BAT VK-5i more tube-like than new VK-50SE?

Jeff Wu,
I use my nos tubed vk-5i with my vt100m2. It's one of my very favorite combinations. The warmth of the 5i goes well with the transparency of the vt100m2. It's almost like a vintage toned highly transparent system. I've heard more transparent systems, but this one seems to be 'just right'. I'm using audio physic avantis with these - the avanti's are so detailed that a warmer front end serves them well.

A friend who is a dealer brought over a vk50SE and a VK30SE on separate occasions and we hooked it up to the vt100. I used audio physic virgo speakers with vk30SE and vandersteen 5's with the 50SE. The vk30SE was much better than my pass labs aleph P with the vt100, and the 50SE demolished the ARC ref1 I was using with my vandersteen 5's at the time. It wasn't even close. Keep in mind that the vandersteen 5 is a little resolution starved, so ANY added transparency improves things. I do note that the aleph P was better with the aleph 2 monoblocks.

So, to answer your question, YES the BAT preamps are a good match for the vt100m2. I would say the 50SE is better than the 5i, but I note that I heard them 4 months apart, and with different cabling and speakers.

Jeff Wu,

John is right get any BAT preamp if you have ARC amp or SS amp. In my taste i don't like BAT amp with BAT preamp they went too warm and little bit lack of detail and the soundstage was little unfocus.

John and Genduts. Thanks for your comments.

Hi,
The KBL is very good. I used BAT VK5 (not i), but modified with NOS. So I would say the performance is very close to i, only the volume control is different. The KBL is very good, and in fact, much better match with Krell power amp, but we used KSA250, then VK5.

I would say the VK5 sounds too slow. Also, my friend matched the FPB with Spectral DMC20.2, also very fine sounding, although in my system, I prefer VK5 to the Spectral.

Finally, I settled for VK5SE. (not 50SE). VK5SE is probably a good middle ground to have the 3D and slam of 50SE, but smooth and musical of 6922. This is the only preamp that can combined NOS and 6h30 to 'mix-n-match' the sound.

I am curious how the VK-50SE compares to the SF Line 3. I own a Line 3 and am very happy with it. BAT's literature indicates that the new high performance 6H30 tubes yield high performance with a simpler circuit design then what is used in the Line 3. Tube availablility and cost may be an issue. Any comments folk's?