I have no experience with the Hovland but I would be very careful with the VK-30SE. This has a very rolled-off top end. The 31SE upgrade, which was $1100 back in 2002/2003, was a significant improvement in this regard to this unit. Harmonic overtones were greatly diminished in the 30SE. I started with the 30SE but only with the intention to upgrade it to the 31SE. Without this upgrade, I would never have gone this way.
I owned the 31SE for two years and thought very highly of this but it still has a little bit of a soft treble delivery. So this is more suitable with a system that is a little bit on the "additive" side of treble neutrality. With a solid state amp, the 31SE could very well be a great match.
The 31SE, as did the 30SE, renders the bottom octave very well for a tube preamp. And with the 30SE to 31SE conversion, there is a very nice rendering of midrange bloom and fullness to piano, saxaphone and voice.
John
I owned the 31SE for two years and thought very highly of this but it still has a little bit of a soft treble delivery. So this is more suitable with a system that is a little bit on the "additive" side of treble neutrality. With a solid state amp, the 31SE could very well be a great match.
The 31SE, as did the 30SE, renders the bottom octave very well for a tube preamp. And with the 30SE to 31SE conversion, there is a very nice rendering of midrange bloom and fullness to piano, saxaphone and voice.
John