Introduction One of the best complements one can pay to Balanced Audio Technology is that in a world where two channel manufacturers are going out of business like never before, BAT is thriving with a product line filled with high value and high performance tube and solid state electronics. The BAT VK-40 is a $4000 audio preamplifier designed for the serious enthusiast. It is a completely balanced design that features a full function remote, an alphanumeric front panel readout and an advance 140-increment Vichay volume control. The BAT VK-40 is incredibly easy to set up and its back panel is very logical. I simply directed the balanced output from my Mark Levinson No. 36s DAC into the VK-40 and ran the balanced main outs to a Mark Levinson No. 333 power amp. The VK-40 is outfitted with three balanced inputs and two unbalanced inputs as well as two balanced outputs that can be modified to ...

Introduction The $2,500 B&K Reference 20 is the latest and greatest in B&K's line of Dolby Digital, DTS Surround Processors. Keeping with tradition, this unit is built with the future in mind and allows for easy upgrades due to its modular design. This means that if and when a new surround format is announced, you should be able to easily upgrade the Reference 20 to accommodate it. The Reference 20 is designed to handle switching and surround sound processing for your entire system. In addition to acting as a preamp/processor, it also has a built-in tuner. Other features include two-zone capability, seven inputs, RS232 port, IR and 12-volt control capabilities, as well as a learning remote. Setting everything up was fairly easy, thanks to a clear and complete owner's manual. I was even able to make custom labels for the various inputs, so instead of the display saying "V2," it reads "Laser" -- a very handy ...

Introduction The Line 3 from Sonic Frontiers is the flagship of their preamplifier lineup. It’s a two-box system, with a separate power supply enclosure attached via a sizable umbilical cord to the Line Stage Preamplifier unit. Each enclosure measures in at 19 inches wide, 14-1/4 inches deep, and four-and-a-half inches tall, a size consistent with much of the Sonic Frontiers line. The combined weight is approximately 60 pounds. The Line 3 is a fully balanced tube preamplifier, incorporating a fully dual mono design. The Line 3 uses five 6922s and one 6U8A tube per channel, for a total of 12 tubes. There are sufficient input options, including two sets of balanced and four pairs of single-ended inputs. As for output options, there are two pairs of balanced and two sets of single-ended outputs for you to chose from. There are also external loops for tape in and out and a surround processor input which, ...

Introduction The Proceed AVP is a full function audio/video preamp that combines audio preamplification, digital conversion, broadcast-quality video switching and surround sound decoding into a highly refined high-end gem. Priced at $4,995 (S-Video version), the Proceed AVP comes equipped with DTS, AC3, Pro Logic, THX and numerous other surround fields for both music and video playback. The digital section of the AVP uses Burr Brown 1702 20-bit Multibit DACs for the left and right channels and 1-bit, 24-bit compatible AKM Delta-Sigma DACs for the center, surround, aux and subwoofer channels. A dealer-provided software update will be available in the near future to get your AVP ready for the 24-bit 96 kHz performance. The AVP comes equipped with seven digital and eight analog highly flexible, assignable inputs. A special version of the AVP can be ordered in order to take up to four S-VHS inputs, as well as four composite inputs. A standard AVP comes with six composite ...

Introduction A home theater’s central nervous system is the digital processor, serving as preamp, digital surround decoder, D-to-A converter (DAC) and switcher. Audio Design Associates (ADA), a company that specializes in custom installation, manufactures a line of high performance components and the Cinema Reference is their most comprehensive and versatile processor to date, incorporating both Dolby Digital and DTS decoders along with THX enhancements. As manufacturers firmly entrench themselves in the DVD revolution, Laserdiscs are already virtually a footnote in A/V history. While the majority of processors require the purchase of additional outboard gear to play Dolby-encoded Laserdiscs, the Cinema Reference actually houses the often-elusive RF Demodulator. Functioning as a sophisticated preamp/switcher, this processor is loaded with a wide assortment of inputs and outputs, insuring future expandability as digital products continue to emerge. High-quality components, superior sonic performance and advanced features tend to drive the price up on processors, and so it is with the Cinema Reference. At ...