I have within the past three years owned a pair of OCM 500's using them differentially balanced which is recommended by Belles. My front end consisted of the OCM 88 preamp and Micromega Trio CD system with Cardas Golden 5C interconnect and speaker wire with Alon 4 speaker systems. This sytem was very transparent and smooth but not very dynamic. The amplifiers in balanced mode have 800 watts of power into 8 ohms. The amplifier appears to work better with low impedance speakers in the stereo (200 x 2) mode opposed to bridging. The effective low limit drive capability when bridged is 4 ohms. The reason I make this comment is the speakers I had at the time were nominal at 3 ohms and the amps would run extremely warm for class AB amplifiers when driven to moderate levels (not rock concert level). Just to satisfy my curiosity I ran the amps in stereo and the sound improved dramatically with the Alons. Sound stage was wider, deeper and the bass much better controlled. The whole system took on a more 3D soundstage. I would recommend this amplifier with one consideration. If you plan to run the amp bridged make sure your speakers are at least nominal at 4 ohms if not run them in a vertical bi-amp mode. That would be my recommendation anyway because the current output is greater and the bass control is like a vise grip plus the better staging. Just my thoughts about an old system. I rate equipment with a degree of difficulty because I haven't found the perfect amplifier so I will not give 5 stars unless it goes beyond all expectations. The OCM 500's are truly a very good amplifier and a good value at $6000/pr. Don't be put off by my rating of 3 stars because I haven't found a 5 yet. If you were interested, I traded the 500's for a pair Coda System 200 pure class A monoblocks. The 500's are a great value but the Coda is far superior in every category including price ($6000 vs $12500) but worth the jump for class A sound.

If you want Belles equipment, don't buy OCM. He hasn't been there for a long while. David Belles went out on his own and formed Power Modules. The new amp by David Belles is the Belles 150A. It is a 100 wpc amp (150 into 4 ohms) I have owned my Belles 150A for about 6 months now. It gets better every day I listen to it. It is quick and transparent. It gives you an excellent soundstage with extraordinary 3D placement of the instruments and voices. You can't buy better. I listened to numerous amps in a large variety of settings. Retail is about $1,100.00. You can also buy a 3 channel amp for about $1500.00. Power modules has a web page at www.powermodules.com. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.

As I have listened to both the OCM 500 and 200 both in home, and at friends homes, I can honestly say that the OCM amplifiers will hold there own with any amp on the market,and are musical which is the real reason for purchasing audio equipment! Want to listen to the new 800 in the future for purchase

I have owned an OCM 500 for at least seven years. It was about the first one off the line. I had heard other Belles amps and based on the OCM 100 integrated I purchased the 500 sight unheard. Purchased from Salon One in Wisc Rapids. Outstanding shop, will let you audition anything in store. I compared with about 8 other amps, Adcom, Cary, Classe, Muse, Bedini, B&H 202's, Conrad Johnson solid state, and the 500 was the best in my system. What was truely amazing was that all amps had a different sound presentation and only two truely resolved music that in some cases I had thought were just terrrible recordings( massed strings in Tanhauser were a revaltion). Great company and after seven years I did lose one channel and but it was fixed in short order and cost less than !0% of the purchase price. Warning, this amp will bring the lights down. Steve Stones review is basically right on except I miss the darkness he hears.
5 stars

Have had this amp for one week after searching for one year for an amp to drive my Martin Logan Quests.
Have Acurus 200X3, now relegated to center and surrounds. Tried Aragon 8008BB, and I believe the OCM has better top end and smoother bass.

Everything has been done on a budget, waiting and 'lucking' into good buys on everything but cable - but DH labs is great for the money.

I have heard Classe on Logans and Aragon on Logans and I honestly LOVE the OCM with them.

The Genesis 500's are everything Stereophile said! These speakers have a wounderfully large soundstage that is not difficult to set-up. The powered woofer system is balanced to work exteremely well with the overall sound.They are relatively efficient to work with most amps. Like organ music - tremendous!! Louis Armstrong is perfect on the Ella & Lois recording. I am using the Monarchy Audio Delux momo Amps, Proceed preamp, Wadia 830 CD changer and Alpha Core cables, Fanfare tuner.
A wounderfull musical speaker that looks great. They do need space! The room these are in is 16X20 with 9 foor ceiling. A good comination.

STEREOPHILE RATED "A" PRODUCT.
A VERY FAST (High Slew Rate).

HIGH CURRENT (Will drive any Speaker with ease)>

TRUE DIFFERENTIAL BALANCED DESIGN. (Premium quality same as KRELL but less $'s)

This is my second review of the OCM-500 amplifier. The first was apparantly lost due to server error. This one may replace my inquiry, which was posted.
The OCM-500 amplifier, with the right equipment, gives what I believe to be about the best quality audio reproduction available, at least in anything close to its price range (Retail = $2,800). Of course, I haven't heard every possible combination, but I have heard systems costing three or four times what mine cost and they aren't any better.

The OCM-500 is a 200 watt amp which I have configured with a Sonographe SC-26 preamp, and Mirage M-3 speakers. I spoke to OCM on their 800 number,
(they are very accessable) and they told me that they normally demo the OCM-500 with the Mirage M-1, so this combination (OCM and Mirage) is dynamite.

I have played close to 200 cd's on my system at this point, and the sysem can handle everything. There is some strain in the treble at hight of a few powerful operatic highs (e.g. the final chorus of Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg), but that may be jitter from my CD.

Overall, the OCM-500 is a powerful, responsive and smooth amp, that I think would do best with speakers that love to eat up watts. They are the most accessable audio company I have ever encountered, and it is possible to call them up on their 800 number and discuss any problem or concern.

I would absolutely recommend this product for power hungry speakers.

Clean, clear, balanced sound qualify.

Close, but not quite reaching "tube-like" naturalness.

I've been looking for a solid state amp; reasonably priced, with a well balanced sound, that would match my electrostatic speakers. First, I tried several tube amps...wonderful, natural, 3-D sound, but, tempermental to maintain. All other ss amps were relatively cold and flat sounding. Finally, I got a hold of the OCM 500. Although it's not the ultimate in 3-D as a good tube amp, it does come very close. It's wonderfully balanced sound reproduction from top to bottom, runs relatively cool and quiet, and has a handsome look as well.
System: SAE 8000 tuner, McIntosh "reissue" C-22 preamp, OCM 500 amp, Acoustic Research ETL-1 tt (Premier MMT arm, Benz Micro MC Silver cartg.), Pioneer PD65 Elite CDP, Denon DRM740 cassette deck, and Martin Logan Aerius i speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Kinergetics KBA280, Aragon 8008, CJ 2500, Hafler 9505, Bryston 4b, Classe 200