Sad to say I need a new amp…

Update here as well. Finally decided to purchase some very nice Belles MB200 monos to replace the old 400A.

I guess life could be worse 😁

Now the B&K 3030 will be a back-up, or find a way into my bedroom system eventually.

@wb27

I feel for you. I lost my old Belles 400A last week. Power section somewhere failed and ’went up in smoke’. Dragged it into a local shop who used to be a Belles dealer, and he won’t touch it, saying I have to send it to David. Damn. Well, new equpment is 6-8 weeks out for David, let alone an old 400A showing up at his shop for possible repair.

So, for the time being, I picked up a B&K ST3030 that arrived Monday (was also advertised here). Actually sounds pretty good. But, have already talked to Johnny Rutan about getting a new Belles Signature amp (6-8 weeks out) and perhaps looking into the 400A repair down the line....or not. The Signature is a bit more money than the Aria, but Johnny seems pretty ’high’ on it, and it would match well with the new Belles Signature preamp I just got.

Or, just relax, enjoy the B&K, and think a bit about my next move.

You might want to get a good ’beater’ amp as well until you make a final decision, it could always serve as a back-up in the future. I bought the B&K for $325 shipped, not bad for a musical 200 wpc Mosfet amp. I knew I should have had a back-up in waiting with an old amp like the 400A. Lesson leaned.

@hiendmmoe 

Yes, David has had/has some supply chain issues, as many others, but bottom line he is simply swamped for a 1 or 2 man operation. I waited several weeks for my Signature preamp, and it seems the wait has not gotten better. Johnny Rutan only has the Aria Integrated in stock, at least that's what he told me last week.

@hilde45 

Yep, as @tomic601 mentioned, I'm in Lakewood, attached to Cleveland on the west side

@hartf36

FWIW, I’m still running my B&K EX-442 Sonata into Maggies and consider it anything BUT a "beater", and it’s older than the ST3030. 350 wpc/4 ohm and high current (75 amp p-p), it’s a beautiful-sounding amp and I feel zero need to replace or "upgrade" it.

🙂 Yes, I used ‘beater’ as a term as a stop-gap before deciding on something else, not meant to be demeaning. The ST3030 is extremely good for the money, as I said, had an ST125.2 prior, and looking back, should have kept it as a back-up. I’m a big B&K fan regardless of the controversy surrounding their original 140. With the mosfet design, very musical and ‘tube-like’.

That said, listening much yesterday, yea, my old Belles did some things better, which I miss, and the B&K does some things better, probably due to newer circuitry and caps, etc. (more authority and control especially with the bass and mid-bass). So, I can live with the ST3030 quite easily, but know I will be seeking some of the magic the old Belles 400A is capable of. Whether another used or new Belles, or something else. And ‘anything else’ may be moving towards a tube amp. Possibly.