That said, the Audio Research Reference 3 is the single most impressive and thought-provoking piece of electronics I have heard since the Halcro dm58 (see my review in Stereophile, October 2002, Vol.25 No.10). Like the dm58, the Ref.3 has radically changed my expectations of what is possible in the electronic arts. The Ref.3 sets new standards for quietness in the realm of tube line stages, and in that respect is competitive with any solid-state design I have heard. In terms of resolution, timbral generosity and accuracy, soundstaging, dynamics, and the holistic presentation of music as a whole thing, it is the best I have heard (footnote 1).

As I wrote about the Halcro, discovering the weaknesses of the Reference 3 will be possible only when it has been bettered. That it will inevitably be surpassed is the nature of a constantly evolving industry such as high-end audio. I do not envy those who will attempt to do so, for they have a steep and brutally challenging mountain to scale. That much—and that Audio Research's well-earned reputation for excellence continues