of the 100 Mk III.  Now I’m trying to convince myself that my recently acquired VT-130SE is better than the 100.  So far I’m not too impressed with the bass performance of the VT-130SE.  But the 100 has to go, soon to be followed by the 130 since I want to try a KT-120 ARC amp.

I purchased the amp from the original owner (along with the LS-25 Mk II I have listed here).  The amp had less than 500 hours when I purchased it.  I have logged about 400 hours on it.  For the past two months it has been off.

This is the variant with the four 6H30 driver tubes, versus the 8 6922’s of the Mk I and II.  Biasing is also quite straightforward and less prone to kill you (as with the Mk I and less so with the Mk II).  For all those who pine for the romanticism of the 6922 and loath the JFET/6H30 combo, good luck with that!  I have an ARC Ref 1 Phono stage at ARC for checkup because I’ll be selling it as soon as it returns.  Thirteen 6922’s may seem "cool" but it’s a nightmare.  The 6H30 tube will last for 10,000 hours.  THAT’s the way to go.

Cosmetically, the amp is a solid 8.5/10.  No visible or apparent cosmetic issues.  You may notice that some of the top screws are missing.  They are in storage.  I only fasten the corner screws on ARC equipment.  It makes it easier to access the innards.

Operationally, the amp has performed flawlessly under my tenure.  It’s never been pushed and the Focal 1028Be’s are a ridiculously easy and steady load for the amp.  As you can see, the amp has been on an elevated platform for proper airflow.  And ask anyone who has been to my audio room: I keep it so cold that you can hang meat in there.

The amp is being sold with the original power chord (never used), a 2-foot PS Audio PowerPunch chord (which is what I used), the original manual, tons of documentation, bias adjusting tool, spare fuses.  The double box has all the appropriate packing material, down to the foam cradles for the tubes.

Selling for $2,995 and that includes PayPal fees AND FedEx Ground shipping to anywhere in the Lower-48.

Here’s a double incentive for any potential buyer:  if you care to pick the amp up, there will be a $100 credit and you can have the custom-made white quartz stand which weighs almost as much as the amp: 70 lbs.