2. amps-preamps
  3. 172510-8997

Is the Audio Ref-6SE worth 7K more than the BAT VK-80?

Greeting all,

I looking to replace an venerable Sonic Frontiers Line Stage Once Pre-Amp. I been looking hard at two products. The Audio Research Ref-6SE $17K and the newly released BAT VK-80 $10K. 

These will be mated with a Pair of EVO-400's set up as Mono-Blocks and re-tubed KT-150's I like their snap over the stock EL-34's. My tastes in Pre-Amps is it has to be good with vocals but so overly warm and syrupy. That it cannot flesh out the detail within and recording, or sacrifice tightness and punch in the bass. In short it needs to provide resolution over sweetness. The Amps drive a pair of Legacy Focus SE speakers. These things do not like anything in the signal chain that fattens the low end.

Music preference are Rock, Metal and Classical. Think: Pat Benatar, Heart, Def Leopard, Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Metallica, Bach Organ Works, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and you get the picture the bombastic material I like.

I enjoy how both Pre-Amps mate with my system. However, it seems that Ref-6SE dances with my setup a little better that the BAT. My crackpot theory, is its more at home with sonic character of  the KT=150's which is what their Reference 160-M/S amps use.

Nonetheless, The BAT's build quality is more impressive, and I feel I really get something for my $10K. So it seems to me that I am paying a lot for that Audio Research prestige, than quality. Not a fan of a $17k Pre-Amp that comes with a plastic remote. That to me is a major turn off. So what other chintzy things are they doing with this component, in order to increase their profit margin?

Any additional thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

 

walkertm
knighttodd's avatar
knighttodd
203 posts
 

I haven't heard any Bat gear. However I did own a Ref 5 pre. But after hearing the LS 28se i put it in my system. Paired with the Prima Luna Evo 400 and an Audio GD 7 he mk2 for digital the sound is simply fantastic. Speakers are Kef R11 and Tyler acoustics Halo Extreme. They both sound fantastic.

mesonto
89 posts
 

Interesting question for me as well, because I was in a similar situation but with an updated SF Line 1 SE+.

 

I looked everywhere for its replacement including BAT and ARC, PS AUDIO, Macintosh, etc... and when it came time to pull the trigger I bought an old but extremely well cared for SF Line 3, then immediately had it updated to an SE + model.

 

So glad I did, because to be honest the 2 component pre is still 95% of the AR 6SE, which was the winner of all that I had tested previously. But my total cost was about 6k CDN.

 

If I were to buy new I would have no doubt bought the 6SE.

richopp
760 posts
 

Try them both and choose the one that sounds best IN YOUR ROOM.  I tend to favor Audio Research, but that is just based on years of experience.

As for looking at the parts, well, Mark Levinson used to have his designers use the best parts in the world and his stuff sounded, well, let's be charitable, pretty bad, to say the least.

I agree that the design is most important, and I can promise you that neither company you mentioned uses "cheap" or "second-rate" parts.  Why would they?

Cheers!

 

Cheers!

sheridanmartinj
50 posts
 

I`ve own ARC preamps since 1978 to name a few the ARC3,ARC LS25 MK2 LS22 .  I decided to go all SS for a change; my ARC SS CD3 CD player I`ve had for quite some time I still owned My ARC Phono Amp the PH3 is the only tube amp I have left in my arsenal. I let go my ARC D400 power amp and replaced it with the PASS X350 Replaced my ARC LS22 preamp for the Pass XP30 after doing a bit of research I came across a writer auditioning the ARC SE6 and the pass XP30 he loved both I chose the Pass XP30 I had to make a decision my choice was based  synergy SQ although my heart has always been ARC and to this day ARC I love however, SQ is most important to me

hotei
153 posts
 

Sounds to me like you already made your mind up in your first post.

More to discover