BAT VK-52SE VS Audio Research Ref 3

Geez Beerdraft, now you're really making me think and if there's one thing I hate, it's thinking.

As I recall, all power cords were Stealth Dreams. Interconnects were Jade Hybrid Gold and Stealth Metacarbon. Speaker cables were Jade Vermeil and Stealth Hybrid MLT. As I recall I use to like to mix the Jade and Stealth. So Jade Hybrid Gold interconnects worked best with Stealth Hybrid MLT and Stealth Metacarbon sounded best with Jade Vermeil speaker cable. Come to think of it, for many of the same reasons I mixed the ARC with the BAT. The Stealth are extremely articulate, while the Jade are immensely musical.

FWIW, all of those preamps, cables and cords are long gone now due to downsizing.

Cheers,
John

I second Jmcgrogan2 opinion. I went from 51SE to Ref-3, and couldn't be happier. I found 51SE to be dark and unresolving, with poor micodynamics.

If your system is very revealing and transparent, you might hear the famous "whitish" top end often mentioned with Ref-3/5 so do proceed with caution if you decided to go for Ref 3. I certainly have heard it in my system and others and I am not alone.

I'm sure it's all system dependant. I did find a BAT preamp and BAT amp to be dark and unresolving in my system, like Elberoth2. Same as all Jade cables to some extent. I never heard the ARC Ref 3 with a ARC amp, that may have had the hot, whitish top end that Semi refers to. Mixing the ARC preamp and BAT amp gave me a nice balance, IMHO. Some of the power and dynamics of the BAT mixed with some of the speed and resolution of the ARC. It's OK to mix n' match. You don't have to have all of one brand.

Hello Arthurp,

Well I agree with Jmcgrogan2 and Elberoth2 that the REF3 will have a brighter high end, only thing is that in my view I find it to be unnaturally spotlit. I haven't had a chance to hear the 52se yet so I can't give you a direct specific comparison of these 2 preamps. I do own the BAT Rex and can tell you I find it to pretty unique, it has the most grain free natural rendering of timbre I've heard.

I'm giving you my opinion of the Rex because the 52se can be upgraded to the Rex. You really should try to at least audition these 2 preamps in systems at dealers, of course comparing them in your own system would be ideal.
Good luck with whatever you decide on.

best,
Tom