Bel Canto and.....?

Been doing some research and reading on Bel Canto products trying to decide whether they would be an upgrade over my existing ARC lineup. I see a lot of press and forum chatter on the amps but very little on the preamp or separate phonostage. Just wondering if most people are running Bel Canto amplification only and, if so, what they are partnering the amps with in the way of preamp and/or phono stage. Are the amps overachievers compared to the Pre3 and phono or has anyone put together a full out Bel Canto setup and found it to be on par with some of the better stuff at and above the price point? I generally think it makes sense to use products from the same company on the theory that they will mate more synergistically than a mix and match approach. But if the Bel Canto pre and phono are not up to scratch I'd consider going with different brands.

Also, I heard recently that Bel Canto is coming out with a Mark II version of the Ref 1000's and new M500 mono block amps that use the same circuit topology as the Mk II Ref's. Anyone got the skinny on the new lineup? They may debut at RMAF so I'd love to hear comments from those who are able to attend.

Thanks for your input.