bat vk3ix OR bat vk32se PAIRING bat vk55

I own the VK3iX and have it paired to a Mcintosh MC275. I have changed the tubes in both my pre and amp, both were significant upgrades. I havent heard a VK32 or the VK55 but have had the Vk300xSE in my system. I originaly was comparing the 300xSE to the VK3iX paired with a Bryston 2BSST. At that time i felt the seperates where about par with the 300xSE albeit not as refined or as solid in the bass. I dont listen loud so the extra headroom that the integrated would of had was not necessary in addition to the price difference. I have since moved on to the MC275 and I love what i hear. To my ears it flat out beats the 300xSE in every way. Prior to purchasing the Bryston i had spoke with Victor at BAT and he stated that one should expect an increase in quality with seperates due to the fact that one power supply is not powering two sections, like it is in the 300xSE. I have heard the BAT tube amps can be more analytical/linear than say my MC275. I have always wanted to hear a VK55 to see how it compares to the MC275 since they are in the same area of price. At this moment I feel a Vk3iX and a Vk55(if it is anything like the MC275) would be amazing. Sterophile recommends the pairing.

I have a VK-3iX with all the upgrades, except 6H30s. I found that replacing the stock 6V6GTs with a pair of NOS tubes yielded substantial sonic improvement. It is an inexpensive way to upgrade your VK-3iX.

So Stereophile recommends: - VK3ix with Vk55 - makes sense, they are both in the same class.

To pair VK32SE with Vk55 seems like getting a mismatch? much better PRE for a entry level POWER....yet USD 3,000 more in price...

I am still quite confused about which pairing allows more flexible TUBE SWAPPING?

Call BAT and ask. They are very helpful.

I read that review and I kind of feel like they do (believe it or not). If you want a combo that makes good music be happy with it and forget about it. If you think you might upgrade to a Vk75 or 75SE later then maybe go for the better preamp if you can afford it. Make sure the rest of your system is up to snuff also like IC's, powercords, etc...One of the best additions I made to my system believe it or not was a Running Springs Haley. It really brought everything into focus.

Bottom line is in my opinion how much do you listen and can afford. Do you feel good about your purchases? My honest opinion is the 3ix/55 combo will be a great one. My 55/5i sounded wonderful.

I have a BAT VK32 and VK75. Neither are SE's. You can't tube roll in the SE's (as I understand it). To my ear, the non-SE's are much preferable to the SE's because BATs seem to work great for tube rolling, and NOS tubes, for most of us, sound better. Plus, many of us don't care for the 6H30 tube which is part of the SE upgrade. The 6H30's make the gear sound less tubey. Perhaps I'm nuts, but it seems to me that the reason to use tube gear is to enjoy some of the warmth and musicality that tubes can bring to hi-fi.