AUDIO RESEARCH VT80SE, FOUNDATION SERIES POWER AMPLIFIER
We are pleased to introduce the VT80SE, the Audio Research amplifier with the widest appeal to the greatest number of music lovers worldwide.

By combining world-class performance with flexibility and features like auto-bias, the VT80SE has been an amp that is easy to take home and just forget as you enjoy your music collection again for the first time.

The big change from the VT80 to the new VT80SE is upgrading the KT120 tubes to the higher performance KT150 output tubes.

Everyone should know that we have been deeply enamored with the KT150 as we feature it in all of our other amplifiers, from the VSi75 to the REF 750SE. Its performance is unparalleled and its 3,000 hour average life allows years of uninterrupted listening.

The VT80 was originally designed with the KT120, the predecessor to the KT150, but these two tubes are electrically interchangeable and the demand for delivering the VT80 with the KT150 could be ignored no longer.

It is important to mention that the KT150 tubes supplied by Audio Research, for all of our products, are tested and measured for quality control and assurance, and are burned in for 48 hours.

Then using our “Certified Matched” process, they are hand matched in sets with tolerances 10x tighter than standard off-the-shelf tubes, thus ensuring the finest audio quality possible.

With its auto-bias design, the VT80SE can also be used with KT120 or KT150 output tubes and the circuit will adjust immediately when a new tube is installed. Protective fuses are installed for each output tube and can be replaced if the need ever arises.

What sonic improvements will you hear with the VT80SE? As our Warren Gehl said, “More music!” Tonal color, detail, dynamic swing and purity are all improved, along with a bigger and more robust presentation. The music gets better, in every way.

Aside from the beautiful curves of the KT150 tubes, the only other way to distinguish the SE from the original VT80 is by a small sticker on the rear panel. Nothing else needed to change. The existing (optional) ventilated tube cover can be used with the taller KT150 tube set, there is still sufficient space to breathe. Hear for yourself how good your system can sound with the new VT80SE, it will make a tube-lover out of anyone who loves music.
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About Audio Research
Audio Research is one of the oldest continually operating manufacturers in American audio. The company was founded in 1970 in Minneapolis with one goal in mind: to advance the state-of-the-art in music reproduction. Today, Audio Research remains a performance-oriented company by philosophy and design. New product introductions are driven only by genuine advances in technology and performance -- the HIGH DEFINITION that is the hallmark of the company's products.

The company has grown steadily over the last 40 years, with a network of top audio specialist retailers across North America and distributors throughout Europe, Asia and South America. The company occupies a 48,000 square-foot, technically-advanced production plant and administrative headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota, where approximately 50 technical, assembly and support staff guide the product line from concept to finished goods.

The audio industry
Audio Research was instrumental in refocusing the audio industry on designing products for musical performance, and not merely for the sake of new technology or mass-market pricing. Audio Research was founded by William Z. Johnson, who began designing custom audio electronics in the early 1950's and who also operated a specialty audio retail store until the mid-1960's.

Johnson's efforts almost single-handedly revived vacuum-tube designs at a time when major industry manufacturers had abandoned this technology in favor of low-cost solid-state devices which were markedly inferior in terms of musical accuracy, a fact widely acknowledged today. Many industry observers consider Johnson one of the true originators of the entire concept of "high-end" audio as it exists today -- an area of technological expertise in which American companies remain the clear innovators and leaders on a global scale.

Musical enjoyment
Audio Research prides itself on manufacturing only those products which will provide genuine enjoyment for as long as the customer cares to own them. In company practice, this means that Audio Research technicians can still repair, refurbish and restore to original performance standards most products manufactured during the company's 40-year history. Indeed, 40-year-old Audio Research designs continue to provide exceptional musical enjoyment daily in music systems around the world.

Music lover
Audio Research products have demonstrated lasting residual value after purchase. More than a few models have acquired legendary "collector" status and continue to resell for as much or more than what they originally cost. The Audio Research customer does not have to fear instant, marked depreciation as is the case with most other audio components. Used Audio Research equipment is quickly absorbed on the open market because savvy enthusiasts know the company is interested in providing service and support for older models on an ongoing basis.

Much more than a mere carriage-trade brand name, the Audio Research marque has come to represent stellar performance and lasting value for music lovers and audio enthusiasts everywhere.