My VK500 was bettered by the McCormack DNA500. That said, for the current used price, the BAT is a good value. In my system at the time, the BAT had a musical midrange, was a touch dark and rolled off in the high frequencies (not necessarily a bad thing on all music), and had impactful and extended bass that was not the last word in definition. I have better ancillary components now and would like to hear it again in my current system vs. the McCormack. For about $500-$1000 (used) more than the VK500, you might try the Belles 350A Reference. I would have to disagree with the VK-500 being their best amp and would think that honor goes to the VK-600M SE for SS and the VK-150 for tubes.
