I think some of you guys are tone deaf for starters. Secondly, if you believe half the crap that's written about gear you will find yourself frustrated, wondering why that award winning kit you just bought sounds so bad. Mrtennis should check his hearing aid batteries and consider the average half life of most CDP's...the BAT has been around for a long time folks (most designs last for a year or two or else they are severely modified). Of any CDP I've owned, the BAT stands in stark relief as a superbly musical source (sans stock tubes...I use Amperex NOS). I have lived with several 6922 based pre-amps and 6H30 versions from the same manufacturer....many audiophiles have noticed years ago that the advent of the 6H30 tube circuit initiated the advent of tube gear that mo ore closely resembles SS stuff. Not everyone listens as critically or with as discriminating a set of ears...many people love the ARC Ref 3 (I had it and sold it within a year). This has been my experience...not my talking points or misguided beliefs based on industry rhetoric from gurus who's life's work is to move product for advertisers. Tell the NOS tube industry that they make little difference...What kind of bull is that? Then again, I'm silly and I should also know that power cords make no difference, nor brass cones under CDP's or IC's or speakers or cable lifts etc.. How does one take a positive comment about a CDP and tube set vs another warrant disregard? FYI, I purchased many reference CDP's over the years (including the original VK-D5 20bit). I returned to the BAT CDP because it delivers music with all it's fullness, roundness and tonal ripeness that most other CDP's can't begin to touch.
