Anyone out there


I have been thinking about "downgrading" my main 2 channel system. Am I a fool?
I have been enjoying a BAT VK75SE for the past half year being driven by a Theta Miles and driving a pair of North Creek Rhythm Revelators Sigs. There really is nothing wrong with this system and it offers everything I value in listening, in short, I love it. However, I have a 2 year old son who knows how to touch things and say "Hot!" and I have a listening room that has the system on one side and a TV on the other. Integrating the tv to my main rig seems sinful but inevitable. I also have the desire to set up a second system in a different area of the house that we spend most of our time in. So extra cash from the "downgrade" may be put to a good use. May result in more time in front of the stereo!

So to make a long story short... Does anyone have a recommendation for an integrated amp that would provide musical pleasure and fit nicely into or on top of a rack away from fingers? This would replace my lovely VK75Se and also eventually take inputs from a cable box (argh!!!) and a DVD player.

I'm thinking about the Bat Integrated, the Cary SLI80 or the YBA Passion. Of the three I've only listened to the BAT and never in my system. Any experience with these units compared to the VK75se? I would prefer to stick to tubes, I would prefer at least one balanced input on the integrated.

Thanks for any opinion. -Karl_desch
128x128karl_desch

Showing 2 responses by unsound

Forgive me for offering advise other than what you requested. Perhaps a different cabinet/rack might resolve your immedeate dilema. You could purchase a rack that would accomodate your TV, offer appropriate ventilation for your audio gear and have locking doors to prevent access to prying little fingers.
Rgurney, thanks for the vote of confidence. However, I must warn those w/ children about top heavy cabinets. High TV's are dangerous enough. Children have died from toppled TVs. If you enclose the amp, which is usually the heaviest audio compenent beneath the TV it may help stabilize the cabinet. Obviously placing the amp up high may have the opposite effect and probably require more expense in longer speaker cables. While still not ideal many of todays thinner TV's have less of a negative effect between speakers than older deeper ones did. If you can pull the speakers out past the cabinet you may find the advantages of superior video sourced sound worth the compromse of audio only sonics. Best of luck.