Have heard this amp really sings with my Vandersteen VLR speakers. Been using a Bryston BDP pi and Mytek Liberty front end. Recently replaced my Hegel H80 with a Creek Evolution 50A, which provided a significant upgrade in soundstage and detail. Assume the Belles would take the sound to another level. Have Isotek Polaris power conditioner and Kimber cables as well.
Belles Aria Integrated Amp
- Thread starter Art K.
- Start date
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Give it plenty of time to run in. I think you'll really enjoy it.
I have had this for almost a month now. I think it was probably broken in by the second weekend. Since then, I have not heard any new changes in its character. To me, this has a lot of the qualities that Naim is known for. It has that drive and forward momentum and the ability to get your feet tapping. Tonally, it is not as dry and threadbare as Naim (at least from what I remember of Naim), but it also does not have quite the tonality of my Croft integrated. The Croft uses a tube for the driver portion of the Mosfet amp, so that may be where that nice tone comes from. The Croft is also tonally richer than the Aria at the lower volumes that I mostly listen at. At moderate volumes, the Aria comes into its own though - a wonderful balance of tonality and PRaT. I found that the forward drive of the Aria was great for classical music. It somehow imbued it with the feel of a live performance. For other types of music, it was a mixed bag. Highly compressed stuff sounded pretty bad, a little worse than I normally hear it. Stuff that was nicely recorded was superbly balanced and just a joy to listen to. Kind of what you would expect of good/bad recordings, but I felt it was a bit more extreme on either end.
I wish I still had my Harbeth P3ESRs as I think this would be an ideal amp for those speakers, and I am guessing better still with a pair of Harbeth C7s. I am currently running a pair of Audience The One speakers, 3 inch single driver speakers, along with a REL T2 sub. I think my dis-satisfaction with low level listening may be due to this particular combination of speakers and amp. I actually think tube electronics would be best for this, but I didn't want to mess around with an all tube setup - I wanted something I could leave on 24/7. I also kind of think that a full range speaker would work better with the Aria than a "satellite" speaker and a powered sub.
I also tried the Aria out on a 1957 Ampex console that I inherited from my dad. The electronics are gone, but the speakers still work. They are 93db efficient two way speakers with a bullet tweeter and a "full range" woofer. They are badly colored (tubby midbass), but tonally juicy, and have a way of just letting go of the notes. The Aria, partnered with these, was great. The Aria had the control necessary to keep a lot of the tubbiness at bay and let the tonally rich nature of these speakers come thru.
I am hopefully retiring next year and this was supposed to be my final amp. That may very well be - I am happy with it. Only time will tell though. And time has an unfortunate way of f**king with my head
I wish I still had my Harbeth P3ESRs as I think this would be an ideal amp for those speakers, and I am guessing better still with a pair of Harbeth C7s. I am currently running a pair of Audience The One speakers, 3 inch single driver speakers, along with a REL T2 sub. I think my dis-satisfaction with low level listening may be due to this particular combination of speakers and amp. I actually think tube electronics would be best for this, but I didn't want to mess around with an all tube setup - I wanted something I could leave on 24/7. I also kind of think that a full range speaker would work better with the Aria than a "satellite" speaker and a powered sub.
I also tried the Aria out on a 1957 Ampex console that I inherited from my dad. The electronics are gone, but the speakers still work. They are 93db efficient two way speakers with a bullet tweeter and a "full range" woofer. They are badly colored (tubby midbass), but tonally juicy, and have a way of just letting go of the notes. The Aria, partnered with these, was great. The Aria had the control necessary to keep a lot of the tubbiness at bay and let the tonally rich nature of these speakers come thru.
I am hopefully retiring next year and this was supposed to be my final amp. That may very well be - I am happy with it. Only time will tell though. And time has an unfortunate way of f**king with my head
Polarbear
Super Member
How does it compare to the Campion you used to own? I recently purchased a set of JM Reynaud Cantabile Jubilees and am after a reasonably priced integrated to go with. I currently have a Cyrus 8A that I intend to keep but would like something else to try.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
The Campion was a lovely amp with a warm yet detailed sound signature. Great sounding amp. The Belles takes a very long time to come on song. Just when you think it's peaked, it hasn't. It sounds so much better now than it did when I first bought it. It too is warm and detailed but really has the drive you need to keep the beat going. It's also super quiet. Great design. The phono stage with the volume full tilt is silent. The Campion was noisy by comparison. Also the Belles seems more powerful than it is. So did the Campion to a certain extent but not like the Belles. The Belles/Border Patrol pairing is everything I need it to be.
Polarbear
Super Member
I agree, the Campion is a great unit. I used to own one of those as well which is why I was looking for a comparison.
I may have to purchase the Belles Aria sooner than later.
I am hopefully retiring next year and this was supposed to be my final amp. That may very well be - I am happy with it. Only time will tell though.
Keep the Aria; ditch the speakers.
futureman
If not now, whenever.
Can anyone speak to how the Belles Aria compares to the Rega Elicit R or the Unico Primo? Perhaps I should throw in the Yamaha a-s1100.
These units have a similar price points and features (including phono stage and tape loop). All are on my short list for a more consolidated audio system.
I'd appreciate your thoughts/experiences!
These units have a similar price points and features (including phono stage and tape loop). All are on my short list for a more consolidated audio system.
I'd appreciate your thoughts/experiences!
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Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
I had the Unico integrated for awhile. I really liked it it. Lovely warm sound that just draws you in to the music. The draw back was that it was a noisy amp. The Belles is dead silent and is also warm and inviting with a lot of muscle and detail. The phono, though not adjustable, is not just an afterthought on the Belles. Quiet and musical it's about as nice an onboard MM phono as I've ever come across.
I also love Rega products. Their amps and turntables especially. But as much as I love them there is no way that the Elicit-R has as much finesse and warmth as the Aria along with a fair dose of muscle and might. The Aria is a product that if the innards were placed in a fancier case could sell for considerably more. Give it plenty of time to run in and it will reward you you. Also a quality (do not read as expensive) power cord really helps the amp sound faster and brings forward more microdetail. Great amp. My only niggle is the cheesy remote.
I also love Rega products. Their amps and turntables especially. But as much as I love them there is no way that the Elicit-R has as much finesse and warmth as the Aria along with a fair dose of muscle and might. The Aria is a product that if the innards were placed in a fancier case could sell for considerably more. Give it plenty of time to run in and it will reward you you. Also a quality (do not read as expensive) power cord really helps the amp sound faster and brings forward more microdetail. Great amp. My only niggle is the cheesy remote.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Since I am running Audience Forte F3 power cords on the DAC and transport I decided to replace the Raven power cord with the Forte F3 for the Aria. I just put it in last night so it’ll be a good while before I know anything definitively. First impressions are that it is a warmer sound than the Raven. Still very detailed and inviting. These power cords are on sale in a b-stock for a very reasonable price. If you can get past the molded plugs these are worth buying. Replacing your stock cord with one yields a lot of benefits for very little outlay.
Bought a used Aria on Audiogon this morning after much procrastination. Will pair with my Vandersteen VLR speakers, Bryston BDP-pi streamer and Mytek Liberty dac. Kimber Kable throughout System, with Isotek Polaris power conditioner. Beyond excited to report impressions in near future.
