ARC LS 25 MK II vs. BAT VK30SE

I have the LS 25MKII. I did not do a direct comp with the BAT, but I can tell you that the LS25 is a class A+ preamp. It will not be the weak link in any system at any price in my opinion. The new J-fet input is very quiet and makes the LS25 one of the quietest tube preamps made. I particularly like the selectable gain settings on this unit. The new 6h30 tubes do their job well and are powerful as well.

I have the BAT VK-30SE and ARC Ref 2. Although the Ref 2 is a good preamp, I prefer the BAT. I can't imagine that the LS-25 would be superior to the Ref 2. If it is I would like to know about it. One complaint that I have had with ARC is that they seem to have an upgrade a month. Please get it right the first time. I believe that BAT has in the VK-30SE.

I am considering these two preamps as well. While I have auditioned the LS25 in my system I have not been able to audition the BAT VK30SE. The nearest BAT dealer to me is a 3hr drive. What are the sonic characteristics that folks who prefer the BAT feel are superior to the LS25MkII, or the latest ARC preamps in general?

I believe the 3 hours drive would be worth it. ARC's largest undoings is their design indecision and their insistance on using large amounts of feed-back. The BAT is better.

Hello Eg1 and Tom, Although I haven't compared the pre-amps in ?. Everytime I've compared Bat to ARC (pre-amps and amps) Bat IMHO has won and not by a small degree. If you can please make the comparison and trust your own ears. All the best, Tom