Audio Research Reference Phono 10

Name: Audio Research Reference Phono 10
Brand: Audio Research
SKU: REFPHONO10
Price: 85000.00 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

$85,000.00

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Audio Research Corporation’s Reference Phono 10 represents the pinnacle of analogue playback engineering — a no-compromise vacuum tube phono stage designed to extract every nuance, texture, and emotion hidden within your vinyl collection. Built for the most demanding analogue enthusiasts, it delivers an extraordinary combination of realism, dynamics, silence, and musicality that brings records closer to the experience of a live performance.

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Specifications

Design Dual-mono vacuum tube phono stage
Circuit Topology Fully discrete, pure Class-A, zero feedback
Tube Complement 8 × 6H30P dual triodes (audio section), plus 2 × 6550C and 2 × 6H30P in power supply
Cartridge Compatibility Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC)
Inputs 2 independently configurable phono inputs
Input Configuration RCA inputs operating in balanced configuration
Gain (Balanced) 51dB Low Gain / 74dB High Gain @ 1kHz
Gain (Single-Ended) 45dB Low Gain / 68dB High Gain @ 1kHz
Input Impedance 47kΩ + 100pF (MM)
MC Loading Options 1000Ω, 500Ω, 200Ω, 100Ω, 50Ω, plus Custom
Equalisation Curves RIAA, Columbia, Decca
Frequency Response ±0.2dB of RIAA, 10Hz–60kHz; -3dB points below 0.3Hz and above 300kHz
Distortion Less than 0.002% at 1.0V RMS output, 1kHz
Noise 0.22µV equivalent input noise (Low Gain); 0.055µV (High Gain)
Output Impedance 200Ω single-ended / 400Ω balanced
Rated Output 0.5V RMS, 10Hz–20kHz into 100kΩ load
Maximum Input Level 250mV RMS @ 1kHz
Output Polarity Non-inverting
Power Supply Electronically regulated high and low voltage supplies
Warm-Up Protection Automatic 40-second warm-up / brown-out mute
Power Consumption 235 watts maximum; 0.8 watts standby
Controls Remote-controlled setup, cartridge loading, gain and EQ selection
Construction Separate audio chassis and power supply chassis

Physical Specifications
Component Dimensions / Weight
Audio Chassis Dimensions 19" W × 7" H × 15.5" D (48 × 17.8 × 39.4cm)
Audio Chassis Weight 10kg net
Power Supply Weight 15.9kg net
Total System Weight Approx. 26kg net
Rack Compatibility Standard 19-inch rack width

The ARC Reference Phono 10 unquestionably gets my highest recommendation

The Absolute Sound

The Ultimate Reference for Analogue Playback

At the heart of the Reference Phono 10 is a true dual-mono architecture, with completely independent signal paths and dedicated power supplies for each channel. Separate high- and low-voltage transformers, extensive regulation, and massive energy reserves provide exceptional dynamic headroom, allowing everything from delicate acoustic passages to full orchestral crescendos to be reproduced with effortless scale and authority.

The fully balanced, pure Class-A, zero-feedback audio circuitry combines eight 6H30 vacuum tubes with an ultra-low-noise FET gain stage, eliminating the need for traditional step-up transformers while maintaining outstanding transparency and extremely low noise performance. The result is a presentation that is richly detailed yet natural, with expansive soundstaging, lifelike tonal colour, and a remarkable sense of depth.

A Masterpiece of Low-Noise Analogue Design

Designed to accommodate the finest moving coil and moving magnet cartridges, the Reference Phono 10 offers two independently configurable inputs, selectable gain, multiple cartridge loading options, and switchable RIAA, Columbia, and Decca equalisation curves. Every setting can be adjusted remotely from your listening position, allowing precise optimisation for different cartridges and recordings.

With its separate audio and power supply chassis, precision construction, and uncompromising analogue design, the Reference Phono 10 is more than a phono stage — it is a statement product for collectors and listeners who believe vinyl playback deserves nothing less than absolute reference performance.

Who is this for?

Audio Research Reference Phono 10

The way the Reference 10 Phono preamp (and its companion piece, the Reference 10 Line Stage preamp) reproduces tone colors really does put it in a class of its own. Compared to other phonostages, even other great phonostages, the Reference Phono 10 simply sounds so unmistakably right that it gives you a little “shock of recognition,” a little shiver down the spine, to hear how it brings something like Iberia and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to life.

Many will be content with simply having a system that sounds excellent, but if even that degree of insight is not enough and if you are up for the challenge laid down by the Reference 10 preamplifier, the rewards are remarkable.