Audio Research Reference 80S
The Audio Research Reference 80S blends rich tonal colour, genuine bass slam and a panoramic soundstage into a thoroughly modern KT150 design. HiFi News found commanding large-scale authority alongside intimate acoustic finesse, while SoundStage Solo praised its airy detail, precise placement and musical Triode-mode realism. Auto-bias and switchable Triode/UltraLinear operation make this a luxurious, involving reference amplifier.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
93/100
Value for Money
84/100
Pros
Combines richly textured, fast bass with genuine slam and none of the usual tube-amplifier overhang.
Creates a wide, deep and precisely layered soundstage, with sharply defined instruments and convincing height.
Offers valuable system flexibility through Triode/UltraLinear modes, multiple output taps, auto-bias and both XLR and RCA inputs.
Cons
Its premium price places it beyond most budgets.
Speaker matching and output-tap selection materially affect bass balance and tonal presentation.
Tube operation runs hot, and 70W output is not intended for very loud playback with demanding speakers.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviews portray a modern, highly musical tube amplifier with rich tonal colour, strong low-frequency weight and unusually accomplished spatial presentation. It combines fine detail and subtlety with substantial scale, although its softer attack and speaker-dependent bass balance mean it is not the last word in outright control.
Transparency Resolution
91/100
HiFi Choice praises its handling of “subtlety and fine detail with absolute aplomb,” while SoundStage Australia heard airy detail, vivid voices and strong insight in UltraLinear mode. Audiodrom found the presentation slightly less transparent than its comparison amplifier, so its resolution is persuasive rather than starkly analytical.
Tonal Balance Musicality
93/100
Reviewers repeatedly highlight the amplifier’s rich, honest and engaging character: Audiodrom cites a velvetier, more human vocal presentation, while HiFi News calls it tube sound curated for modern listening. Triode mode is especially praised for heightened realism and musical ease, though UltraLinear operation can sound somewhat forward and cool by comparison.
Dynamics
90/100
HiFi Choice and HiFi News report genuine bass slam, speed and grip without the usual tube-amplifier overhang, along with enough grunt for large-scale orchestral music. Audiodrom nevertheless heard a slightly soft attack and less punch than the best high-end amplifiers, and notes that the 70W output limits very loud playback.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Spatial performance is a clear strength. SoundStage Australia found precise placement, natural separation and an organic stage, while HiFi Choice and HiFi News describe a gloriously wide, deep and panoramic orchestral soundscape with sharply drawn instruments and convincing height.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
The Reference 80S is hand-assembled, hand-wired and hand-soldered, with an all-aluminium chassis, substantial output-transformer architecture and fully balanced differential circuit. Practical engineering is equally thorough, including auto-bias, output-tube monitoring and hour metering, switchable Triode/UltraLinear operation, multiple output taps, balanced and single-ended inputs, trigger/RS-232 control, and a quiet variable-speed cooling fan.
Value for Money
84/100
At roughly US$18,000, £14,999 or AU$24,995 depending on market, reviewers are clear that this is a costly specialist amplifier rather than an accessible route into tube sound. HiFi Choice says the price puts it beyond most wallets, but HiFi News suggests the emotional appeal in full flight can outweigh the fiscal strain; the reviews offer no direct peer comparison at this price.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- Power Output
- 70 watts continuous from 20Hz to 20kHz. 1kHz total harmonic distortion typically 1% at 140 watts, below 0.04% at 1 watt. (Note that actual power output is dependent upon both line voltage and “condition” i.e.: if power line has high distortion, maximum power will be affected adversely, although from a listening standpoint this is not critical)
- Power Bandwidth
- (-3dB Points) 7Hz to 68kHz
- Frequency Response
- (-3dB points at 1 watt) 0.7Hz to 94kHz
- Input Sensitivity
- 1.4V RMS Balanced for rated output. (25.5 dB gain into 8 ohms). RMS SE for rated output.
- Input Impedance
- 300k ohms Balanced; 75k ohms Single-ended
- Output Polarity
- Non-inverting. Balanced input pin 2+ (IEC-268)
- Output Taps
- 4, 8, 16 ohms
- Output Regulation
- Approximately 1.0dB 16 Ohm Load to Open Circuit (Damping factor approximately 8)
- Overall Negative Feedback
- 15dB
- Slew Rate
- 10 volts/microsecond
- Rise Time
- 4.0 microseconds
- Power Requirements
- 105-130VAC 60Hz (210-250VAC 50Hz) 420 watts at rated output, 280 watts in Triode mode, 221 watts at “idle”, 3.6 watts off Units for Japan: 100VAC 50/60Hz
- Tubes Required
- 2 matched pair KT150 (Power output V1-V4); 2 6H30 (Gain stage V5, V6)
- Dimensions
- Width 18.5” (47 cm) chassis; 19.0” (48.26 cm) faceplate.Height 10.5” (26 cm)Depth 18.5” (47 cm) With handles & connectors: 21” (53.3 cm)
- Weight
- 62 lbs. (28.2 kg) Net; 73 lbs. (32.7 kg) Shipping
Manufacturer's Description — Audio Research
Reference 80S
The Reference 80S stereo amplifier continues Audio Research’s latest design effort in creating a vacuum-tube amplifier that not only redefines ultimate music reproduction, but does it in an incredibly beautiful package.
The 80S was created with as much spirited authority as we can pack into a compact circuit with 2 KT150 tubes per channel for music lovers who want Reference-level performance at the lowest possible barrier to entry.
Like every Reference amplifier before it, the 80S is a fully-balanced differential design, delivering the highest performance and lowest distortion. A four-layer circuit board is used to provide a separate ground plane, better circuit layout, and fewer noise-inducing point-to-point connections.
Music is projected against a quiet, jet-black background—like looking at the stars out in the country, removed from light pollution. It is magical and enveloping. The finest details are heard, with rich harmonics, incisive bass, and full dynamic contrasts, showcased with the ambience of the original acoustic space.
Outwardly, the 80S shares the same dimensions as the 160M. A single shallow whisper fan is built into the bottom plate. Flexibility is built-in, too, with XLR and SE inputs, 4-8-16 ohm output taps, 12V input and output triggers, RS232 input, tube hour meter, switchable fan speeds, and defeatable auto-off function.
The feature set is the same as the 160S, including a proprietary auto-bias circuit that adjusts for not only tube age, but for powerline voltage swings. There is fusing of the output tubes for safety and stability, single-ended and balanced inputs for flexibility, switchable Triode/Pentode operation – distinguished from the Triode/Ultralinear modes in the 160 models – to accommodate loudspeakers and personal preference, output tube monitoring, and inclusion of an hour meter. This is a tube amplifier that does not require fiddling and is meant to be enjoyed. The built-in 12V trigger turns the 80S on or off when connected to a modern preamp.
Built by hand, from the ground-up in our Maple Grove, Minnesota facility, the 80S can fool you into feeling you are in the presence of the musical performance. Whatever your reference speakers may be, whether they are from Wilson, Magnepan, Vandersteen, Focal, Sonus faber, B&W, or countless others: the Reference 80S will elevate their performance to a new plateau.
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- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
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