I concur with Doc on Ref 3 being a wonderful linestage. However, if you are a lover of 'bloom', the Ref 3 may not be necessarily the device for you. Overall, it is more linear, tighter, and somewhat less bloomy than many tube line stages on the market. . . . I am thinking in particular of the BAT VK51SE. Rather, Ref 3 seems to be a device that bridges some of the more desirable characteristics of tubes and solid state.
Should I upgrade from BAT31se to AudioResearchRef3
I have magnepan 20.1s, pass labs x250.5 amp, pass labs xono phono pre, vpi superscoutmaster ref/koetsu RSP and a BAT 31se preamp. I was thinking about upgrading to the Audio Research Reference 3 preamp. Is it worth the extra money compared with the value of the 31se on sound quality (ie, will it really have more bloom?)