The Reference 80S packs Reference-level tube amplification into the most accessible entry in the range, with two KT150 output tubes per channel delivering 70 watts. Like every Reference amplifier before it, the 80S is a fully balanced differential design built on a four-layer circuit board with a separate ground plane. Switchable Triode or Pentode operation, a proprietary auto-bias circuit that compensates for tube age and line voltage, XLR and single-ended inputs, and 4-8-16 ohm taps make it a tube amplifier that never requires fiddling. It is built by hand in Audio Research's Maple Grove, Minnesota facility.
Specifications
Inputs
Balanced XLR and single-ended
Operating modes
Switchable Pentode / Triode
Output taps
4, 8 and 16 ohms
Power output
70 watts per channel continuous, 20Hz to 20kHz
Tube biasing
Proprietary auto-bias with line-voltage compensation
Tube complement
Two matched pairs KT150 output, two 6H30 gain stage
Weight
62 lbs net
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