Belles Greatest Integrated ever! The Virtuoso

Better than anyone else? Nope. Just that Belles sounds better. Truth can be painful. No, Belles won't have the high profit margins as the big mega buck amps costing $20K to $50K. The core reason why many high end retailers don't carry the Belles line, is that these retailer's do not want Belles in their stores, since their amps would embarrass the big boys and jeopardize their high profit margins. And these retailers will always lie and mislead you, trying to convince you that Belles is just another average high end brand on the same level as everyone else, while Belles in the meantime sits quietly on top of Mount Everest.

audiozen- I was vaguely familiar with Ascend, came across their site years ago before they offered a tower speaker. I read the EnjoyThe Music review and they certainly gave it a big thumbs up. I checked out the Ascend website, read everything on there and came away impressed. Based on your recommendation, and what I read including customer feedback and Mr. Fabrikants philosophy, single minded goal and dedication, it's a speaker that I would most definitely want to hear, whether I were to make a change or not. He sounds like he really cares, and the prices are beyond competitive. Thanks for letting me know about this speaker; my goal has always been to seek out world beater gear that is priced sensibly and that competes with the very best. If - applying the law of diminishing returns - I can achieve audio quality equal to 90% of what the supposed "state of the art" delivers, and for a fraction of the price, then I am very satisfied. 
The Belles Aria, Vandersteen 1Ci's and Rotels best CD player, with some "sweet spot" AQ speaker cables and Siltech IC are clicking all the right boxes for me, and have been for awhile. I'm listening to some female jazz vocals with a small ensemble right now and I feel like I'm right there, can hear the singer take a breath, the piano sounds real, the bass clear and tight, the Aria and speakers resolving more detail than I ever thought I would hear in my home. Piano is supposed to be a true test of a systems capabilities, and what I'm hearing sounds like the real deal. The guitar sounds like it's being played right in the room. Very balanced, no listener fatigue whatsoever do I hear.
 John Rutan steered me in the right direction, and I trust his opinion and his ability to system match. I personally like the guy, and he isn't an audiophile prima donna looking to rape and pillage people like some of these arrogant shysters out there. That doesn't mean I would never try some other brand, or consult with another dealer, but I like to return loyalty to those who have been good to me, and he's a straight shooter who has earned the following that he has built up over the years. I'm a big fan, pure and simple. 
Thanks again for the Ascend recommendation. Like I told you before, I absolutely can relate to your enthusiasm for Belles! I was a Rotel fan for many years, but wanted to take it up a few notches and get my foot in the Hi End door and Belles turned out to be a home run. I like people who go against the grain, who don't adhere to the status quo. Those with old school empathy for their customers. These are the companies I want to support. You seem to be cut from the same cloth, and what's fun about this crazy audio fixation is, to me and obviously to you, also: the pursuit and discovery of the very few brands that perform as well as the best, but are priced affordably and within reach of a lot of people, not just a select few. 

2chfreak..The one thing I like about the Sierra Towers is that they weigh only 44 pounds! The lightness of bamboo. Since bamboo is 500% stronger than MDF, it can take on much higher levels of distortion, resonance, and internal turbulence from low frequencies resulting in much better bass performance.