BAT Preamps, why such polarized opposite opinions?

perceptions are subjective. what is thick, slow and veiled to some is natural sounding to others.

i have heard bat systems at dealers and ces shows. i owned a bat vk d5. bat gear is not slow, thick or veiled. it is very clear, transparent and highly detailed.

i have several witnesses who can corroborate my observations.

it has nothing to do with logic.

many so-called audiophiles are so accustomed to a little extra energy in the upper frequences, i.e., 1000 hz and up.

when a stereo system does not have such a presentation, it may be perceived as slow. it's all opinion and subjective.

asking for opinions about the sound of components is a waste of time.

I have a Bat VK50 with 6922 tubes, a VK51se with 6H30 tubes, and a VK55 tube amp, none of which are slow, thick or veiled.
Speakers are Avantgarde Duo 3.2's. If the Bat products sounded slow, thick or veiled I wouldn't own them. As it is, I just want to get more Bat stuff, maybe 150se's and a Bat Rex, yep, that would do it!

I replaced the caps in my VK-75 and transformed the way it sounds. For $200 in V-caps and a 45 minutes of labor my Bat is sounding fantastic. I would never say that the stock unit was ever thick and slow.

Tim

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.