I'm more thinking of the new B&K (ref 50?), which I would hope would be better than the 30, and is rumored to street at just over $2K.
Charlie: B&K told me that they designed and expect the Ref 50 to sound tonally identical to the Ref 30. They also said that the Ref50s S/N ratio will be identical to the Ref30s. That said, in my mind, without actually hearing the Ref50, it appears to be a simple feature upgrade to the Ref 30. I guess we'll find out when it is actually readily available.
Whatever you choose to buy, good luck!