Audio Research SP15 Flagship Tube Phono MM/MC Balanced XLR Outputs with Dedicated Power Supply 240V

RM12,500.00

Introduced as the absolute pinnacle of Audio Research Corporation’s (ARC) analog engineering, the SP15 is a legendary, cost-no-object flagship hybrid preamplifier. It split the critical audio circuitry into a dual-chassis configuration, housing a massive, over-engineered linear power supply in a completely separate enclosure to isolate the ultra-sensitive phono and line-stage circuits from any electromagnetic or mechanical transformer hum.

The SP15 is highly revered for its world-class, multi-stage vacuum tube phono section, providing immense flexibility for both Moving Magnet (MM) and ultra-low output Moving Coil (MC) cartridges without requiring noisy step-up transformers.

Feature Specification
Circuit Topology Hybrid (Vacuum Tube / Field Effect Transistors) with zero global feedback
Tube Complement 3 × 6DJ8 / ECC88 premium dual triodes (strictly in the phono and line-stage input sections)
Voltage Configuration Factory 240V AC / 50–60 Hz (Optimized for UK, European, and Malaysian mains grids)
Phono Gain Options

• Low: 46 dB (ideal for high-output MM/MC)


• Medium: 68 dB


• High: 74 dB (handles ultra-low output MC cartridges effortlessly)
Phono Impedance Loading Front-panel selectable: 100 , 250 , 500 , 1 k$\Omega$, 47 k$\Omega$
Line Stage Gain 18 dB (Balanced XLR output adds an extra 6 dB of headroom)
Frequency Response

• Line: 0.2 Hz to 100 kHz ()


• Phono: of ideal RIAA curve (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) at 2V RMS output
Inputs / Outputs

Inputs: Phono, Tuner, CD, Video, Aux, Tape Loop


Outputs: 2 × Main Unbalanced (RCA), 1 × Main Balanced (XLR), Direct/Normal modes
Chassis Dimensions Dual Chassis: 2 × () ()

Audiophile Review: The Ultra-Resolution Analog Nexus

For the analog purist and high-end vinyl archivist, the Audio Research SP15 represents the absolute zenith of ARC’s “High Definition” design ethos. By deploying a hybrid FET/Tube architecture, William Z. Johnson successfully combined the hyper-extended macro-dynamics, structural iron grip, and ink-black noise floor of high-bias solid-state components with the holographic air, fluid textures, and emotional realism of classic thermionic valves. The 240V factory-built iteration is a rare and prized asset, ensuring pure, unthrottled current delivery directly from clean mains grids without the performance-degrading artifacts induced by external step-down step-up transformers.

[Standard Phono Stages] ---> | High Noise Floor / Micro-Detail Masked by Power Supply Hum |
[SP15 Dual-Chassis]     ---> | Isolated Power Supply Box ---> Pure, Silent DC Power ---> Holographic Vinyl Playback |

The crown jewel of the SP15 is indisputably its flagship phono stage. Boasting up to 74 dB of pure, ultra-low-noise gain and front-panel impedance matching, it treats delicate, sub-millivolt signals from exotic Moving Coil cartridges with absolute reverence. Sonically, the SP15 delivers a staggering, panoramic soundstage that completely dissolves the physical boundaries of the listening room. The noise floor is utterly nonexistent, allowing the most minute micro-details—the soft acoustic decay of a concert hall, the subtle inflection of a vocalist breathing, or the distinct texture of a resin-bowed double bass—to emerge with jaw-dropping clarity.

Bass is a revelation: taut, lightning-fast, and structurally seismic, completely subverting the soft, bloated low-end common in pure vintage tube designs. The midrange is breathtakingly transparent, leaning slightly toward analytical truth while retaining just enough organic warmth to ensure poorly pressed vinyl remains highly engaging. Featuring a true balanced XLR output stage to reject common-mode noise across long cable runs to a power amp, the SP15 is not just a control center—it is a timeless, definitive instrument of musical truth.

Category:

Related products