Welcome home! My BAT VK300se has been my workhorse for over 12 years (I've had two). I'd recommend this honey for anyone getting into "this life". It just sounds "right", has lots of power and is fully balanced. The only issue is this unit has been in production for something like twenty years? I made sure to check the serial number before purchasing my current unit. It was a year and a half old when I got it. Be sure to try the NOS 6H30 "DR" driver tubes (standard in the 3000se?).
The Return to Audio Begins...BAT VK-3000SE
After a 10-year sabbatical to learn guitar (and take that hobby beyond silliness), I decided to re-enter the hifi pool. I still did some occasional listening, but most of my free time was devoted to guitar.
My "downsized" system was a Prima Luna Prologue 2 and some Vandersteen 1Ci speakers. My source has always been a Lector CDP-7T.
A few things triggered this situation:
A ton of recently-remastered CDs that sound great.
My being tired of not having a remote controlled volume on my amp.
A glance at the new MD catalog. The BAT currently has a price reduction, and I got a fair trade number on the Prologue.
So, I bought a BAT VK-3000SE.
I had previously owned the 300xse 10 years ago w/VSA VR-4SR speakers.
I just like the blend of warmth/detail/dynamics of the BAT. Even with $1250 speakers, I can say some of the playback is the best I've had. It will not make ordinary recordings sound great, but great ones are superb.
I basically listen to classic rock. Beatles-oriented, through GnR with a twist of 80's pop. That's it. no Dianna Krall or Patricia Barber required for system testing this go round. I played enough of those tracks during all of my system testing years ago to last three lifetimes.
Differences? Exactly what you would imagine them to be. Better bass control, more detail and depth. The Prologue was no dog. I had it re-tubed with Gold Lions in January and it sounded better-than-ever.
I'm really liking the more-pronounced hologram between the speakers with the BAT. The vocals are just "there", much like listening to live music. I'm certain the BAT would please most listeners because of it's ability to combine warmth and detail. I think this would span many musical and speaker preferences.
Somehow, I've been lucky getting good sound in a room with wood floors, concrete walls, and a recessed window between the speakers. The speakers can ONLY go in this location. They sit eight feet apart
Next...
I'm using some very ordinary cables at the moment. The ICs between the amp was one of about a dozen I tried in the old days (I don't even recall what it is) with two Power Chords going into a Richard Gray's unit.
The speaker cable is a very basic Audioquest. I ordered some Anticables V3 yesterday. I don't want to sink a TON into these because my next move will likely be a speaker upgrade, which will require new cables for bi-wiring.
Next speaker (if necessary)? It would be hard to not stay in the Vandersteen family with what I'm hearing from the 1Ci. My room will allow a slightly larger speaker. All really that's "missing" today is a little more depth feel to the bass. We're talking a slight amount. I'm hoping a cable change will deliver this without removing the things I'm currently liking. If this doesn't work, the speakers will likely be replaced within the next 6 months.
Then, the fun begins...again.
My "downsized" system was a Prima Luna Prologue 2 and some Vandersteen 1Ci speakers. My source has always been a Lector CDP-7T.
A few things triggered this situation:
A ton of recently-remastered CDs that sound great.
My being tired of not having a remote controlled volume on my amp.
A glance at the new MD catalog. The BAT currently has a price reduction, and I got a fair trade number on the Prologue.
So, I bought a BAT VK-3000SE.
I had previously owned the 300xse 10 years ago w/VSA VR-4SR speakers.
I just like the blend of warmth/detail/dynamics of the BAT. Even with $1250 speakers, I can say some of the playback is the best I've had. It will not make ordinary recordings sound great, but great ones are superb.
I basically listen to classic rock. Beatles-oriented, through GnR with a twist of 80's pop. That's it. no Dianna Krall or Patricia Barber required for system testing this go round. I played enough of those tracks during all of my system testing years ago to last three lifetimes.
Differences? Exactly what you would imagine them to be. Better bass control, more detail and depth. The Prologue was no dog. I had it re-tubed with Gold Lions in January and it sounded better-than-ever.
I'm really liking the more-pronounced hologram between the speakers with the BAT. The vocals are just "there", much like listening to live music. I'm certain the BAT would please most listeners because of it's ability to combine warmth and detail. I think this would span many musical and speaker preferences.
Somehow, I've been lucky getting good sound in a room with wood floors, concrete walls, and a recessed window between the speakers. The speakers can ONLY go in this location. They sit eight feet apart
Next...
I'm using some very ordinary cables at the moment. The ICs between the amp was one of about a dozen I tried in the old days (I don't even recall what it is) with two Power Chords going into a Richard Gray's unit.
The speaker cable is a very basic Audioquest. I ordered some Anticables V3 yesterday. I don't want to sink a TON into these because my next move will likely be a speaker upgrade, which will require new cables for bi-wiring.
Next speaker (if necessary)? It would be hard to not stay in the Vandersteen family with what I'm hearing from the 1Ci. My room will allow a slightly larger speaker. All really that's "missing" today is a little more depth feel to the bass. We're talking a slight amount. I'm hoping a cable change will deliver this without removing the things I'm currently liking. If this doesn't work, the speakers will likely be replaced within the next 6 months.
Then, the fun begins...again.
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- 9 posts total
- 9 posts total