I was lucky enough to find and buy a pair of Belles Aria monoblocks recently. Listening to them for the 2nd night in a row and really enjoying them. Despite having less power than either my Schiit Vidar or McCormack DNA-1, they seem to dig deeper with the KEF LS50 Metas and drive them better. The Metas have never sounded better.
Any love for the Belles Aria or other recent Belles amplifier?
I recently heard a Belles 150a Hotrod with Triangle Zerius speakers and a transformer volume control. The sound is one of the most compelling pairings I have heard. I am considering purchasing a used 350a or a new Aria or 150a ref. v2.
Has anyone spent time with one, two or all three of these amplifiers? I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have an outstanding match with the easy-to-drive Zerius. I like the idea of an integrated if it sounds as good as the bigger amps just with less output power.
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Has anyone spent time with one, two or all three of these amplifiers? I'd like to spend as little as possible but still have an outstanding match with the easy-to-drive Zerius. I like the idea of an integrated if it sounds as good as the bigger amps just with less output power.
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Showing 3 responses by nymarty
Congrats @ahuey on getting the Belles. It’s a really nice upgrade vs the NAD and must sound great. I was at Audio Connection about a month ago listening to the Belles dual mono Signature driving a pair of Treo CTs and that was an incredible pairing. I love my Belles Aria monoblocks and now use them to drive Vandersteen 3a Signatures. John and his team are the best! |
@ahuey i’m running double biwire Kimber 8TC too. And Johnny R said the same thing to me about moving to Audioquest. But he also gets that Robin Hood would be more than I paid for my 3a’s. I’m on the lookout for used Audioquest but will likely stick with running biwired. And I pretty much listen to Johnny R. His advice about setup and gear pairing always gives me better sound. |