Jim, I agree with Swampwalker that the preamp is the heart of the system, we both use VAC preamps, though his is several steps up from mine. I am using a VAC Auricle preamp which also has a great built in phono stage. I paid about $1150 for it with some special tubes several months ago. VAC, like ARC, seem to be some of the most revealing tube preamps out there. I would say that ARC is the most revealing, while the VAC is a tad more musical, yet still very revealing.
The BAT gear that I've owned I had a love/hate relationship with. I've owned 9 pieces of BAT gear, obviously I love the sound, but I've had mechanical issues with all 3 BAT preamps that I've owned. No issues with the 2 CDP's, 2 phono stages or 2 amps. BAT sound is hard to characterize. I would say that it is very powerful and dynamic, but a tad on the warm side. Certainly not as warm as CJ or Cary, but warm none the less. However, I've also seen many who claim that BAT equipment is bright. So maybe BAT is just perfectly neutral, as many find it dark, many find it bright and many find it just right, I don't know.
Sonic Frontiers gear I would avoid. I agree with most others from what I've read in that Sonic Frontiers will sound as close to solid state as any tube gear out there. In fact, so close that I've heard many SS units that better them. I prefer tube gear that sounds like tubes over tube gear that sounds like SS.
A word of caution, be careful that you do not go too far in your search for more resolution. You have higher resolution speaker cables coming in and you are looking for a higher resolution preamp. You still should be OK, but in my experiences, one can go too far, as you are now experiencing with too much warmth and musicality. You can also get so much transparency that the music becomes sterile and uninvolving. The key is to find a nice balance, one where you can listen for a long period of time with no sense of falling asleep or grinding your teeth.
Cheers,
John
The BAT gear that I've owned I had a love/hate relationship with. I've owned 9 pieces of BAT gear, obviously I love the sound, but I've had mechanical issues with all 3 BAT preamps that I've owned. No issues with the 2 CDP's, 2 phono stages or 2 amps. BAT sound is hard to characterize. I would say that it is very powerful and dynamic, but a tad on the warm side. Certainly not as warm as CJ or Cary, but warm none the less. However, I've also seen many who claim that BAT equipment is bright. So maybe BAT is just perfectly neutral, as many find it dark, many find it bright and many find it just right, I don't know.
Sonic Frontiers gear I would avoid. I agree with most others from what I've read in that Sonic Frontiers will sound as close to solid state as any tube gear out there. In fact, so close that I've heard many SS units that better them. I prefer tube gear that sounds like tubes over tube gear that sounds like SS.
A word of caution, be careful that you do not go too far in your search for more resolution. You have higher resolution speaker cables coming in and you are looking for a higher resolution preamp. You still should be OK, but in my experiences, one can go too far, as you are now experiencing with too much warmth and musicality. You can also get so much transparency that the music becomes sterile and uninvolving. The key is to find a nice balance, one where you can listen for a long period of time with no sense of falling asleep or grinding your teeth.
Cheers,
John