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Belles Greatest Integrated ever! The Virtuoso

Just before the Holiday's, I noticed on several authorized Belles websites, that certain separates went out of production which is a pattern that would indicate new products are forthcoming, and sure enough a new Integrated popped up on the Belles website last week, which appears to be his greatest integrated amp to date. The Virtuoso,
putting out over 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms, HT bypass, Processor loop, MM & MC phono stage, and power meters on the front panel. The unit will be released in March at a price tag of $6495. Given David Belles reputation during the past 30 years, who has always been at the top of his game as perhaps the best solid state engineer designer ever in the states, since musicality has always been his first order of business, it wouldn't surprise me at all that the Virtuoso will fly out the door and winds up on the back order list. Its a real looker.
Very handsome unit. Well done David! Its what we've been waiting for.
audiozen
menosavy
20 posts
 
Why the apparent rub Johnny  to my user name and choice of moving in a different direction away from Belles Aria and Ascends. Blasting sand been used by many as a drier alternative to common play sand and compares well to Lovan's Black Gold at a much more affordable price.

As much as I like the Aria, I am much happier with my new Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP. 
Not "pausing" ( how clever) at all ... Full steam ahead!
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
Greetings
 Meno
 Didn't mean to rub ya anyway
 It was just the trigger word meno I ran with poetically speaking.
 Glad to hear the Blasting sand fill value tip works well.
 Tubes are sometimes just whats needed.
 What speakers are you now thinking?
 Best JohnnyR
 
audiozen OP
831 posts
 
menosavy..To bad you are moving on from the Sierra's. The Aria integrated does not have enough power under the hood to bring the Sierra's up to their full potential. Amplifiers rated between two and three hundred watts per channel would be a better fit. David Fabrikant of Ascend Acoustics comes from Miller & Kreisel, known for some of the very best speakers for recording studio's back in the 80's. David's designs are very similar to the best studio monitor's and can easily handle high powered amps.  
dames4
12 posts
 
audiozen OP694 posts01-12-2018 8:43pmTone Controls?..Eek!! Tone control's as we are all aware of, are for
trimming certain frequency bands to tame bright, shrill or strident sound problems resulting from poorly designed electronics. David Belles components are masterpieces, so refined and so rich sounding that you won't even think about tone controls.
So the Accuphase and Luxman are..........Eek. I had opportunity to listen
Aria Integrated amplifier. It's not.....Eek but very close. You dealers (and their friends) should stop lying to people. "Masterpieces".....Eeeek!!!
audiozen OP
831 posts
 
carmenc..You contacted me by email asking if Belles is really that great, based on your ownership of the Soloist-1 and Aria. David Belles is in a league of his own, designing both tube and solid state components for 30 years. Hes' currently 57 years old so he still has a lot of mileage. He has a total of only 11 dealer's, both domestically and internationally and has stayed off the radar all those years. People usually find out about Belles by word of mouth. He has a very strong cult following in China and England. Really that great? You betchum. His components constantly sell every month so he has no need to advertise, due to their remarkable organic musicality. I predict that his Virtuoso integrated, which I will be purchasing next month when released, will go down as one of the greatest solid state musical treasures to date, and will be recognized as a true reference statement piece for all others to measure against.
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