Hi,
I just purchased a VK-3i ... I had previously heard the VK-5i that a friend had up for sale. The 5i does not have any single ended connections. This means you're either gonna have to use the BAT adapters (at $90 a pair) if any of your gear is single ended. Or, you may have to use balanced ICs throughout. I think there's a tad more resolution in the 5i, but certainly not enough to justify the cost differential, IMO.
Why are you looking to dump the 3i? It's such a wonderful pre-amp ... BTW, I swapped out the stock Sovteks and installed the NOS 6h23-EBs and Visseaux 6v6GTs from Kevin at Upscale Audio. WOW! What a difference! Incredible 3D imaging and powerful bass. I really did the sound. Maybe you should consider swapping tubes before you bag the 3i.
I just purchased a VK-3i ... I had previously heard the VK-5i that a friend had up for sale. The 5i does not have any single ended connections. This means you're either gonna have to use the BAT adapters (at $90 a pair) if any of your gear is single ended. Or, you may have to use balanced ICs throughout. I think there's a tad more resolution in the 5i, but certainly not enough to justify the cost differential, IMO.
Why are you looking to dump the 3i? It's such a wonderful pre-amp ... BTW, I swapped out the stock Sovteks and installed the NOS 6h23-EBs and Visseaux 6v6GTs from Kevin at Upscale Audio. WOW! What a difference! Incredible 3D imaging and powerful bass. I really did the sound. Maybe you should consider swapping tubes before you bag the 3i.