Audio Research’s Reference 80S distills the company’s latest fully balanced differential circuit topology into a compact stereo chassis, delivering 70 watts per channel from a quartet of KT150 output tubes. The design shares its dimensions and feature set with the 160M monoblocks, yet lowers the barrier to Reference-level performance for listeners who value the textural richness and dynamic ease of push-pull tube amplification without the complexity of a larger system.
A proprietary auto-bias circuit continuously adjusts for tube age and powerline fluctuations, while switchable Triode/Pentode operation lets you tailor the amplifier’s character to your loudspeakers and room. Balanced and single-ended inputs, 4-8-16 ohm output taps, and a 12V trigger make integration straightforward, and the built-in hour meter and output-tube monitoring turn routine maintenance into a glance. The four-layer circuit board, separate ground plane, and low negative feedback contribute to a noise floor that Audio Research likens to a country sky free of light pollution—allowing the finest recorded details, harmonic structure, and spatial cues to emerge with uncommon clarity.
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