Tube Pre-amp BAT, ARC, EAR, Sonic Frontiers

Hello Atmasphere

at the start balanced preamp was not that principal. But now I am on balanced connection so....
BAT, SF, EAR and ARC are in short list anyway

I am more on SF line 3SE side to say the truth

what is the advantage of fully balanced preamp then?

I forgot to mention that i am looking for balanced preamp.

Does anybody know the real difference between normal and SE models of SF?

what is your system, Kira?
I respect Belles as well. I heard all the best about solid state but never heard anything about their tube preamps though. Could you compare ARC and Belles in more detail?
Some of my friends warned me that ARC sometimes could sound dry.

Thank you Teajay
I have read your review. What was the system?

Thank you very much, Lapierre for your kind words and high marks of my system :-) Yes, Aesthetix Calypso is on my list also. I can meet it quite rarely so this was the only reason why i did not put it in my 1 post.
Well I will define my level up research :-)
Sonic Frontiers Line 3
BAT VK31SE or VK51SE
Audio Research LS25 mk2 or?
EAR-864
Aesthetix Calypso
Audio Valve Eclipse
now i also got very positive feedback about Belles 21A though I heard Belles 28A ref (although it is a solid state but remarcable pre!)
Indeed I paid so much attantion to synergy in my system. I've passed a lot of amps and couple of CD-players. Now I love the sound and do not want to spoil it with wrong preamp.
My problem is that I cannot listen to those preamps marked above. I live in Ukraine and here it is a problem. So the only choice is to read a lot then buy it and try it :-)
As i said earlier today I will listen to EAR 864 just to clarify for myself what good preamp can add to my system (i hope add, no subtract :-)
and then I will tell you about my influences.

Thank you

Morning :-)
so i auditioned EAR 864 yesterday. What to say. Difference between Accuphase---EAR---Electrocompaniet and Accuphase---Electrocompaniet was not stunning. At first sight everythin' kept the same. In a while I noticed that sound without EAR became less natural and less involving.
Also EAR added sweetness so i would prefer to keep that natural and involving impressions but subtract sweetness.
Anyway now i am convinced that good preamp won't spoil my system synergy.
To say the truth my first candidates are Sonic frontiers, Aesthetix Calypso and Belles 28A ref (up to forum discussions they got mostly positive feedback)

thank you very much to everyone who paid attantion to my problem
I made up my mind to try Belles 28A reference

Time will show
:-)

Hi everyone

As I said earlier I got Belles 28A ref as a pre-amp. I am listening to my new system 2 days and impressions are not monosemantic. I got better bass control and wide scene but at the same time lost naturalness. Sound became nipped and a bit dry
:-(

I will try not to make hasty conclusions but.....

Yeah, SF line 3 was in my short list but at last minute I changed my mind and got Belles. You know it happenes sometimes
:-)

Guys, all power questions really depend on your personal home condition. Also some ppl like regenerators and some ppl do not. it is okay

Dear Atmasphere
thank you for detailed reply
but I meant what is the advantage of fully balanced (like BAT) before ARC or SF which have RCA and XLR as an option

yeah Audphile1
that's what I know
i was just wandering what did Atmasphere mean by: " Snarkonmars, I don't think SF ever made a balanced preamp, although they have the connections. At least I say that in the context of being fully balanced throughout, like our preamps are."

:-)

I recon that fully balanced preamp does not allow you to connect via RCA (XLR-RCA adapter is a compromise anyway). If you have option to connect with XLR and RCA this is just more flexible and universal...

I bought SF Line 3 almost 2 years ago and happy with it
:-)