I have always like BAT products especially the highly acclaimed VK-6200 5 channels which I also own.
I must say that this amplifier is one of the best value amp that Mr. Victor Khomenko has design. If you are looking for 2 channel amp that sings like the breeze look no further because you have found it. I see them for sale once in a while on Ebay and Audiogon for very good prices. I highly recommend this beautiful piece of art.

Incredibly dynamic and congestion free with ability to retrieve subtle detail from complex music even at low or loud output levels. Much more robust than any 100-watt per channel amp has a right to be. Outstanding build quality.

XLR balanced inputs only but this is not really a weakness because the amp performs best this way. RCA-to-XLR adapters are available if your preamp does not have balanced outputs. The amp can run a bit warm even at idle. I suspect this amp is biased more toward Class A operation than some others. Not to placed in an enclosed equipment rack. Let this amp breathe.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about this remarkable solid-state amplifier from BAT? Like my recently purchased BAT VK30se preamp, the construction quality of the VK-200 is truly outstanding. It's built like a battle ship but with lots of care and attention to detail. For a modest 100w/ch amp, at nearly 60 pounds it's fairly heavy. Prior to ever auditioning equipment from BAT, my initial impression was that BAT equipment was rather expensive. I once owned a quality 200w/ch amp that cost somewhat less than the modest 100w/ch BAT VK-200. I figured the 200w/ch amp at less money than the 100w/ch BAT had to be the better buy. WRONG! Very very wrong!! Even at half the power rating of the larger amp, the BAT VK-200 is the better buy. In fact, this modest 100w/ch VK-200 is more detailed, transparent, and robust than the 200w/ch or larger 300w/ch amps I've owned in the past. This amp never runs out of juice. I play it loud and it maintains it's composure effortlessly extracting detail and subtlties from very complex music without congestion. It's a very clean and clear sounding amp. The bass is deep, tight, and detailed, never muddy and never lacking punch. The midrange is smooth and articulate while the treble is extended but clean and never bright. The soundstage width and depth are very good, 3-dimensional almost like my tube gear with good focus. This is by far the best solid-state amp I have ever owned. I have also tried various tube amps and still have one. The BAT VK-200 is the only solid-state amp that I think I'll keep for a very long time. I sold the others long ago as I was never completely satisfied with their peformance. System: BAT VK30se tube preamp BAT VK-200 solid-state amp Cary 306/200 CD player Tannoy D500 speakers (6-Ohm nom. ~91dB sens.)

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Auditioned Krell, Bryston, Classe CA-201. Owned Classe CA-100, CA-200, CA-300. Owned Audio Research VT100mkII tube amp. Currently also own Conrad-Johnson Premier 11a tube amp and Conrad-Johnson MF2

This amp never seems to run out of power. If you need clean deep bass, the BAT VK200 can easily supply it. THe VK200
also is a good sense of depth and a good soundstage. The
amp gives good detail, but without excess high frequencies.

This is a pretty heavy amp, which also gets a bit warm. so be sure you have a room to keep it cool.

Balanced Audio Technology believes that a true balanced
circuit path will give the listener the best sound.
Well, with my experience with the VK200, I have to agree.
The VK200 is a solid state amp which gives clean deep
bass. It also has great resolution. It gives the richness
one expects from a tube amp, but also that wonderful bass.
It sends up a good sense of a soundstage and if the recording has depth, the VK200 can give a nice sense of depth. I have owned this amp for over a year and have
no regrets. The VK200 was easy to set up and has had no
problems. If one has questions about the amp, it is
quite easy to get the designer on the phone. Victor
Komenko is very happy to answer questions about his designs.

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Classe power amp

Lots of headroom for an amp with very moderate power ratings. Performs MUCH larger than the 100 watt per channel rating!

None really. It operates warm, and not suitable for an enclosed rack system, but that's no weakness.

Here's a cut to the chase. Run, don't walk, to buy this amp, and be glad you did. It's as good as anything else available under $2k and better than most. And to tell you the truth, you could spend more than twice that amount, yet not better the perfomance had from the VK200. I've sampled everything I cared to sample over a 5 year period. I've owned several VK200's over that period, and the VK200 is the amp I've come back to every time. I've now moved on from the audio habit. I refer to it as such, because buying, sampling, repeated gear can become a form of addiction. But I had fun, have no regrets, and even made a little money in the process. I've settled on the VK200 as the amp to drive my final system. Mated to any BAT preamp (I've owned most of them), I've found it really is as good as it gets. The VK200 drives a pair of Martin Logan CLS IIz's very adequately, and elequently. It's simply, good enough. Enjoy all!



System:

Martin Logan CLS IIz's
BAT VK200
BAT VK40 (pre)
Sony XA7ES
Rega P2000
Dynavector DV10 MkII
VPI 16.5

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Pass Aleph 2's, Aleph 5, Aleph 3, Aragon Palladium II mono's, Plinius SA100 MkIII, Coda 10.5, VTL Deluxe 140 mono's, Manley Ref 440 mono's, Bel Canto Evos 200.2 mono's, BAT VK500.

Soundstage, Depth and Clarity. Gobbs of power reserve (Modestly rated at 100WPC). Engineering, Build Quality and overall bang for your buck.

None that I have found. Like all high quality amps, needs good ventilation and by all means do by yourself a good AC coupler. I think that's why they have after market, they probably pay equipment manufacturers to put cheap ones in their boxes!!

I am trying to put a review in for each piece of equipment I own but I do have other pressing matters and it takes time. I really don't know where to start with this because I feel that this is bar none the best amp (Engineering, build and sound quality) I have ever owned and we can go back a long way on the ones I have owned. In the late '70's I ownned Pioneer 707 Class A, H&K Citation series and MAC. In the '80's I had Rotel and NAD. All were good for the money especially the NAD. Nothing to this day can equal my VK200. One reviewer did mention the importance of having the right equipment and that would include cabling for me to associat with your VK200. I like minimalist Pre's so I bought the VK3i because I'm not into bell's and whistle's. I also think that Victor is ahead of his time in his engineering philosophy and design of fully balanced equipment. I could go on and on about this bad boy but all I can say is that if you are in the market for a good amp go to a dealer that sells BAT and give this baby a listen and I'm sure you will agree with the majority of the reviewers. In order to keep from duplicating my associated equipment please see my entry under CD players, Rotel RCD 991 for this info. IRIE! Jamming.

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Nothing at this price point! Similar though are MAC, Krell and Threshold.

i've been listening to the BAT VK-200 for a couple of weeks now, and i'm impressed. great harmonic integrity and beautiful midrange, but with no compromise in frequency extension: the highs are pristine and the lows are powerful. soundstage width and depth are also excellent. my overall impression is that yet another layer of electronic glare has been removed. i'm still looking through a window, but the window is a lot cleaner than before.my apt. setup isn't ideal right now, but i can only imagine what the system will sound like once i can put it in a good room!

system:
B&W 805, Kimber 8TC, BAT VK-200, DLin Silver Bullet 6.0, SF Line 1, DLin Silver Bullet 6.0, Adcom GDA700, Kimber AGDL, Panasonic DVD A310.
also, Sunfire MKII Sub with Kimber Hero.

5 stars for performance.
4 stars for price ($3500 retail).

Clarity, imaging, high quality chassis, nice speaker posts, heavy-duty build with nice heat sinks

crappy power cable

Very nice amp. When compared to the KAV-250, the Krell was entirely too aggressive and grainy. SOundstaging was decent but not spectacular. It was indeed very powerful (it's a 250W vs. 100W) with plenty of headroom at very high listening levels. I had my mind kind of set on the Krell -- I'd heard it about a year before and was ready to throw down the $3300 for a new one.
However, my dealer here had a demo BAT VK-200 for sale. After listening to a diverse array of tracks on the Krell, we switched to the BAT. Immediately, it was apparent that this was the amp for me. Not only was it much more musical and subtle, but it didn't give up much in the power department like I thought it would, seeing as how the Krell was 250W and both are Class A/B. And then the kicker...they were discontinuing the BAT product at their store and wanted $2300. Couldn't resist.1

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Krell KAV-250

Tube-like performance from a solid state design.

Absolutely none.

I'll get straight to the point. I've owned the Plinius SA100 MkIII, which is one of the finest amps you'd ever want to own...But, this VK200 has got to be one of the absolute finest solid state amplifiers ever designed. I've owned the VK500, which was the absolute quietest running amp I'd ever owned. Absolutely zero feedback, i.e., HUM. The VK200 sounds identical to the VK500 in that it's as quiet as the VK500. If anything, I'd not hesitate to say that the VK200 is even more musical in its presentation than the VK500 was.



If I had only $2k to spend for a used amp, I'd take the VK200 7 out of 7 days a week. IMHO, it's the absolute best amp I've ever heard, and a bargain compared to some other manufacturer's (which we don't need to even suggest...we all know who they are). Do yourself a favor, and listen to the BAT solid state amps. BAT's design principles are superior to any other designs I've seen. BAT's products have made a huge splash since coming on the scene some 5 plus years ago. Who keeps winning all the best of sound awards at the shows? You get one guess...



Do yourself a favor and buy a BAT VK200...Warning!!! Once BAT, never BACK to anything else. Everything else is just plain noisy in comparison.



Now...back to some jazz..........

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Pass, Aragon Pall II's, Plinius.

incredible tonality and very very dynamic. It's one fast and powerful amp.

without revealing gear it could come across to warm and not involving enough. But get it right and WOW. OH and it get's really really hot.

Very very powerful and very very fast. It's hard to believe this amp is only 100wpc. Excellent tonality. with good digital gear the sounstage goes very deep and defined. large image. Is a superb match for thiels. This amp never ceases to amaze me. I can't believe the detail that can come from it but without being bright. The sound stage never gets cluttered even with rock and heavymetal. This amp sounds just as good with every type of music.
System: Reference line preeminence 1 series 2 passive preamp ($1500), thiel 2.3 speakers ($3600), resolution audio quantum DAC ($3200), and the vk-200 amp ($3600).
To get the most from this amp I have a dedicated power line with 10 gauge solid core wire with a leviton outlet and a custom 10 gauge solid core powercord.I also make my own interconnects and speaker wire using solid core wire(it blows away the $5000 of retail stuff I had. no kidding) Did I mention how super dynamic it is? It looks awsome too. I love the blue lights. Don't use any speakers that gloss over the sound. this amp gets everything right so you don't need gear that tries to "fix" the sound IE: MIT and vandersteens or you won't truelly get the benefit of owning this amp and it may come across to warm (but you'll still get the power and dynamics). It really shines with very holographic speakers that can reveal detail. I bet avalons would sound great with it also.

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Classe ca-100

Deep and articulate bass, smooth midrange, great dimensionality and highs, seemingly endless current.

none

Wonderful synergy with the BAT VK-30 preamp, never seems to run out of steam even while driving Aerial 10Ts. Definitely conservative power ratings. It doesn't seem to get even close to clipping, even on days when I really wanna boogie.

Textured bass, smooth mids, delicate and crystaline highs. Very eerie soundstage and dimensionality - turn the lights out and it's spooky real. Female vocals are really seductive.

I loved the honk of the sax. A violin sounds as though you can hear the wood of the instrument and the rosin on the bow. Standup bass on Holly Cole - you can hear the flesh of the fingers. On many discs, snare drums really snap. Bells tingle the spine. Brush of the cymbals swish.

With the California Audio Labs CL-15 and Audio Magic Spellcaster IIs, the combination has great slam and punch. Great control; when sounds start, they start FAST and when they stop, they STOP. Amazing control.

Yet the overall smoothness is pure tubes, never harsh. Like the best of both worlds. Plus Victor Khomenko of BAT seems like he's always an email away if you ever need a question answered. A gentleman.

Me - I'm a happy guy. And I'm absolutely diggin my music. I come home from a hard day at work or from a long trip, and I can't wait to power up the system and say ahhhh. Beam me up Scotty!

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Levinson, Krell