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Mosfet vs. Bipolar revisited and the Belles 350A

I have always favored bipolar outputs with mosfet drivers until I ran into the Belles 350A. I stated this preference in a thread sometime ago. After listening to the 350A, I have to do an about face (at least with this amp.) The 350A uses 3 gain stages and operates almost entirely in class "B" with a very little of class "A."
I have heard a lot of amps but never one so neutral, transparent, reveiling and most any other attribute. It also has unbelievable bass control, pitch definition and lower transparency. No Mosfet haze here.
I have been using a Theta Dreadnaught 4-ch amp biwired. I must say, this amp IS better with my Vandersteen 3A Signatures. You can actually not use the subs(pair of 2wq's) and not really miss anything. I have not found this level of performance in this price range before($3495) I finally get to really hear these speakers do their thing.
I have adopted opinions over the 35+ years I have been playing with this stuff but I have never run across an amp that totally changed my way of thinking like this one. This is the overall best amp I have found (so far) driving the Vandersteen's.
bigtee

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bigtee OP
803 posts
 
I tend to do as the last couple of posters have done, I buy stuff and listen to it. That way, I know if it will please me or not. I also buy just for the opportunity to listen and then sell if I don't want to keep it.
Zaikesman, what I meant was that the amp has excellent lower frequency transparency. Some amps sound wonderful through the mids and highs with superb transparency but in the lower frequencies, they lose control and sounds become less distinct and jumbled sounding(less resolution and transparency.) You don't get that see through to a kick drum or bass.
The Belles has a damping factor of well over 1000. Maybe that is why the Vandersteen's thrive on this amp. My Theta never had the low frequency control of this amp. Also, since Vandy subs(2WQ) take on the sound of the amp, now they sound considerably faster.
Since this amp has not been well reviewed, I bought it as an unknown entity on a friends recommendation. I did see in Soundstage where the reviewer pretty much conveyed my same thoughts about the amp. I caught this review right after the tornado's pass by the coast, lightning struck my front yard pine and knocked out my big screen TV last night. (along with a few other things)
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