bat vk5si or AR Ls22, Ref 1 ?

Hello Frank, For a long period of time I always had ARC gear in my system untill BAT came along. Back in 96 I wanted to buy a pre-amp and I compared the ARC LS22 and the LS5 against the original BAT-VK5. The BAT won hands down. Later on I had the VK5 upgraded to the 51 and it was a nice improvement. When I was ready to upgrade the pre-amp again I auditioned the BAT50se to the ARCREF1 and IMO it was no contest, needless to say I went with the BAT. BY the way the VK5i works well with the ARCVT130, I had that combo for awhile driving MLcls2z. If you get a chance audition a pair of BATVK60 mono amps. With the new BAT tube amps out now you should be able to find a good deal on a used pair. All the best, Tom

tom, thanks for your input. What kind of sound is Bat ? is it smoother and more laid back ? or is it more incisive and dynamic. I want something with very good low end extension and punch...Bat the right choice ?

Hello again Frank, The 5i without the SE upgrade is already more dynamic across the board than the ARCLs22. It's also more natural sounding and dimensional sounding especially in the mids. The ARC had that glare in the upper mids that got in the way of the music compared to the BAT. I haven't heard the BAT VK5i with the SE upgrade. I do however have the VK50se and if the 5ise is even close to the 50se I'm sure you will not be disappointed. If you get a chance please get back to me and let me know how you make out. Good luck, Tom