Guys, the AQ cables are what Richard voices his speakers with. They are highly neutral no matter which ones you get. I’m running the William Tell Silver with the matching zero cable and using a 3’ run. Yes, they are amazing, but I’ve also heard my speakers with the lower cost AQ cables and they sounded great. Johnny is the one to ask about going with the best AQ you and buy in a bi wire or with the proper jumper cables. He listens all the time to different cables on them and knows what is best. It’s what you pay for going to a dealer! :). Keep us posted.
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!
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@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. |
@nymarty Thanks. My I ask what speaker cables you are running with your 3A signatures? I am running an older pair of Kimber 8TC biwired. I was speaking with Johnny R and the recommendation of Audioquest Robin Hood Zero and bass would be awesome but unfortunately out of my price range. I would not get the blessing from the wife for that. The other option was to consider the Rocket 88 with naked Bi-wire naked jumpers. I believe Johnny said the jumpers would give about 80 to 85% the performance of the true biwire setup. Has anyone tried audioquest naked biwire jumper and their thoughts to this with Vandersteens? |
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! |
Hi all. I wanted resurrect this thread. First, wanted to thank all of you on here for your thoughts on Belles amps. My Vandersteen 2ce signatures were initially driven with a NAD 2400 and NAD preamp ~18 years ago. For the past 10 years or so, the Vandie 2ce sigs so little use but now I have the time to enjoy them again. I connected with Johnny R at audio connection and picked up the dual mono signature integrated. All I can say is that it is one heck of an amp. I have never heard the Vandies sound this good. :) |
@gdnrbob 👍🏼 |
I got the Aria monoblocks, but Johnny Rutan recommended the Aria Signature preamp. Absolutely no regrets on my decision to move to the Signature. To be honest, I probably should have plumped for the Sig monoblocks, and been done with it. The Aria integrated is one of the sleeper bargains out there. You can build a very nice system around it. Bob |
((((I can now listen to CD's again with this amplifier plugged into my system. They now sound so good that I'm not chomping at the bit anymore to play a record. The Belles Aria Dual Mono integrated is IMHO, the best sounding and most enjoyable amplifier I have ever owned. It has grunt, clarity, great bass, mids and detail / air up top without irritation. I also like how it is built and how form follows function. I think it looks great with the black chassis too. Finally, before hooking it up, I took a look under the hood and smiled when I saw two nice size power transformers. It claims to be 85wpc, but it sounds way more muscular than it might appear to be with my 8 ohm speakers. This would be the amp I would keep if I had to choose only one. Before looking elsewhere, take a risk with the Aria Dual Mono integrated. It is a very special and speaker friendly piece worth owning.)))) Greetings, Thanks for sharing your Belles Dual Mono experience. I totally agree a special amp at 3495 for sure or at any price!!!. Just wanted also to let folks know There is a Belles for everybody! Please feel free to give me a call JohnnyR Audio Connection Verona NJ
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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. |
I just purchased a Belles Aria Dual Mono integrated and at 125 hours of use, I am thrilled beyond words! It "woke up" my Spendor D7.2's with a very lively cohesive dense soundstage that is immediate sounding, yet, interestingly enough, I don't get fatigued listening to this amplifier for hours on end. I have owned many amplifiers over the decades, yet, I can now listen to CD's again with this amplifier plugged into my system. They now sound so good that I'm not chomping at the bit anymore to play a record. The Belles Aria Dual Mono integrated is IMHO, the best sounding and most enjoyable amplifier I have ever owned. It has grunt, clarity, great bass, mids and detail / air up top without irritation. I also like how it is built and how form follows function. I think it looks great with the black chassis too. Finally, before hooking it up, I took a look under the hood and smiled when I saw two nice size power transformers. It claims to be 85wpc, but it sounds way more muscular than it might appear to be with my 8 ohm speakers. This would be the amp I would keep if I had to choose only one. Before looking elsewhere, take a risk with the Aria Dual Mono integrated. It is a very special and speaker friendly piece worth owning. |
I’ve got a Belles Aria and it is fantastic. Its very open sounfing with good textures and micro details. Bass control is fantastic as well. I believe it has a damping factor of 2000 or something close to that; perhaps thats why the bass response is so good. When I popped the cover off to peer inside I was impressed with the build quality and material used. The Belles aria is a great little amp. It sounds really nice, slightly sweet sounding. I’d love to hear some new Klipsches with the Aria. I think that would be a good match. I’m currently using the Aria Integrated with some Fritz Carrera BE’s and they sound wonderful together! |
I've heard the Belles running some really expensive gear and it fit right in. I think it's because it has plenty of current to run difficult speaker loads and it's tonally balanced. I believe that's why I've never heard anyone say they don't like the sound. Others may get a higher priced integrated like an Aesthetix Mimas, but nothing negative about the Aria or newer mono's etc.. I love the fact that I can tell friends to get the Belles and I'll never look bad. lol. |
Hey all... found this thread doing research and felt compelled to resurrect it with a comment.....I couldn’t agree more with what ctsooner said above about “brick and mortar” audio retailers. I found my Belles Soloist 1 at Overture Audio in Ann Arbor used in 2015. Since then, I’ve replaced every other component in my system with no plans to replace the Belles. I’m running a Transparent cable loom that costs more than the Amp, a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+, ATC SCM 40v2 towers and a REL S/3 SHO and I am truly happy with that set up. Point is, I would’ve never considered the Soloist 1 or even known it existed unless someone at Overture took the time to educate me about David Belles and his handmade audio gems. I’m very happy with mine and I can’t imagine ever finding a better solid state integrated for the money.... |
He is a great designer. Many great ones out there, but most folks don't know about their gear etc... This is why the brick and mortar stores are so important and why I frequent them when purchasing. You can hear gear and how it pairs with what you own. I'm sure Johnny can answer any questions about the age of a piece or how it sounds compared to todays offerings. |
I am an owner of Belles MB-200 Monoblocs along with David's VT-01 Pre/Amp, but ended up buying a Aria Int. Amp at a great deal and I am shocked on how good it sounds on a pair of Magnepan 1.7i and some Dynaudio Confidence C2's. Didn't think this thing had the balls to run some of these big boy speakers, and boy was I wrong... Unbelievable that good! |
Purchased a used Belles Aria on Audiogon on this week. Paired with Vandersteen VLR speakers, Bryston BDP-pi streamer and Mytek Liberty dac. Kimber Kable interconnects and speaker cables. Most honest, uncluttered sound I have had in my system, with great dynamics, soundstage and range. Thanks to John Rutan at Audio Connection for another great recommend. |
Those belles product really are special. They are one of the true values in high end audio. they are not out of place in much more expensive and sophisticated systems. If I was putting a system together for someone on a limited budget, I’d gladly move them up a line in speakers and use a Belles integrated or amp to run things. It’s what NAD was years ago, only much much better. I’m glad that they are growing as it’s a benefit to all of us. |
I have a Belles Aria pre-amp/monoblock/Vandy 3a sig system set up by Johnny Rutan at Audio Connection. Totally agree that his service is top notch. The match of amps to speakers is very efficient for my smallish listening room, with a lot of headroom for any type of music. The silence between the notes is profound - the system doesn't get in the way of the music. Really shows up poor music sources. Enjoyed Johnny connecting me up directly with Dave Belles on a conference call before I purchased the amps. Nice to hear Dave's philosophy right from him. |
The Belles Aria/Vandersteen VLR combo was amazing! Problem was I was trying to merge 2 channel with headphone listening. Also trying to get something small for my desk. I've moved on to a Linear Tube Audio MZ2 headphone amplifier/preamplifier, ZOTL10 amplifier and some Proac Tablette 10 speakers. I bet the Quicksilver EL84 integrated would also be great on the Tablette 10s. Naim is also great but wanted a better headphone amp and love that tube magic. If you are looking for a great 2 channel system, I highly recommend the Belles/Vandersteen combo. Working with Johnny at Audio Connection is the best! He is a Belles, Vandersteen and Proac dealer. |
Stupidly sold my first Aria and just got another. Just can't believe this thing. I don't remember the headphone amp sounding great in the first one and on a whim, hooked up my Sennheiser HD800S headphones. Geeeze. I'm going to sell my Violectric V281. How does Dave Belles do it. Sounds amazing through these Gallo Reference Stratas I picked up too. Running them near field with a Chord 2Qute DAC, Chord Anthem 2 speaker cables, microRendu, Chord Signature Tuned Aray USB, REL S2, Tellurium Q Black. I'm very, very happy right now. FYI, I like the Gallos with the Aria better then the Harbeth P3s I just sold. I've had sooooo many integrateds. Rega, Simaudio, Naim Supernait 2!, Hegel, Exposure, Marantz, TACT, Croft separates. you name it. Well I'm finally happy. Thank you so much Dave! |
Mezzanine, Thanks for the post. Between work and getting ready to take my daughter to college (she is going to a school 1/2 hour away from Amherst Audio - where I'll be picking up the Reynaud speakers), I haven't had much time to really dig in to the comparisons. Once the Reynauds are in the house, I'll get more serious about rotating the amps and making comparisons. My end goal is to keep one amp/speaker system that plays the widest variety of music in the most convincing way. I have run out of storage room to hold all of the accumulated pieces - decisions have to be made. I will post my impressions after the Silver Bliss are in the house... |
Leahy, please keep us up to date on your findings. I too am thinking about buying and trying out the Aria. I have a Sugden A21 now but would like to have more power so I can try out a variety of different speakers. I have a hunch the Aria might pair up well with the Nola Boxer 2 speakers. What do you guys think? Leahy, can you compare your Aria's sound signature to the Sonneteer Alabaster you have? Areas of differences? Thanks. |
I asked the original question, and since then I've had some time to compare the Hot Rod, 150A Ref. Mk 2, and the Aria. I also have an EL34 amp, T-amp, Sonneteer Alabaster, Rogue Sphinx, and some others. I have used Totem, Triangle, Finale Vivace (awesome single-driver speaker), and Klipsch Quartets, among others. All of the amps are different, and there is synergy to be found between each amp with the variety of speakers. I use Kimber 4TC, and I've found this to be an excellent/neutral cable for most applications. I'll just say that the Belles line impresses me with many speakers. The Aria, when matched with an appropriate speaker, is very musical, natural, and exciting, but it has not been fatiguing. Great match with my Triangle Zerius (one of the sleeper speakers of the decade!). I won't be able to keep all of these amps/speakers, (I have a pair of Reynaud Bliss Silvers/stands I'll be picking up in early September) but I will keep all of the amps and see which one creates the most magic. I firmly believe that the Aria can compete with the other amps and may win out if there is enough power. Time will tell... |
I was also in the minority in not being wowed by the Belles Aria. Of course, everything is system dependent, and I was comparing it to a Bryston B100sst integrated. The Belles just sounded small and thin compared to the Bryston. Perhaps it needed more burn in time. I have heard the Soloist and liked it quite a bit, so I was hoping to be impressed with the Aria. Wasn't bad at all, but just fell short for me. Was running it with Harbeth C7es3 speakers. |
signaturesound, Can you please explain how is the Aria "terrific" amplifier when NAD C356 (when it works, of course) sound better with the Cardas Clear for Pre/Amp. Better bass and much more detailed sound. With the NAD you can actually hear the pluck on guitar which is not the case with Aria. My friend recently bought a brand new Aria but with some issues so it had to go back for a repair. We listened yesterday some music and it's very clear that the Aria is not "terrific" amplifier. To be fair, we listened Aria only for a couple of hours but I really doubt that the Aria needs 250 hours to open. I even don't believe that the Integrated amplifiers (except for tubed) need break in period. Of course, this is just my opinion. |
John has generally been showing the Aria Integrated with the Ryan 610's and the Vandersteen Treo CT's. Both combinations sound great. I believe he showed the monoblocks with a pair of Proac floorstanders when I was there. I am not sure which Proac's they were. I would call John directly and speak to him if you are interested. He's a great guy and will work with you to get your system sounding the way you want it to. Good Luck! |
I also heard the Aria Monoblocks at Johnny R Audio Connection. The system it was in was quite modestly priced, but it put many much more expensive systems I have heard to shame. Out of all the different systems Johnny R played for me, I was most mesmerized by that modest system. Of course, the expensive Proac speakers I heard with a very nice amplification system was quite special as well, but the Aria system really sticks in my mind. |
Dave Belles and I have discussed this one for hours and both agree. The newer Aria designs out performs the Soloist. The Aria integrated ,Aria Stereo amp and Aria Mono Blocks far more engaging and sophisticated. They easily out perform much more $ designs, and made in USA If I didn't tell you I would be doing you a disservice. Best JohnnyR |