Years ago I owned a 3i and won a contest on the Audio Revelation website in which the prize was a brand new VK-30. I was so excited about the new preamp that I committed the audiophile sin of selling my old component before the new one arrived. Big mistake. I never could get the 30 to sound as good as the 3i no matter what amount of tweaking and tube rolling I performed. I sold it after only a few weeks. There was an upper midrange glare that made it sound more like a SS preamp than a tube preamp.
BTW, if you aren't committed to having a remote controlled preamp, the Modulus 3A sounds much better than either BAT. It doesn't have all the features and frills, but it's a very good sounding preamp that can be had for a song on the Gon.
BTW, if you aren't committed to having a remote controlled preamp, the Modulus 3A sounds much better than either BAT. It doesn't have all the features and frills, but it's a very good sounding preamp that can be had for a song on the Gon.