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· Reviews

The VK-D5's design follows the Balanced Audio Technology purist approach of using zero negative feedback to achieve the desired goals of wide bandwidth and circuit linearity. No buffers, followers or op-amps are used anywhere in the signal path. Unlike the more typical cathode follower output stage found in many so-called vacuum tube CD players, the VK-D5 features a high-current output stage using six tubes in a plate-loaded configuration. The VK-D5's Unistage® design delivers up to ten times as much current as the simple buffered output found in competing designs.

Innovative Approach

The VK-D5 is a fully balanced design in both the digital and analog domains.

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The digital section features four Burr-Brown PCM-1704 DACs arrayed in a true differential configuration. The output from each DAC is delivered to a unique current-to-voltage converter that achieves outstanding performance by using the highest quality Vishay bulk foil resistors in a differential passive Flying I-V circuit. The resulting signal is then amplified by a massive high-current vacuum-tube balanced output stage. This innovative approach culminates in a new standard for CD performance and a new balance of power in digital design.

Engineering Finesse

The VK-D5's simple and elegant engineering approach is without peer. A proprietary servo-board synchronizes the Phillips transport mechanism to a single master clock while the VK-D5's single-box design eliminates interface induced jitter. The BAT designed reconstruction filter uses a fully differential linear phase topology to preserve the integrity of the original signal. Complete differential signal processing is accomplished with just four circuit blocks whereas more conventional designs would require up to twelve. Throughout, the VK-D5 is engineered without compromise.

Musical Genius

One picture is worth a thousand words, one listen a dozen reviews. We invite you to audition the VK-D5 at your BAT audio specialist to hear the genius in the music from Balanced Audio Technology.