Reference 10 Phono Preamplifier By Audio Research

The Audio Research Reference Phono 10 is a premium phono preamplifier designed to reveal the full potential of analog music playback. Engineered for discerning vinyl enthusiasts, it delivers extraordinary realism, musical depth, and dynamic expression that bring recordings closer to the feel of a live performance.

From delicate solo passages to powerful orchestral crescendos, the Reference Phono 10 reproduces music with exceptional clarity, scale, and emotional impact. Its expansive soundstage and holographic imaging create an immersive listening experience with remarkable dimensionality and precision.

Designed to uncover the finest details hidden within vinyl recordings, the Reference Phono 10 presents music with stunning transparency and smoothness, free from harshness or grain. Familiar albums gain new life through improved resolution, texture, and tonal richness.

At the heart of its performance is a true dual-mono architecture with completely independent signal paths for each channel. Separate high- and low-voltage transformers, substantial energy storage capacity, and twenty stages of electronic regulation contribute to outstanding channel separation, low noise, and exceptional dynamic headroom.

Built for reference-level analog systems, the Reference Phono 10 offers a refined and highly engaging vinyl listening experience for serious audiophiles and music collectors.

Separate Amplification & Power Supply Chassis

Designed for uncompromising audio performance, this component features fully discrete, pure Class-A circuitry with zero feedback for exceptional transparency and musical accuracy. The low-gain stage utilizes eight 6H30 vacuum tubes—four per channel—to deliver refined tonal balance, depth, and detail.

Instead of relying on a traditional step-up transformer, the high-gain stage employs specially selected ultra-low-noise, high-gain FET technology. This advanced design approach helps achieve lower noise, greater clarity, and improved dynamic performance, resulting in a more natural and engaging listening experience.

The fully balanced design ensures outstanding signal purity and low noise performance, while the innovative input circuitry allows the RCA inputs to operate in balanced mode without the need for an additional inverter stage.

For enhanced system flexibility, the unit features two independently configurable input sets with selectable Low and High gain settings, seven loading options, and a Custom setting that can be factory-configured to suit specific cartridge requirements.

Alongside standard RIAA equalization, support for early Columbia and Decca equalization curves makes it an excellent choice for collectors of vintage recordings. Convenient remote-control access allows easy adjustment of all major settings directly from the listening position.

Theabsolutesound
“Though both presentations can sound equally realistic, the fact is that switching from a great solid-state preamp to something like the Reference Phono 10 isn’t only a matter of hearing “this” or “that” more or less clearly; it is also a paradigm shift—from a sharper-focused, more analytical view of the music and the music-makers to a rounder, more holistic one. All I know is that when I first listened to the ARC Reference 10 duo, after months of using first-class solid-state, my jaw (and that of my friend Andre Jennings) dropped. Things suddenly sounded so right in timbre and so 3-D in imaging, it was astonishing. It was only later that I began to think about what may have been lost in face of all that had been gained.”

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audio-research-reference-phono-10-phono-preamplifier

• Frequency Response: ± .2dB of RIAA, 10Hz to 60kHz; 3dB points below 0.3Hz and above 300kHz
• Distortion: Less than .002% at 1.0V RMS 1kHz output
• Gain: Selectable 51dB (Low), 74dB (High) at1kHz BAL; 45dB (Low), 68dB (High) at1kHz SE. (MC & MM compatible)
• Buttons: Front (2) Power, Mute.
• Input Impedance: 47K ohms and 100pF SE. Selectable loads 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50 ohms and Custom
• Output Impedance: 200 ohms SE, 400 ohms balanced. Recommended load 50K-100K ohms and 100pF. (10K ohms minimum and 2000pF maximum).
• Output Polarity: Non-inverting
• Phono Equalization: (Selectable) RIAA, Columbia, Decca
• Maximum Input: 250mV RMS at 1kHz (680 mV RMS at10kHz)
• Rated Outputs: 0.5V RMS 10Hz to 20kHz, 100K ohm load (output capability is 80V RMS BAL output at 1/2% THD at1kHz, 40V SE)
• Power Supplies: Electronically regulated low and high voltage supplies. Automatic 40 sec. warm-up/brown-out mute. Line regulation better than .01%.
• Noise: 0.22uV equivalent input noise, IHF weighted, shorted(Low Gain) input (73 dB below 1mV 1kHz input). 0.055uV equivalent input noise (High Gain) (65dB below 0.1mV 1kHz input).
• Tube Complement: (8)-6H30P dual triodes, plus (2 each) 6550C and 6H30P in power supply
• Power Requirements: 100-135VAC 60Hz (200-270VAC 50/60Hz) 235 watts maximum. Standby 0.8 watts.
• Dimensions:
  • Audio Chassis: 22 lbs. (10 kg)
  • Net; 34 lbs. (15.5 kg) Shipping.
  • Power Supply Chassis: 35 lbs. (15.9 kg)
  • Net; 43 lbs. (19.5 kg) Shipping.