American Bewdy

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday November 15, 2004

Greg Borrowman. Greg Borrowman is the editor of Australian HI-FI magazine

This high-powered amplifier is the real McCoy, writes Greg Borrowman.

You have to hand it to the Yanks. When they decide to build the biggest or the best of any product category, that's exactly what they do. Sometimes, this approach results in excesses such as Hummer's HumVee, until recently the largest recreational vehicle in the world.

At other times, it gives us amplifiers such as the Balanced Audio Technology VK-300x, which has to be one of the most perfectly conceived integrated amplifiers.

The most intriguing aspect of the VK-300x is its modular construction. This lets you choose only those modules you want. In its most basic form, the BAT is available as a fully solid-state amplifier, without a phono stage or a remote control. It costs $8999.

To add some valve warmth to the sound, you can include a basic valve pre-amplifier stage using 6922 valves or step up to a "Special Edition" version that uses 6H30 valves and paper-in-oil capacitors instead of small-signal ones.

We reviewed a Special Edition model with a moving coil/moving magnet gain stage and a remote control.

All inputs to the VK-300x are fully programmable. This lets you set relative input levels so there's no change in speaker volume when you switch from one input

to another. However, BAT's version allows you to also alter channel balance and absolute phase for each input, so you can compensate for balance and phase errors in your source components.

It's also possible to set a maximum volume for each input, which can be used to maintain good relationships with your neighbours or to prevent your speakers from being accidentally overpowered.

Each input can be renamed to suit your system, so if you have two CD players you can rename two inputs CD1 and CD2.

Power output is a big selling point in the United States, despite few home hi-fi systems needing more than 100 watts a channel, so it came as no surprise that BAT specifies the VK-300x at 150 watts into eight-ohm loads and 300 watts into four-ohm loads.

Our sample amplifier, tested by an independent electronics laboratory, delivered 165 watts into eight ohms, 266 watts into four ohms and 364 watts into two ohms, making it capable of driving even the most inefficient speakers.

Programming the BAT is easy. There's no need to connect a computer or use the remote. You can set up everything using only the rotary volume control and the buttons on the front panel.

The fluorescent blue display can be programmed to show volume level as an arbitrary number between 0 and 100 or in decibels referenced to rated output. Either way, the volume adjustments are in 0.5dB steps: sufficiently small and precise to enable perfect, and easily repeatable, volume setting.

BAT's VK-300x is the real McCoy: a high-power, high-performance stereo amplifier that is a joy to use.

Infofile

Balanced Audio Technology VK-300x Integrated Amplifier

RRP: $13,449

Reference AudioVisual Pty Ltd

PO Box 171, Park Orchards, Vic 3114

1800 133 135

info@referenceav.com.au

www.referenceav.com.au

© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald

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