Pre/Power Amplifiers

Balanced Audio Technology's Chief Designer, Victor Khomenko, is responsible for 95% of the brand's design effort. He is one of two founders who met while employed at Hewlett-Packard, then developing instrumentation for analytical chemistry. Victor was already a committed audiophile, 'though we didn't have that word back then', he says, 'we were just as obsessive'.

Growing up in Russia, his first system was entirely home built, but after moving to the USA in 1979 Victor bought a Linn LP12 deck, SAE electronics and KEF speakers. 'But I have always had a passion for reel-to-reel', he admits, 'and I now have about 50 heavy-duty machines'.

Victor jointly started BAT in 1993 before launching the VK5 preamp and VK60 power amp – both tube designs – in 1995 at CES in Las Vegas. The introduction was memorable, not least because his amplifiers were driving John Dunlavy's mammoth Signature CS-VI speakers that were also being debuted at the show.

Nearly 30 years later and all BAT's amplifiers are either tube or N-channel-only transistor designs. 'P-channel devices are always inferior – slower, with poorer response', claims Victor. 'N-channel devices always seem to sing with more freedom.' BAT typically has two solid-state amps in its lineup, 'one big and one small, but we are still working on the small one', Victor confides.

And what about the REX 500's heat? 'We set the bias for a target heatsink temperature of 55oC' – a throwback to Victor's HP days – 'hot, but not so you'll burn yourself'. PM