Audio Research Reference Phono 3SE / Mint / Low Hours / Free Shipping

I am offering for sale my personally-owned Audio Research Reference-Phono 3SE vacuum tube phono stage pre-amplifier. This is not a demo unit and carries no additional warranty upon resale.

The Ref-Phono 3SE has a silver face plate, buttons and handles, with silver panels and an improved clear acrylic top plate. As you will observe in the extensive photos, the unit has just over 1,100 hours on it, but that is somewhat misleading/overstated with respect to its vacuum tubes.
Since I immediately replaced the factory 6H-30’s, in the most important V1-V4 signal path positions, with new old stock (NOS) tubes, the four that are now provided with the piece are the “factory new” originals that came with unit. Subsequently, at about 500 hours, I also replaced the 6550 and 6H-30 tubes in the power supply section, as well as the remaining two 6H-30’s in V-5/V6 positions, with NOS tubes as well. So, the primary part of the signal path has factory fresh tubes and those in the less important V5/V6 and V7/V8 positions have about 500 hours. (You should therefore expect to get roughly another 2,000+ hours on the single 6550 and 5,000+ hours on all the 6H-30’s before experiencing any appreciable deterioration in sonic quality.)

The SE version of the Ref-Phono 3 derives much of its sonic superiority from advances Audio Research made in the development of its current line of Reference power amps including improved capacitor and wiring technology. Here's how Audio Beat’s Dennis Davis summed-up his rave review of the Ref-Phono 3SE last summer: “By all appearances, the Reference-Phono 3SE looks just the same as the previous version. But don’t let that fool you. The improved focus, speed, resolution, and dynamic scaling all reflect an entirely new and improved level of performance, establishing this as not just a new reference phono stage, but a new benchmark for Audio Research”. I agree, this is the finest phono stage I have ever heard, but I no longer need to own two of them, hence this offering.
I am the original, and only, owner of this piece and I live in a smoke-free, pet-free and child-free home. The unit is in pristine condition; there are no scuffs, scratches, blemishes, or imperfections of any kind; if it came in a sealed box, you'd think it was straight from the factory.
It has been photographed during the packing process and buyers are urged to remove rings, watches, jewelry and belt buckles prior to unpacking as they are all risk factors for damaging a perfect piece.
Shipping to any buyer in the Continental United States will be provided at my expense, fully insured, via UPS Ground and tracking information will also be provided via e-mail. I normally ship on the next business day after payment, but because I have an upcoming orthopedic surgery, I would not be able to ship until 4/1/22.

I’m sorry, but I do not ship outside the Continental United States and I will not discuss voltage conversions for use in other countries; please buy locally from authorized Audio Research dealers.
Payment may be made via PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, or wire transfer, but I will only ship to the address associated with the payment account. There are no additional fees for PayPal or credit card use and no sales tax will be charged. 
Full specs are available on the Audio Research website. Also, please review my flawless feedback here on Audiogon if you have any concerns. My reputation as a longtime member of the Audiogon community is a whole lot more important to me than any sale, so my policy is always “under-promise and over-perform” and you'll see that reflected in the rave reviews over the last two decades.

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on my cell at 414-630-1131 if you have any questions and thanks for looking.