Originally Posted by joeinid (Post 364055)

Wow! Rex monos. Congratulations.

Originally Posted by tom_hankins

Thanks! :banana: I'm kinda freaked out I own them

Originally Posted by tom_hankins (Post 356871)

Bought a pr. of REXPower monoblocks. Cant wait until they get here!!! Hopefully be able to keep the stereo REXPower I have now and do some comparisons of what I've gained by going with monos.

Originally Posted by tom_hankins (Post 364320)

I'll get my personal photographer (aka wife) on it and try to get them posted tonight.
Short story is with the YGA Carmels I'm using they provide a little more attack and decay and quite a bit more bloom, also seemd to be more relaxed. But in know way soft or slow sounding. A nice upgrade over one REX, oh yeah....they look really cool too.

Originally Posted by chessman (Post 526120)

I just re-read this thread for fun and now realize what a blast it is to hear from other BAT owners. For all you guys who already posted - we need updates and pics! For all you lurkers with BAT gear - post something! :)

Originally Posted by chessman (Post 267592)

I thought it was time for a little BAT love. :D

Every time I listen to this BAT/Wilson system I am blown away by how good it sounds. The gear disappears and it becomes all about the music. For me, the measure of the experience is my emotional connection to the music, not degrees of "realism." I think my system often sounds better than live (yeah, I said it ;)).

The system is neutral, quick, highly resolving, with tight bass and sparkling highs that sound completely proportionate to the music. In a word - sublime. If you are starting a system and looking for fantastic synergy, I suggest that you audition a BAT/Wilson pairing. :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Steady339 (Post 599830)

Chessman, must be an awesome system to listen to with the BAT/Wilson combination! I agree with your comments about the importance of a system establishing an emotional connection to the music. However, for me, systems that produce high degrees of "realism" to genuine timbres, dynamics, soundstage, etc. created in a "live" acoustic concert help me better to suspend belief that I am only listening to a electro-mechanical reproduction of the original performance.

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 648317)

Did anyone compare the Vk-600SE versus the newer Vk-655SE? I'm seriously considering a Vk-600SE. :)

Originally Posted by chessman (Post 648330)

I have not, but I do have the VK-600 SE and think it is an awesome amp. It is fluid, effortless, and emotionally involving. :thumbsup:

Also, you might want to check out this thread: http://www.audioaficionado.org/balan...vk-655-se.html

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 650072)

Randy, can you be more descriptive about your power amp? What other loudspeakers did you listen to on the VK-600SE? Thanks. :D
__________________
Amp: Jeff Rowland Concerto Integrated w Jeff Rowland PC-1 PFC
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e20MkIII DSD DAC w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; MacBook Pro i5 13' w OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD; Audirvana + 1.5.10
Speakers: Raidho Eben X-Centric
Cables: Audioquest Sky XLR 72v DBS, Audioquest Volcano 72V DBS, Audioquest NRG-10 72V DBS, Audioquest Diamond USB 216V DBS
Rack: Aavik w Nordost Pulsar Points
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; Nordost Quasar Points; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 650072)

Randy, can you be more descriptive about your power amp? What other loudspeakers did you listen to on the VK-600SE? Thanks. :D
__________________
Amp: Jeff Rowland Concerto Integrated w Jeff Rowland PC-1 PFC
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e20MkIII DSD DAC w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; MacBook Pro i5 13' w OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD; Audirvana + 1.5.10
Speakers: Raidho Eben X-Centric
Cables: Audioquest Sky XLR 72v DBS, Audioquest Volcano 72V DBS, Audioquest NRG-10 72V DBS, Audioquest Diamond USB 216V DBS
Rack: Aavik w Nordost Pulsar Points
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; Nordost Quasar Points; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3

Originally Posted by Dawgneck (Post 663629)

Greetings and Happy New Years, fellow BAT aficionados. I thought I'd type the first 2015 update to the BAT forum. My last post was in 2012. I was looking to replace my aging Energy Veritas 2.8's at that time. I auditioned the Andra II/III, Vandersteen 5A, Sophia 2/3, Rockport Avior, Revel Salon2 and a few others. All the speakers sounded great but I narrowed it down to two exceptional sounding beasts – the Avior and the Salon2. Both were stunning but the speaker I purchased was slightly more transparent on the top and possessed a slightly tighter, deeper bass on the bottom – the Revel Salon2. I also purchased a Marantz NA-11S1 music player. I preferred it to the Lumin A1 player but I hear the new S1 is a killer player so I will audition it soon. After I burned in the equipment for a month, I sat down for some critical listening.... The sound from this combo was beautiful! Clean, solid, sweet transparent music was delivered with a dark background, thunderous deep bass and a completely flat frequency range. It was stunningly musical and the BAT equipment added a warmth I expected and foresaw when I first purchased the amp and preamp. I mated the Salon2 to the 600SE with TOL Furutech speaker cables, switched out all interconnects and power cords with Furutech's TOL offerings and reached a plateau I never experienced with my equipment before. I was never that satisfied musically in my house (the word musically was tossed at the recommendation of my wife). You probably noticed the past-tense wording I used to describe my system's sound. We found a nice fixer-upper in March and we're currently remodeling it. The equipment is boxed up and awaiting it's new home: a 20 x 40 room that will also house a 4.5 x 9 foot pool table (hooked on 1-pocket). I wanted a larger sound room but I expect acoustic problems due to the room's dimensions, cathedral ceiling and wood flooring over concrete. Perhaps Jeff Fritz can give me some tips. His room is similar in size and has what appears to be a cathedral ceiling. Speaking of Jeff's room (here: http://www.audioaficionado.org/membe...hs-system.html ), his Rockport Altair is stunning! I auditioned the Altair at Gary Hjerpe's shop in Arizona a few years ago and was floored. I also auditioned the Arrakis at Gary's shop: The Arrakis is too large for any house I can afford to place it in.... But the Altair? It is on my short list of must purchase items! Once I get the acoustics straightened out in the new sound room and rebound financially from the house and remodel costs, I’ll begin my quest for a used pair of Altairs. I heard the new BAT equipment sounds better than my current items, but sorry, Victor: I don't plan to upgrade. I'm totally satisfied with the 600SE and 52SE. As a matter of fact, I'll probably grab a 2nd 600SE used and feed each Salon2 its own amp. This will likely happen before another pair of Altairs show up on Audiogon. So, what are your plans for 2015?

Originally Posted by tom_hankins (Post 366065)

Not sure why the first two pics of the amps and speakers are not showing I'll try again.

Originally Posted by chessman (Post 697098)

It has been a momentous year of improvements. I added Stillpoints isolation and it was at least a component upgrade. Then I retired my beloved BAT CD player in favor of an Esoteric K-01, which was also a component level upgrade. Recently, I added a media server as a source, with the help of Audio by E. Beyond the addictive convenience, the Asynchronous USB yields a phenomenally clean signal to the K-01's DACs. Soon to arrive is a Bryston SP-3 surround processor. I won't be giving up the BAT VK-52 SE preamp for two channel or the BAT VK-600 SE amp.

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 715670)

Tom, do you use AudioQuest Mont Blanc or Everest as loudspeaker cables? I can't seem to figure it out just by looking at the pictures.
__________________
Amp: BAT VK-600SE
Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e20MkIII DSD DAC w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; MacBook Pro i5 13' w Samsung 850EVO 512GB SSD; Audirvana + 1.5.12
Speakers: Raidho Eben X-Centric
Cables: Audioquest Sky XLR 72v DBS, Audioquest Everest DBS 72V, Audioquest NRG-10 72V DBS, Audioquest Diamond USB 216V DBS
Rack: Mapleshade Platforms
Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w IsoTek Elite EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3

Originally Posted by johndoe21ro (Post 749075)

Randy, what Stillpoints do you use under your BAT VK-600SE and to what effect? __________________ Amp: BAT VK-600SE Pre-amp/Digital: exaSound e20MkIII DSD DAC w Paul Hynes SR3-12 Power Supply; MacBook Pro i5 13' w Samsung 850EVO 512GB SSD; Audirvana + 1.5.12 Speakers: Raidho Eben X-Centric Cables: Audioquest Sky XLR 72v DBS, Audioquest Everest DBS 72V, Audioquest NRG-10 72V DBS, Audioquest Diamond USB 216V DBS Rack: Mapleshade Platforms Tweaks: Omicron Stabilizzatore Armonico & Gold Evolution SE; IsoTek Sigmas GII w IsoTek Elite EVO3; Furutech FT-SWS (R) AC Outlet; HiFi Tuning Supreme 3