Thanks everyone for the input. Sounds like the VK-50SE is a winner. That is what I was afraid of. Now the hard part ($$$) I have yet to hear a bad thing about BAT as a company either and that is important to me. I know the warranty is not transferrable but I am hoping that the 51 upgrade would be available to me as a second owner. I will check with BAT. I will be using it in a ASC designed (sort of)dedicated room with ESP Concert Grands bi-amped with two VT-100 MKII's. A Dodson 217MKIID and Ml 31 transport. Cable hopefully will be SR Designer Reference which I am trying to acquire now and a Orchid AES-EBU digital cable. Power cords primarily are Harmonix Studio Masters (awesome unknown product) and Top Gun Hi-Current. Have Kevin Deal's NOS in the LS-25 and have given it a full marigo dot treatment. It sounds good I think but I have not heard "the big boys" of the pre-amp world lately. My system needs a lot of work in terms of speaker placement experimentation, but the Grands are a handful at 275 lbs ea. Oh well, thanks again to you all and I will keep my fingers crossed on joining the VK-50SE club soon. Need somebody to buy my Von Schweikert VR-6's first. (shameless classifies plug)
Thinking about a VK-50SE Pre-amp? Any opinions
Hoping to get a bit of feedback from any VK-50SE or 51SE owners out there. Thinking of taking the plunge and it would be a big purchase for me cash wise. I have a LS-25 MKI w/NOS tubes now and am extremely happy with it. But the upgrade bug calls as usual. I have read all the rave review and BAT sounds like a great company. Just wondering how much improvement I could expect as I would be likely be buying unheard from Audiogon next time one shows up. I am a music lover first and do not want to just gain extra resolution and give up musically over the ARC. Any thoughts, commons, recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!