Lvk, everything here gets mixed reviews....all the way up to the super-fi gear here. So much comes down to personal preferences and different compromises that each of us takes in our quest for musical enjoyment. So don't discard BAT gear because people here have differing opinions.
If your budget is $1200, you have limited options if you want a tube line stage. In the $1500-2000 range, I would suggest you try to find an ARC LS5 or BAT VK5i. Both of these are a significant cut above the 3i or 30 in terms of resolution and neither has a rolled off top end. They are however fully balanced in the real sense and have no RCA connections. But adaptors could be used with mighty fine results at the start. The Modulus 3A does not at all compete with these units. The only other unit that comes to mind is one of the older Counterpoint 3000 or 5000 which are in your price range and they include very good phono stages as well.
John
If your budget is $1200, you have limited options if you want a tube line stage. In the $1500-2000 range, I would suggest you try to find an ARC LS5 or BAT VK5i. Both of these are a significant cut above the 3i or 30 in terms of resolution and neither has a rolled off top end. They are however fully balanced in the real sense and have no RCA connections. But adaptors could be used with mighty fine results at the start. The Modulus 3A does not at all compete with these units. The only other unit that comes to mind is one of the older Counterpoint 3000 or 5000 which are in your price range and they include very good phono stages as well.
John