Yes, it does deserve the hype and MORE! I believe this is one of the finest amplifiers ever produced in the world. I have swapped out almost all of my solid state amps and preamps for SET tube gear with the exception of the BEL. My main speakers have remained Magnepans powered by a single BEL 1001 Mk III. The BEL is currently fed from a McIntosh C220 tube preamp. I have periodically tried a variety of power tube amps with the Maggies and none ultimately performed as well as the BEL. This is an extraordinary amplifier but is extremely difficult to find.
BEL 1001 amp...does it deserve the hype?
i read periodically about this amp (usually in The Absolute Sound) and the reviewer practically soils himself/herself about the near if not "absolute" perfection of this amplifier. yet i've never seen one, never known somebody who has owned one of the versions, never known a dealer that has carried the product...what gives? anyone care to comment from personal experience?
gregg
gregg