Well, I finally got to demo 2 Bel Cantos *read my previous post for comments on one).

Comments are from the perspective of having one Bel Canto EVo 200.2 and then trying 2 (monoblocked ... ie: One amp per channel .. the optimum configuration for this amp).

Well I have now caught my breath back after listening to the EVos monoblocked.
The effect of two of these provides upto 800 watts to my Apogee Duetta Signature speakers. They love it !! Soooo much control .. it is unbelievable! To quote someone famous .. " The Power ... and the Glory" ! Enough of the superlatives .. on with the details...

1) Control ... Bass ... Who needs subwoofers ? Faster, TIGHTer, Deeeeper.
Mids .. Smoother, more detailed
Highs Cleaner, clearer yet .. smooth, and detailed . never harsh


2) Imaging Imaging just got better ... Focussing of vocalists & instruments is like adjusting the fine tuning on a TV. A little better ... and "easier on the eyes (ears!) . The amp performs better mono than stereo . less distortion, more speed, more power..

3) Musicallity 2 Bel Cantos now completes the picture. Notes are crisper, backgrounds are even blacker. Microdynamics .. are even more evident.

4) Detail Extra detail that was provided with one was just more obvious with two. I imagine this would be due to the extra control, even lower distortion levels and the authority that 2 amps provide.

Summary:

One Bel Canto EVo was great ... providing power, detail, atmosphere and a level of control. Having two would classify it as a major upgrade. 4 times the power = greater control but you also get better performance from the amp itself due to the design (Class T). I would not hesitate recommending one amp .. but 2 is almost too good to be true. Two will see you drooling at the mouth !!

Two .. just soooo much more of the qualities that led me to the Bel Canto in the first place.

If you can .. listen to 2. I really don't think things can get much better than this in the amplifier stakes. I feel confident that 2 of these could take on just about any amp on the market. Strong words .. I know ... but I believe it would certainly take some big bucks to feel like you could do better .. different maybe .. but better ?

;-)

Very Open, super fast, low nosie floor, plenty of power, small size.

None that I could think of.

I recently sold my B&W Nautalus 802s and my Simaudio Pre and power amplifiers. I purchased a complete reference system from www.everestaudio.com.
The Bel Canto Evo200.2 has a much lower nosie floor than the Moon W-5 and is not as laid back. The transients are much faster and it attacks the music with a vengance. Because I have 2 Evos monoblocked in my system I have far more power and control than the W-5 at close to the same price as one W-5. I had a hardness in midrange in my previous system that my former dealer could not explain and kept on saying that it was the recordings I listen to. (Mostly Jazz and Blues) In my current system with the Mezzo Utopia speakers the midrange is glorous as well as the the highs are much smoother. No more tearing my ears out with screechie highs. The highs just seem to get higher and higher with no harshness.

Related Equipment:

Musical Fidelity DVD1 used as a transport
Harmonic Technology Magic digital cable
Bel Canto Pre1 with Dac 1.1 installed
2 - Evo200.2 power amplifiers monoblocked
Harmonic Technology Magic woofer speaker cables
JMlab Mezzo Utopia speakers

Similar Products Used:

Simaudio Moon W-5
Simaudio Moon P-5

Excellent tone, don't add any "make up" to the sound, deep articulate bass, remarkable transparency and control, organic sound, very quick and detailed, no hardness and harshness, very quiet, size, construction methoods, remain cold.

Look like one of Rotel's amp :-)...

As an Audio reviewer I can say that this amp is very close to the state of the art for not much money.


Associated Equipment:

Marantz CD 94
Bel Canto Dac 1.1
Krell KRC-HR
Bel Canto EVo 200.2
Dynaudio Contour 3.3

"Its sound quality and value for money are off the scale"

Similar Products Used:

Krell, Conrad-Johnson & many more.

Imaging, speed, detail, power.
Price (I met my budget)
Low power consumption.
Doesn't heat up the house !
One is this good ... two is apparently even noticeably better.

Takes a while to burn in/settle (but don't they all !!).

First of all let me state that I my original goal was to find an amp within a certain budget ($3000 - $5000 Aus) that could do justice to my newly acquired Apogee Stages. I was aware of the power requirements for Apogee ribbon speakers and had targeted solid state amplification with 100 or more watts.

After some initial research it looked as though I might have to increase my planned expenditure budget .. something I was loathe to do but would if I felt I was getting something that would I would keep for several years (Upgrading can become expensive .. and I have other bits in my system that would require upgrading before I spent money on another amp). I felt that a quality 2nd hand unit should possibly fit my requirements. My last requirement was that I wanted to be able to audition the amp (preferably in home) before I purchased it. This does tend to limit the field in Australia quite a bit.

After extensive research on the net (3- 4 months) I came up with a short list of 4 -5 possible contenders. In my research, I stumbled across a few reviews of the Bel Canto EVo 200.2. The reviews were extremely positive and "rather" different from other amp reviews telling me that this amp is "rather different" and well worth an audition.

I auditioned a small number of prospective amps which included - Classe (Very good) , Bryston 4BST (Great value for money & musical), Gryphon Tabu (a bit lifeless), Valve amp gear (also very good ), and finally the Bel Canto (read on). I had most of my demo amps for a week or so to get a good feel for their performance. Although I would have liked to try other high end brands (eg: Krell, Mark Levinson, Pass etc ..) my finances didn't.

The story goes as follows:

I got a demo unit home and for the first listen .. nice ... but I was expecting more. Aware that equipment needs to resettle after a number of days in transport ... I let it settle overnight by leaving it on. The next day .. was alot better! The sound was "different" than other amps, very neutral. Other adjectives that came to me during my evaluation include: .. effortless, open, detailed and ... punchy yet smooth without any bloom. It was the type of amplifier that led me to listen rather than "audition" the amp itself. Others were good but always had their own sonic signature flavouring the presentation with a warmness that was a bit on the unnatural side. They were still appealing but ..the EVo was something different. It has a presentation that takes a bit of getting used to. It is powerful and extremely accurate at imaging and soundstageing. Music flows very evenly across the frequencies. This amp is extremely neutral and conveys the musical event effortlessly making listening even more enjoyable/effortless. The comments of past reviewers (professional and amateur) ring true. Every comment made is understandable for this amp - Agility, Speed, Accuracy, Lifting of Veils .. imaging etc ..It is not "bloomy" nor does it throw the music into your face. A much friendlier, detailed and accurate portrayal is presented instead.

Vocalists seemed to be more tangible and natural. Instead of upfront and vague .. they were placed and locked centre stage. Pianos seemed to be almost note perfect in reproduction (there is always room for improvement !). General imaging surpassed any other amp I had prevoiusly listened to. Listening to Jazz & Blues artists such as Dianna Krall, Holly Cole and Greg Brown was great. It was hard (damned near impossible) to leave the room in the middle of a performance (let alone would have been rude !!). Bass was tight on a variety of my "heavier" music test tracks, mids were sweet and subtle and highs ... just as sweet without any harshness apparent anywhere. Margo Timmins' voice from the Cowboy Junkies was drawing me in more than ever before. I picked up extra detail coming through, a puff of breath here, a toe tap there (or was that mine ?) that made for lots of pure enjoyment. I noticed that on some CDs the quality of some tracks were recorded "better" than other tracks from the same album - additional resolution. I even noticed that I began to be able to hear the lyrics in some passages where it was previously a strain to do so. Instruments were separated acoustically .. but came together for the performance. Performance and the ability of the amp to control the "difficult ot drive" Apogee Stage speakers (86db) was exceptional. The power of this amp (120w into 8, 200w into 4 ohms) was sufficient that it never ran out of steam. Theoretically .. it might at 199 watts into 4 but an equivalent solid state class A design will noticeably be running out of steam at alot less. Note that Class A designs generally switch to Class B well before their stated power output. As some Bel Canto's EVo literature states .. "the last watt is as linear as the first".

In some previous reviews I noted comments about the EVo lacking life. I can understand these assessments .. but I feel they are actually incorrect. What this amp doesn't do is exaggerate the mid or bass. It is a listening education and once educated ... there is no going back to either my previous tube amp or other "class A" designs. They may sound initially more exciting but never more balanced or detailed. The extra detail provides more audible clues to the character and atmosphere of the recordings.

I bought the demo and the following week took it to an audio buddy of mine. He's now got one. We will be monoblocking them next time we meet to see the difference two make.

My suggestion .. get educated .. get this amp for an audition even if you are considering spending more. But ...it may not be for everyone. I believe that its accuracy and portrayal may seem a bit foreign initially since it doesn't add any bloom or exaggerate bass, mids or highs. Give it a good listen (and run in time) and once accustomed, it is hard to go back and listen to others. I am sure there are other amps out there that could challenge this amp ...but that would be at a price !

I feel confident that I have bought the best for my money and now have an amp that will only be limited by other components in my system.

PS: I upgraded my Apogee speakers from Stages to the bigger Duetta Signatures. I like these speakers so much I bought the bigger brother. These also never felt wanting with the Bel Canto EVo driving them.

Equipment:
Teac DV2000 as CD transport.
Sonic Frontiers Ultra Jitterbug
Assemblage DAC 2 modified.
HiFi World KLP1 Valve PreAmp (tweaked including a Sonic Frontiers Stepped Attenuator)
Apogee Stages / Apogee Duetta Signatures.

Similar Products Used:

Classe Audio,
Bryston
Gryphon
Misc. Tube amps
-Read Review Summary-

I would like to point out that doing a comparison of the ML versus the Bel Canto, with one channel of each connected simultaneously is far from ideal. The only way that such a comparison would be fairly made was if the amps share the same gain. If not then one (the one with the larger gain) would be noticeably louder than the other for the same voltage input.

Clarity, speed, bass performance, size and weight

sounds somewhat bland, unexciting; opens up the soundstage in an unnatrual way

I was looking for an amplifier for my B&W Nautilus 802 speakers and was thinking about getting the 200.2 in mono configuration, reading the great reviews in magazines and on this webpage. I was able to audition the BelCanto at home in my own system as well as at a dealer with 802 speakers and direct comparison to the Mark Levinson 335.

My experiences at home:

I hooked up the BelCanto in my home system using the B&K 305 as the pre/pro and driving my fronts (802s) with the BelCanto. My first impression was excellent. The BelCanto was able to handle the 802s much better than the B&K (which you would expect looking at the price difference) and excelled in conveying a very detailed and open soundstage. I also recognized the great speed and good bass response of the BelCanto. I thought at that point "Wow, I have found the right amp for me"

But after further auditioning, using different source material CDs, DVD-As and DTS soundtracks, some doubts started to develop. The sound quality difference between CDs and DVD-Audio for example (I have the Buena Vista Social Club on CD and DVD-A) did not sound as different as I was used to just listening to the B&K. It seemed to me, that the BelCanto opened up the sound stage in a non natural way. CD's sounding almost as open as DVD-Audios, even though CD's convey no information above 20khz. I tested some more CD and DVD-audio albums and my doubts got confirmed. Everything sounded more the same to my ears - somewhat bland. I don't know, maybe this is caused by the digital processing/algorithm in the BelCanto.

Comparison to the Mark Levinson 335:

I compared the BelCanto directly to the ML by using one channel of the 335 for the right channel and the BelCanto in mono operation on the left channel (CD-player and pre-amp where also from ML) driving 802s. The ML did everything as well as the BelCanto and surpassed the BelCanto in dynamics, authority, and a more naturual sound (being more true to the original recording). It also sounded more engaging and musical.

To bad, I was really hoping the 200.2 would do it for me (I also did fit in my determined budget). I ended up ordering the ML 335 after the auditioning - blowing my budget somewhat. In conclusion, The BelCanto is a good amp overall, its speed and bass response are excellent. You might even use its "weakness" to open up the sound in your system. If you consider to enter the arena of DVD-A or SACD, I would first give it a careful listening with different source material.

Good luck!!!

Similar Products Used:

Krell KAV 250 and FPB 200; B&K AVR 305; Mark Levinson 334 and 335; McIntosh 352

Kind of innocuous looking

I recently purchased the EVO 200.2. Even cold and unbroken in, it was such a step up from my recently departed tube amps. It was like there was nothing there, except the music. To use an audio cliche, I found myself listening to the music, not trying to hear the amp. It had deeper and better bass, higher highs,a slightly recessed midrange,very good soundstaging,excellent dynamics and was the fastest amp I've heard, even faster than my old OTLs. Most of all, it was able to play the music; this is not a mere audiophile product but a musical one. I'm waiting for my second amp, so that I can monoblock them. It removed the very light veil that had been over everything, that I only noticed after it was gone (another audio cliche, but true). And, talk about bang for the buck, it was not an arm and a leg, like a lot of new audio gear! Sorry about the juvenille sound of this, but I've been enthused enough to write up anything like this before. Try it for yourself and see if I'm wrong!

I would also recommend my dealer, Jon Goldman of Goldman Audio (www.goldmanaudio.com). He was a pleasure to deal with and I hope we get the chance to do a lot more business.

Similar Products Used:

Gave up on solid state for years until this

Remarkable control and lack of hash

a bit dead-sounding

I listened to this amp on the weekend and at first was bowled over by its ability to eliminate the hash evident with many other amplifiers. The high frequencies which often sound "scattered" on other amps were clearly linked with the rest of the audio spectrum so that instruments sounded distinct and discrete to a point I hadn't heard with other amps. Bass also sounded both extended and controlled and soundstage depth was superb.
When I changed to Apogee Stage's, however, I noticed an obvious lack of life to the sound. It sounded extraordinarily controlled but simply didn't project sound into the room in the way the Metaxas amp did. It wasn't slowness - transients sounded extremely fast - but a simple lack of "aliveness" and breathing, living tangibility. Tonecolours also sounded thin and a bit lifeless and bass lacked oomph and palpability.
Reverting to the original speakers (JBL S312's), I noticed similar qualities (which had been partially hidden by the JBL's remarkable tangibility and life); although clearly more controlled than the Metaxas amp, the Bel Canto lacked the "get up and go" zip that the other amp has in spades and sounded boring by comparison.
The dealer I borrowed it from suggested that the sighting I used (on top of the Krell amp) was responsible for these sonic shortcomings and he may be right; certainly if I could combine the virtues of this amp with the life of the Metaxas I wouldn't hesitate in buying it.

Similar Products Used:

Krell KSA-100S; Metaxas Iraklis

silence, no transistor hardness, no tube euphony, price, price, price

black box look

At $2395, the 200.2 sounds like no amplifier at all. It is silent and simply lets the music flow. I have lived with VTL monoblocks for three years. These are special amps as well, as they breathe liveness into music. However, their down sides are tube buzz and noticeable lack of low end material. I tried the AR Ref 300. More bass, very linear. But check out the price--24,000. You still have to deal with tube replacement, heat, and loss of bass info. Then I heard the Linn Klimax 500 solo, my jaw dropped for the quality of musical reproduction and its artful built. Here's a transistor amp that confirms the end of an era for tube amps. It doesn't swallow floor space, too. But, and this is a big BUT, it costs 19,000. Also, to my ears, the Klimax ultimately has a euphony to its incredible sound. Is anyone sane in the hi-end?

Enters Bel Canto. I am not an engineer, so I am not even going to try to explain their apparent technical breakthrough. But essentially, I got the Klimax at a 17 thousand dollar saving. This thing may look like a two grand product. But just listen to it..................
My speakers are 91 db efficient. So, one of these is powerful enough at 200 watts into 4 ohms. I haven't heard anything as transparant as this baby at ANY PRICE. Woe to the other manufacturers who fleece us.

My system: Meridian 508.24, Synergistic Designer's Ref discrete shielding interconnects, AR Ref 1 pre-amp, Bel Canto 200.2 amp, Audiotruth Dragon Biwire, von Schweikert audio VR-7 speakers.

Feel free to email me. If you are in the area, are serious into this hobby, perhaps we can enjoy and learn from each other's system.

Similar Products Used:

none like it, but have heard Linn Klimax, Levinson 336, audio researach Ref 300, various Krells and Passes

The Transparent Amplifier

none

Actually, my review is of another very similar amplifier, one based on the same Tripath chip used in the Bel Canto EVo 200.2. It is a stereo power amp that I built myself, using Tripath's "evaluation board," which has the 200 wpc Class-T digital chip mounted on a high-quality glass-epoxy board complete with driver mosfets and heatsink. All you add is a power supply, power cord, on/off switch, chassis, and input and output jacks. Tripath will sell you this little unit for $200; the additional parts will cost around $300, depending on how fancy you get. If this kind of project sounds forbidding, it really isn't; any experienced kit builder could do what I did, using power supply designs available off the Web. My supply is an old-fashioned, unregulated, brute force linear one with full-wave rectification and huge, computer-grade caps, but the Tripath could function equally well with a smaller, less expensive switching type. You could also experiment with the "one channel inverted" configuration used by Bel Canto, where the input to one channel is inverted (90 degrees out of phase) through an op-amp, thereby halving (roughly) the demand placed on the power supply.
In fact, I have two of these amps, driving two Newform Research NHB 45 hybrid ribbon speakers in bi-amp mode through a Marchand electronic crossover. I liked the first one so much that I went out and built a second within weeks of the first (thank goodness my wife is supportive of all this!).
All the previous reviews are correct: this amp is uncanny in its ability to "get out of the way" and allow the listener to peer deeply into the music. The amp sounds neither overly-euphonic nor overly-analytical, it is simply true to the source material in a way that I have never heard before (I admit to not having heard either the Spectron or Tact Millennium amps, which probably sound very similar). If my amplifiers ever crap out on me (not likely given the ruggedness of the circuitry) or if Tripath ever goes out of business (God forbid!), I don't know what I'll do. I suppose I'll have to buy the Bel Canto unit, although it has only 120 wpc as opposed to the 200+ per channel of my custom amps.
If you're interested in finding out more about Tripath's "evaluation boards", feel free to e-mail me, or check out Tripath's website (www.tripath.com).