I have owned my BAT for 12 months now and enjoy the functionality, sound and one box convenience. Previous IA was a Hegel H200 and before that, Pass Labs and VAC separates.
TT1: SOTA Star Series III, SME V and Benz Ebony L or ZYX Airy 3x feeding
a diy SUT w/Jensen AT347 trannies 24:1 loaded at 6.6ohm into phono MM input.TT2: SOTA Star Series III, JVC UA 7045 and Benz Glider L feeding phono MC inputPhono Pre: Zesto Andros 1.2, this phono pre is addicative (which uses Jensen AT 44 trannies)
IA- BAT VK3000 SEDAC- Wyred4sound DSDDAC2 V2 w/Femto clock and USB reclockerEndpoint is a Intel NUC with passive cooling and diy Liner Power supply, music on NASSpeakers- Sonus Faber Cremona original floorstandersCables- Mainly KimberPower conditioning- APC and Furman
At the time, the other integrateds I was looking at included the Pass Labs INT 150, Coda CSiB, Boulder 865 and the BAT VK300i. I have heard the all but the Coda and any of them would have been fine. I don't buy new anymore so it's all about the waiting game. Music Direct was selling a demo VK3000SE, noticed it when on jury duty, that was about $1000-15000 more that I wanted to spend but I ended up buying it w/o an audition which stunned my wife who has logged many an hour auditioning equipment and whose ears and opinion I respect. Noticeably better than the Hegel. The best news about the amp is that it works, the sound is excellent, it matches well with the speakers and I don't even think/worry about that part of the setup.
