Audio Research VT80 SE

Audio Research VT80 SE Stereo Amplifier 

Original owner: purchased from Audio Research dealer. Non-smoking home. Beautiful looking and sounding amplifier. Sounds much more powerful than spec indicates. Original box, instructions, and power cable. Note: see minor scratching on top front in photo. Buyer pays shipping with insurance. Reason for sale: upgraded to Audio Research Reference 80S.

The VT80SE was created as a flexible, great-sounding amplifier that is easy to enjoy and easy to live with, every day. A direct descendant of our Reference amplifiers that borrows from their acclaimed designs and using many of their parts, the VT80SE sounds like a much larger amplifier with impressive dynamics, control, and resolution.

Reviews:

The Absolute Sound:

“The Audio Research VT80SE looks great, sounds great, and is built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Its automatic bias circuit makes it far easier to use than most tube amps, and its individually fused tubes protect it … The Audio Research VT80SE earns my very highest recommendation.”

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity:

“If you’re an Audio Research fan, and if you’re in the market for a tubed power amplifier, do yourself the favor of auditioning the VT80SE. In my opinion, its durability, performance, and resale value all contribute to its excellence … Amazing soundstage – the best I’ve heard from any Audio Research product yet.”

Soundstage Hifi:

“In the Foundation VT80, Audio Research Corporation has come up with a beautiful-looking amplifier with excellent fit and finish that is as hassle-free a tube amp as you’re likely to find. Standing behind it are ARC’s three-year warranty, nearly 50 years of experience, and a tradition of quality.

I appreciated the VT80’s clear, musical sound throughout the time it was in my system. It reproduced voices beautifully, without excessive tube bloom, and supported them with firm bass, while the treble end of the audioband was extended and clear, with no etch or hardness. The VT80 played everything I asked it to with ease, finesse, and a lack of coloration. In sum, ARC’s new, essentially maintenance-free power amp deserves attention from all audiophiles, and by those who only love tubes -- it’s definitely changed some of my ideas about tube amps.”

ptAudio:

“The Audio Research VT80, a so-called “entry level” amp … Would I call it a good deal?  Well, in the grand scheme of things, when you think about its sonic goodness, build quality, and pedigree, especially when compared with certain other gear at or near the same price, I’d say yes, it does represent good value. Nothing these days is really what you could call an investment, but this amp gets close, at least in terms of its longevity, probable resale value, and the amount of enjoyment its owner is going to get out of it.

Perhaps the best way for me to sum the equation is like this: the Audio Research VT80 sounds to me what (at least in my mind) a really top-notch modern tube amp ought to sound like. At the risk of the cliche, there’s a certain magic inherent to “vacuum tube sound” that even the best solid state designs just can’t quite capture, and it has something to do with tonal purity, body, dimension, and texture, all of which combine to involve me more deeply in the listening experience. Doggone it, if I’m going to spend big money on a vacuum tube amp, I want it to sound like one. And the Audio Research VT80 achieves that goal — in delicious, delightful spades.

Very highly recommended.”

 

Technical Specifications