Will buy Pre-amp today, help please !!

i like the cat, but the rest of my system is single ended, and i think the bat may be only balanced. the single ended versus balanced would be the key determiner for me. hope this helps.

these posts kinda humour me...sedond has the best advice..listen for yourself. Not everyone has the same other pieces of gear you have, they have different tastes in music, hearing, etc..you are considering outlaying a lot of cash...make your own decision....

It can be very hard to demo equiptment, especially if you are honest enough not to use dealers and then buy used. I go about it by buying and selling. If you are careful, you can do this without losing money. In fact, you can even make money and trade up. The key is to do your homework. Besides the obvious care needed when buying on the internet, know what the market is. Buy things at the right price and make sure they have resale value. I learned this the hard way. There are some great products that have no resale value. There are other great products that do. If you are sure that you will hold onto what you buy, go for it. I am never sure anymore. I know this is not the advice you asked for, but I am responding to the good advice that Sedond and Justlisten gave you. This is one way you can follow it.

Can't give any info on the CAT, but I love my BAT 3i (which has both balanced and single ended in and out). But the experience I have had with BAT's customer service has been remarkable. I bought mine used and have had to talk to them twice for advice and assistance. Their response has been rapid, accurate and they even sent me some upgrade advice and minor parts at no charge. A real class outfit.

i had cat reference once in my system. It is not as good as the signature. There is a big difference between the Reference and even Signature MK I. reference is a bit bass shy. In fact, I talked on the phone with Ken Stevens (CAT), who confirmed it. He did not recommend bying a Reference. My (as well as his) suggestion would be to find any CAT Signature; MK I, II, III, or the Ultimate, which is in the top 3 preamps at any price.