In Barn for Review: BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier

Holy 6C33C-B! BAT-man!

Personal history: My father was an MSEE and an audiophile and was drawn to companies that offered interestingly engineered products. The Balanced Audio Technology VK-D5 CD player, circa 1998, was one such example and he was a happy owner for many years.

The BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier relies on a quad of dual-filament 6C33C triodes to generate a robust 55 Watts per channel into 4 and 8 Ohms. Woof! And there’s no need to be concerned with bias (wink) as the VK-80i includes an intelligent automatic-bias design that adjusts for changing line voltage and aging tubes, with each output tube having its own dedicated bias circuit.

A quad of 6SN7s sit in the line/preamp stage while 3 pair of unbalanced RCAs and a single balanced XLR pair await your input.

Three options are provided to tap into different output impedance—(High (6–8 ohms), Med (4–6 ohms), and Low (3–4 ohms)—to provide the preferred drive for your speakers.

Those cans cover the output transformers and as you can see, the entire angular and muscular-looking chassis is covered in thick silver or black aluminum. A matching (thick aluminum) remote is included.

I’m looking forward to lighting this BAT up!


BAT VK-80i Integrated Amplifier
Price
:  $9995
Company Website: Balanced Audio Technology
US Distributor: MoFi Distribution

Specifications

Output per channel at 8Ω/4Ω: 55W
THD at full power: 3%
Frequency response: 8Hz to 200kHz
Input impedance: 215 kΩ
Tube complement: 4x 6SN7, 4x 6C33C-B
Power Consumption: 400W idle, 800W full power
Remote included: Yes – all metal
Signal inputs: 1 XLR, 3 RCAs
Volume control: Resistive ladder, 90 steps, 1dB per step
Dimensions: 17″ W x 8″ H x 16″ D
Weight: 45lb