Balanced Audio Technology VK-23SE Stereo Preamp (Black, Free Shipping!)

Hi and Thanks for looking!

This listing is for a BAT VK-23SE Stereo Preamp in Excellent condition. Unit is about three years old and has been very carefully kept. This is a fantastic sounding preamp, with deep black backgrounds, powerful dynamics, excellent inner detail and outstanding resolution. Comparable with preamps several times its cost, the VK-23SE is a fully balanced solid-state design, as deft with single ended signals as it is with balanced ones.

With a full complement of XLR and RCA inputs, this transformer-coupled preamp punches far about its weight class. Unit is complete with original box and packaging, massive aluminum remote control, owner's manual, warranty card and all accessories.

This preamp has 3 pairs of RCA inputs and 2 pairs of XLR inputs; both RCA and XLR outputs are active simultaneously. A fully balanced design, the VK-23SE converts the three unbalanced inputs to a fully differential signal making them more robust and less susceptible to noise! Like all of BAT's VK-x3 series preamps, the VK-23SE receives massive Lundahl output transformers which solidify the outputs stage making it exceptionally robust, regardless of load. These transformers replaces BAT's previous BAT-PAK capacitor array and give the 23SE a much more open, wideband and transparent character than previous generations of BAT preamps. Also, they give the VK-23SE a more energetic presentation, seemingly allowing more of the musical energy to flow through unimpeded. Having owned several generations of BAT preamps (and amps), this is probably one of the biggest sonic improvements BAT has ever implemented.

The VK-23SE gets BAT's resistive ladder array volume control, one of the most pristine methods of attenuation in existence and definitely one of the most precise. Rather than using an imprecise rotary volume control to adjust the volume, the VK-23SE uses an array of resistors, selected in pairs, to adjust volume. When the volume is changed a matched pair of resistors is selected per channel to make the adjustment. This assures there are never more than two resistors in the signal path at any time AND that there's a perfect channel balance for both channels regardless of volume setting. The distinct clicking sound BAT preamps make when you spin the digital volume control is actually the sound of different resistor combinations being selected! The resistive ladder array gives the VK-23SE outstanding low-level resolution, excellent channel separation and truly authoritative control at all levels.

The VK-23SE is also loaded with a variety of features; Home Theater Bypass, dimmable display, the ability to rename inputs, channel balance adjustment, max volume and way more...

This preamp will ship in its original factory carton and with the original factory packaging which is very robust and in very good shape. Unfortunately, due to box size and impressive weight, I can only ship this product via FedEx. Expedited shipping is available, contact me for cost.