Audio Research Reference 6SE/ Reference 80S

“It’s possible to gauge the scale of the recording venue, as well as pinpoint the precise placement of the musicians within that space”

Pre/power amplifier

₹ POR

Audio Research was founded in 1970. At that point, transistors had already taken over the world of electronics, leaving valves to be seen as outmoded and old-fashioned. We respect the fact that the Minnesota-based brand stuck to its principles, believing that valves offered the best sound quality even when pretty much every competitor had long moved away from that tech. So here we are, half a century later, taking a look at one of the company’s pre/power amplifiers and it remains fully valve powered. We approve.

The Reference 6SE preamplifier/Reference 80S power amplifier combination lands around halfway up Audio Research’s amplification range, and we feel it really gives a good idea as to what the brand is about.

WELL-MADE AND ROBUST

While we have long admired the company’s functional approach to aesthetics, we are still pleased it has found a way to update the appearance of its products to the point where they almost look stylish. The Ref 6SE preamp presents a clean and uncluttered face to the world with a lovely simple control layout and impressively clear display.

While that display looks the same as the ones the company has been using for decades, it’s still plenty large and easy to read from a distance. It is flanked by two rotary dials that feel precise and intuitive in use. Used in combination with the front panel control buttons it is simple to work through the preamp’s various set-up menus.