I think your choice of speaker, Utopia will be better with BAT. All balanced connection and design also adds performance. The ARC, even high-output ones tend to have more 'cardboard' cut-out sound stage, very wide, but short of depth. BAT has believable depth, and the extra richness in instrument timbre.
BTW, I have owned the best sounding ARC, which is the Classic 30, very low power though. Also own the ARC PH-3. I have also tried BAT VK50SE, and right now keeps the VK5 (big difference in money obviously). I go with full balanced in my system. ARC product until you go to the 'Reference line', are 'balanced connected', but the circuits are not true balanced design.
BTW, I have owned the best sounding ARC, which is the Classic 30, very low power though. Also own the ARC PH-3. I have also tried BAT VK50SE, and right now keeps the VK5 (big difference in money obviously). I go with full balanced in my system. ARC product until you go to the 'Reference line', are 'balanced connected', but the circuits are not true balanced design.