Is the BAlabo BC-1 MKII Preamp the reigning King?

Greg Weaver, Senior Editor of Positive Feedback, also is on record stating that the BALabo Kit is the best sound he has ever heard and gave BALabo the Positive
Feedback Best Sound of Show Award at CES 2013. Digging further on the net regarding the amp and preamp, one word keeps popping up more than any other, Liquid! It appears by all those who have heard the BALabo separates that they all come to the same conclusion, that no other solid state component on the planet, regardless of price, can even come close to the supreme liquidity that BALabo portrays, equal to, if not better, than the finest tube separates in the world. Looking at the interior of their BC-1 preamp on their website is stunning. Four large attenuators, each in a
separate copper enclosure, integrated onto a long turn shaft. Top class, tier one component. They probably are King of the Mountain. Their Amp, Preamp and DAC together as a system cost $ 177,000.00. Phew!

Declaring something is the "best ever," only to be surpassed by another "best ever" in the next issue is the modus operandi of Absolute Sound. I believe subsequent best linestages that followed included gear from Soulution and Constellation, and who knows what else.

I have not heard the BALabo gear. I would bet that it sounds nice, but, whether it does or does not obliterate the difference between tube and solid state is an issue I always find dubious. I have never heard solid state gear that quite had the same natural sounding initial attack and subsequent decay of the notes. On the other hand, tube gear that can deliver a lot of power and can control bass like the best solid state gear usually do not sound as good on initial attack and decay as lower powered tube gear, so one really cannot have everything. As for warm vs. lean, I hardly think this is a solid state v. tube issue. For example, I can hardly think of ANY top solid state gear that is nearly as lean and analytical sounding as Audio Research tube/hybrid gear.

Gee, I remember when Halcro was the best. Who?

Yes, Halcro is a great example of "best." I believe Stereophile sort of chickened out a bit on this declaration by putting a question mark after the "best ever" designation.

I had only a limited exposure to the amp (at audio shows) so I don't know how it sounds at its best. I know an industry insider who told me that he nearly cried from the overwhelming sense of nostalgia he felt when he heard the Halcro; it reminded his so much of the old Phase Linear 700 (this was NOT meant to be a compliment).

Anyone who would declare anything as a "best" is not credible to me unless that person is limiting the description to a personal judgment in one particular setting (personal opinion based on the particular combination of gear and particular room and particular audition material).

YES, the absolute king! I'm not just saying that because these products are produced in the County and State I live in.

In a personal conversation with an industry manufacture and distributor who regularly advertises in the audio periodicals, I would agree with Rsf507 without hesitation. It's just business, nothing more.

As long as there are LPs that will never be digitized and digitally mastered recordings that will never make it to vinyl what's the point of solid state sounding like tubes and digital sounding like LPs. Both have continued to improve to the point that I doubt that any of us could consistently tell the difference in the blind and especially when using BAlabo products. Trust me.