Anyone listen to the Bel Canto e.One S300i amp???

Hello,

Every Bel Canto product is very bright and digital sounding. You have gotten away with it so far because the Monitor Audio speakers are warm and smooth plus you have Transparent cables that are rolled off in the top end. Of you get the amp it may push you over the edge. It will be much more refined and less grainy than the NAK you have but with the same tonal balance.

Musical Fidelity has a new X series integrated amp that has a tube input stage with outboard power supply that is very small. It has the refinement of their KW series without having to pay for the brute force.

It is not warm even though it is tubes. In fact, I think it is a tadd thin but not nearly as bright as Bel Canto. With the warmth of your speakers and cables it may be a perfect match.

By the way, the tubes they use have super long lives close to 10,000 hours.

Thanks,
Duane

Thanks for your opinion Duane.. I looked at the X series unfortunatly the amp is too deep to fit on my shelf :-( As I'd mentioned it has to go into a cabinet that allows me only 13" ... The Musical Fidelity is 14.5 deep.

In my system not bright at all.Very well balanced sound.Duane do you like the Rotel digital amps?Plus just really clean sound,beatiful package,decent price,no tube worry,In this way overpriced hi fi,this is a pretty decent deal.Bel canto has a great history,

Hello Coffeey,

I do like the Rotel digital amp. I think it sounds better than any of the other Rotal amps and it was a shocker because I didn't like any other digital amps before this one. I have never heard Bel Canto in my system but I have heard it in many systems including Bel Canto systems at trade shows and it has always been dry and 2 dimensional but very clean, much like Spectral equipment.

I went to their place when I was in Minneapolis and they played a music DVD on their theater system and a 2 channel system and both were un-involving and almost annoying in how sterol they were.

If it is working great for you then awsome. I would asume you have warm speakers, cables, or a well damped room.

Thanks,
Duane

I have been extremely happy with my Bel Canto M300s driving Von Schweikert VR-4 JRs via anti-cables. The high end is quite detailed and if paired with a bright CDP and/or bright speakers could very well be edgy and bright. It doesn't come across that way to my ears. They are small, run cool and are fairly priced. You will have to listen to them yourself before deciding. As I have posted before, Underwood Hi Fi may give you a short trial to see if you like it. Wally is a great guy. Good luck and have fun!