BAT Preamps, why such polarized opposite opinions?

This thread is a perfect example of the inadequacies of relying on word of mouth to shape one's "experience" with a componenet. There is no substitute for getting the piece in your system or at a minimum, listening to it somewhere with similiar (to yours) mating equipment. My personal experience with BAT is totally opposite of "thick slow veiled". This pitiful description takes top place for largest disparity between "word on the street" and my experience (and others I know) with it. Other "stereotypes" have sometimes been a better match OTOH, but wow, BAT as "thick slow and veiled" is just flat out funny! It is not even worth the pixels to blab on about what pieces I heard as NONE of this matters. What matters is that YOU stop forming judgements based on others views. Do what everyone else does: get on the merry go round and try a few seats. It's the only way. Everything else is, as mr tennis stated, a total waste of time.

I have heard BAT 31SE in the store with BAT VK250 amplifier when I was auditioning CD players(Arcam FMJ CD33, Cary 303/300 and Musical Fidelity A5) at Sound by Singer.
Haven't noticed the closed in or dark or dull sound from the BAT combo. The room was acoustically treated.

Audiosoul,
You say you never heard a BAT preamp. And yet you doubt the group of people who offered their opinion that contradicted with what you READ in the forums.

Why don't YOU go and get a demo piece from the dealer(or buy a used unit on audiogon), bring it home and listen to it in your system and draw your own conclusions, instead of questioning and doubting what someone said. This would be a more sofisticated way to go about it, in my opinion.

thank you depac996. it just happens that your experiences and mine are in agreement and you confirm my belief that an audition under relevant conditions is the only intelligent way to avoid the risk of disappointment after purchasing a component.

it has been said, over and over again, that well-meaning opinions should not be the basis for purchasing components.

hopefully this is the last time it needs to be said. unfortunately, this good advice will be repeated in the future, in response to another thread.

I would like to put my prevoius post into perspective. BAT sounds veiled and closed in IN COMPARISION to the latest ARC Reference gear (Ref 3 & Ref 110). If you compare it to some other amps, it may not be that obvious.

Which doesn't change the fact that BAT has a typical "wall of sound" perspective, with poor microdynamics and very little inner life.

And I think I know what I'm talking about since I owned BAT 51SE for over 2 years and have tried it on a very revealing speakers, including Avalon Eidolon Vision, Quad 2805 and Audiostatic DCM-5 (ULTRA transparent electrostatic speakers).

I accord with Lewm & Flemke that a perception of sluggishness & treble roll-off that one senses with BAT is a signature of the identical oil coupling caps used throughout much of the BAT tube line-up. Switching to good teflon such as V-Cap improves dynamics, resolution & HF extension. The BAT zero-neg feedback triode tube amp designs are great & with the coupling cap mod I believe they surpass stock ARC.