carl11529

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $8500.00 from Taipei

Summary:
This is a review for Cello Encore 150 mono/mono amplifiers, not for the Duet. As Encore 150's are not listed, I have to borrow the space to praise these gems.

They replace ML 336. Speakers tested were Burmester 961 MK2 and Cello Premiere which I settle down for now. The Encore 150's may look plain, but are very refined as well as musical. When the symphonic forte requires, however, these amps can be very dynamical. Pair of NBS Statement power cords are used. Encore 150 runs cool, it is part of the reason for me to chose it rather than Cello Performance II. Cello Performance runs hot and not really suits the hot weather of Taiwan.

Strengths:
musicality and effortless dynamics.

Weaknesses:
look plain?

Similar Products Used:
ML 336, Krell FPB-300.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Presence Audio Conse

Summary:
I had a great opportunity to buy a Duet 350 4 years ago, it's been one of my hifi dreams since first listened to cello gear back in 1987, I've been so happy with it, I bought a second one to biamp my speakers

Strengths:
effortless clarity, dynamics, very wide sound stage, sound so natural like if it wasn't there at all

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
I've never thought of owning something else because up to today there is no compelling reason to do so, although the Encore 150 and Performance II are better.

Price Paid:  $9000.00 from Museum auction

Summary:
The Cello is king. All I can say is that a simple change of gut-strings was all that it took to transport me to sublime audiophile-heaven. And by all means,do not forget to invest in a decent case.

Strengths:
Color,tone,bass,musicality,warmth,visceral-impact.

Weaknesses:
Big,really big...I mean huge! Keeps sliding around on floor when I try to hold it between my knees. Also,my fingers bleed a little after a couple hours of use.

Similar Products Used:
None...nothing but cello's all my life.

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Summary:
I have owned this amplifier for seven years -- for six years, it was my primary amp. The Duet 350 is fast and sweet with deep bass and impressive control. It is highly musical, open, and transparent. To use the old cliche: sounds like no amp at all. It replaced a ML 23.5 and was a step up in musicality. The amplifier still contends with the best on the market. A classic. I replaced it with Cello's reference, the Performance II monoblocks, on which it is based (the differences primarily lie in the power supplies and the number of output transistors).

Strengths:
Power, speed, sweet highs.

Weaknesses:
It's big. Really big. Fischer connectors.

Similar Products Used:
ML 23.5, SFS-80, Cello Perf II

Summary:
Out-krells Krell, out-Levinsons the Levinson, the equal of a Spectral DMA-150 in terms of air, speed, ambiance and inner detail but with a lot more punch, bass and that hard-to-describe but nonetheless very present gravitas, or authority. I've used a Krell KSA250 and a Mark Levinson 333 with my two systems (Cello Master, dCS Purcell/Delius, Mark Levinson; Duntech Princess, Wadia/Audio Synthesis CD front end) and the Cello Duet 350 is far better than both in almost all parameters: transparency, speed, detail, dynamics, slam, delicacy, soundstaging.

Strengths:
Delicacy/nuance combined with power, speed combined with slam, ultra-clean sound combined with holographic soundstaging. I've owned Krell and Mark Levinson and have extensively heard the Spectra, but the Duet 350 is at least a couple of notches above in almost all respects.

Weaknesses:
You have to use Fischer balanced interconnects, which limits your choices.

Similar Products Used:
Krell KSA 250, Mark Levinson 333, Aragon 8008