Audio Research’s Ghost Meter™
After introducing the REF160M, Audio Research received a plethora of awards and subsequent interest into the innovative design of the Ghost Meter™.
Livio Cucuzza our Chief Design Officer breaks down the design philosophy for you:
“Like any good idea in industrial design, the Ghost Meter™ was born to address a series of technical/aesthetic issues on the ARC products. The REF160M was the first Audio Research Reference amplifier that implemented our latest industrial design language, so it was important for us to find the perfect balance between all the ingredients related to the ARC heritage and the main features of the amp.
We had always desired a big meter on the front of the unit: meters are cool simply because they’re making the music visible, creating a sort of magic link between the ears and the eyes. But at the same time, we had the tube technology to show the soul of the ARC brand, and a big meter on the front would have hidden the power tubes behind that front panel. So, we simply removed the background of the meter replacing it with a transparent surface. As we solved the problem to merge the two main element’s we faced a new issue: the meter graphics were not as visible as we wanted. The solution was inspired by a very simple product: the commercial labels you can find in public spaces where the information is engraved on the transparent polycarbonate that allows the light to let them shine using the principle of optic fiber.” – Livio Cucuzza
