Originally Posted by Swelfelo (Post 750429)

I now have about 100 hours of dedicated listening time with the VK-53SE. In the meantime, several changes occurred in the rest of the system. I finished upgrading my interconnects so that the entire system is connected by Shunyata Anaconda Balanced Ztrons. Also, I rebuilt my Ncores NC400s with better cases, connections and grounding--I have ferrite chokes and HiFi Supreme Tuning fuses on the way. Some of my improvements in the other areas of the system seem to allow the preamp to shine more as the fundamental sonic character has not shifted.

My initial impressions of the preamp in the earlier postings above have not been altered much, except that there is more detail, better definition in the bass, more treble extension and the midrange is just liquid. The sound is quick and fluid, supremely musical and powerful when the material warrants, and intimate for softer pieces. When the preamp was burning in I would say that the cohesiveness was not all there altogether and there was spotlighting of the treble and bass. Now it is completely cohesive. The sound is just organically beautiful top to bottom.