The Belles Aria Signature Integrated Amplifier

@gandalf 

👍🏼 I’ve had my MB200’s for more than a couple months now, and am very pleased. Installed new power cords (GR Research), and that helped even more. A noticeable SQ increase over the stock cables.

Very pleased.

bkeske: I agree the MB-200 are much better in my opinion as I have owned both Aria and Aria Signature, both great Int. Amps and if you don't have the room a good choice, but hard to be separates in this category, I think it's one of this best built separate amp he has made. I also use his VT-01 Pre/Amp. 

Has anyone compared the new Aria Signature Dual Mono Integrated to the now discontinued Aria Signature Integrated ?

@gandalf 

Interesting thoughts for me. My old Belles 400A amp died a couple months ago. Almost a month after getting the new Belles Aria Signature preamp from Johnny R. After talking to him about a replacement, he suggested either the Aria dual mono or Signature dual mono amp. Then I came across a very clean and well cared for pair of MB-200 for a good price. After much thought, went with the MB-200’s, and paired with the new Aria Signature pre, am very happy with the combo.

I wondered if I made the right choice, but the MB-200’s were really ‘crying out to me’. it’s good to hear you still hold them in high regards vs the new Aria Signature integrated. Thanks.

John R at Audio connection was cool with all kinds of auditions both at home and at his store. I do believe that you should be ready to buy when trying out gear. People do have to eat after all. I never felt pressured to buy at Audio Connection.

@so-al 

"One big plus from buying from brick and Mortar Store is that you cam take home and audition equipment before you buy.
Its a tremendous advantage". 

I have not found this to be common at all!

In fact, it's the reason I don't patronize local brick-and--mortar stores-- they expect me to lay down thousands of bucks based solely on a showroom demo using their gear in their room. Such a business model--  wherein I'm expected to accept all of the risk-- is one I absolutely refuse to engage in or support. 

I've bought two components, including my recently-acquired Hegel H390, from Kevin Russell at Listen Up in Denver, a brick-and-mortar store that offers a return policy.

I bought my DAC from Alex at Alma Music in San Diego, who was willing to first ship me a demo unit.

These are the type of dealers I'm happy to patronize. Unfortunately, I've found them to be the exception, rather than the rule. 

I was just reading on Gene Rubin website, the original Aria Integrated is offered in both original version an in dual mono version for extra $700..Gene, who I've done business with and trust, says the difference is well worth it...he only offers the Signature in dual mono

arro222: yes love it but I have Belles separates now. MB-200 and

VT-01. I have had 100s of Int Amps this is the best

one I have heard so far, I have it for sale but still might 

keep it! 

Just curious as my Aria Signature Int is a year old, whats

the difference in the new Aria Signature Int which has a

different faceplate and back layout. 
 

thanks!

Gandalf, you still have your  Belles sig? I may be a player.

ianmack: I am with you I have owned LFD, more overhead for a dealer if you ask me, great sounding product but I found the Aria Signature much better to my liking and it sounded much better to my liking. The only thing that bested it was my Belles MB-200 Mono blocs and VT-01.. Not sure if I am going to keep both, although I like the versatility of an Int. Amp. 

 

Anyone looking for a Belles Aria Signature PM me, as I have one in Silver that I am going to be posting on here soon..  or not, the more I listen to it, the less I want to let it go. 

@cd45123 I replaced my Rega Elex-R with a Belles Aria about 3 years ago. Once the Belles has bedded in I was completely  satisfied it was a decent upgrade, especially in terms of refinement. The Rega was fine for the money, but I clearly prefer the Belles. 

Looking through this thread and wondering if anyone has compared Belles to Rega integrated amps.

I have an Elex-R, really love the Rega sound but the Belles amps are very intriguing to me. Have a pair of DALI bookshelf speakers, but might try Spendor, LSA-10, or even new stuff from Canton soon.

FWIW, I have gone with Rega over comparably priced integrateds from Hegel, Musical Fidelity, Denon, and Naim. 

@jjss49 ,
Great observations. Thanks for sharing.
I am awaiting an Aria Signature Preamp, as soon as Mr. B. can make one.
bob

Just so yawl know, I think very highly of the Aria Sig., I made my choice, but if it doesn't pan out the Aria Sig. is standing in the batter's box. :-)

@jjss49 I've had the Aria integrated for a few years now. Your description is spot on. 

i have not had the aria sig (as yet) but i have had the regular aria, as well as an lfd le mk4 sig, and at the same time in house for comparison - drove a variety of speakers... proacs harbeths buchardts vandy sig 3a's among others over that period

observations:

- both had a similar sonic signature, which is a somewhat lively, slightly uptilted high freq response, very clear and concise midrange (not lean not warm), and solid rhythmic bass... both image reasonably well (for solid state) and both are free of grain, though they both bring some degree of ’sharpness’ to leading edges of transients

- the lfd was a little brighter than the aria, both substantially brighter than a hegel or a pass or my longtime reference audiosector patek, they are simply voiced differently, to 'spotlight' the sound a bit more - the aria had maybe had a touch more low end drive than the lfd but both were very good

- the lfd definitely has a minimalist, small-op, homegrown feel to it... the play here is minimalism and thus implied purity to the sound because of it, whereas the aria definitely has a more proper, grown-up, full featured feel to it... with onboard phono stage, decent remote control, etc etc

- both of these amps do very well with more laid back/warmer speakers like harbeths, wharfedales, older vandys and spendors - they bring a little additional 'life' and punch to the music

i don’t know whether the higher, more expensive belles sig or the ncse permutations of the lfd bring more refinement... have not had the chance to hear for myself as yet

Though I have no intention of ever buying LFD equipment, I am glad @ianrmack gave his input.
It makes the phrase YMMV relevant IMHO.
Nuthin' but acronyms here, today.
B

I'm sure everyone here has had some severe equipment failures, myself included. As far as LFD is concerned, for every problem like you have had, there have been dozens if not hundreds of satisfied customers. You don't have to prove or explain your purchase. You like the Belles Aria Sig., and you went with it. Which is fine. I went with the LFD purchase because it satisfied most of what I want in a audio component. I have also found some people who like the LFD better than the Belles, which might indicate the comparison is system dependent. I have also found several positive reviews on LFD integrateds. The proof for me will be in my own evaluation and listening sessions. My dealer has an iron clad return policy if I am not satisfied costing me only shipping charges for return.

When I had an LFD NCSE mk II (from 2015- 2018) it had two service issues that required repairs.That was a problem. The distributor at the time, Fidelis (in NH), referred me to a 3rd party repair guy. He fixed the first issue but it returned 2 years later.

I sent it the distributor the first time. The second time I contacted some dude named Howard Popek and he recommended that my issue could be addressed by a qualified tech in Chicago. So, I brought it to "the best" guy for hi-end stereo repair.

When I met with him, he popped the lid and looked inside and that's when our jaws hit the floor.

The inside of the NCSE mkII looked like an amateur science project or DIY kit. The engineer basically said there was a small transformer, erratic and conflicting wiring and lack of depth to the tech. In fact, most of the weight of the unit was in the heavy metal casing, not in the components. 

Not what you expect for an amp that had an MSRP at the time of $6,495.

Personally, I willnever buy another audio component that cannot be serviced by the manufacturer in the US.

@mr_m ,
With the Vandy sub/crossover, you could easily get away with 60wpc, thanks to Mr. V's design. I haven't heard LFD and their website is even more minimal than Belles.
Bob

I can't debate as to which one is better, as I have heard neither. They are both on my radar for a new integrated. the Belles Aria Sig. has many traits I like very well such as phono stage, by-pass, balanced input, 125 watts/ch., not to mention a remote. I am a jazz fan. In terms of having no balls or soul regarding the LFD, that could be a factor of many things not to mention having less power output and how it matches up with a particular speaker. I have Vandersteen Treo CT's, with a Vandy sub.

It looks like I could audition either one with the only cost to me being shipping charges and my time.

I think it safe to say that either amp could/would be a very good choice in their respective price ranges. Could probably live happily with either.

I have had LFD amps including the NCSE MK II.
loved for jazz but just had no balls or soul.

I think that same dealer has a pretty clear distribution path with LFD with very few national competitors. Belles has several dealers inc. in NY area.

The Belles Aria sig works for me as I wanted the 125 watts, remote and an amp that can move some air with finesse. I found it. Plus, match in heaven with Dynaudio. 
LFD is more geared to speakers like Harbeth. At the same price point of Aria Signature ($4500) the comp for LFD is a new mistral.....NO CHANCE its in same league as it comes from a UK craft shop (like belles) via a US distributor, then to a dealer. 
The new NCSE MK III comes in at $7500 and that would be the product that compares with Aria Signature.

lfd also lack remote control... that was a deal breaker for me

lemme guess who that dealer is pumping lfd ... 😂😂😂😂😂

Interesting topic. I'm in the market for a new integrated amp and my top choice is/was a Belles Aria Sig. integrated. Talked to a well known dealer {not gonna say who it is to prevent a possible argument) who sells the Belles and also sells LFD integrateds. He claims the LFD is vastly superior to the Belles. Pricing is similar but the LFD is a very stark looking amp, has a maximum output of 65 watts/Ch. and no remote.

FWIW: Took delivery of an Aria Signature last week.
Bluesound Node 2i - Chrod Qutest with Teddy Pado PS - Dynaudio S40s - Audience Au24e cables.

VERY engaging.
FULL sound.
WEIGHTY delivery.
Smooth, yet muscular.
Sophisticated presence.
Just LOVE it and it has less than 50 hours on it so far.

Replaced a Solost 1 int amp.
Night and day.

This has potential to be an "end of merry go round" amp for me.
 and I will seek nothing until I see a used pair of Dynaudio Special Heritages...;-)...in 2024!

Dynaudio is now owned by some Chinese company now I think. My view is this is a marketing thing and, if there is sustained demand for these speakers, there will be more.

https://www.whathifi.com/us/news/dynaudio-acquired-chinese-company-goertek

it is more an 'investment' thing... like geely auto in china owning volvo, and tata of india owning jaguar-land rover

more innovative, world class new products out of volvo jag land rover than has been seen in decades before change of ownership...

@audioinfidel 

Dynaudio is now owned by some Chinese company now I think. My view is this is a marketing thing and, if there is sustained demand for these speakers, there will be more.

I always wanted a speaker like this from them as the higher end the monitor you see from Dynaudio, the more I didn’t like the look of the box. the Confidence 1 is just not for me looks wise. The Heritage Special are!

Perhaps the design team had a wager for years over the viability of a conventional box stand mount yet with all the trickle down technology from the top range. 

On a related subject, the new Belles Virtuoso Integrated amp is now on display at the Audio Connection in Verona NJ. Sounds very good driving a pair of Vandersteen Quatro CT’s.  No meters just a simple faceplate like the new Virtuoso preamp.

I believe that John will be posting pictures on his website soon, Dave has not added it to his website yet. John Rutan would be the best person to talk to about this amplifier.

Few days ago I watched Steve Huff’s review of Dynaudio Special Heritage. Steve Guttenberg reviewed them also, but he gets gobsmacked by everything he reviews, so it’s hard to take his words seriously.

I really don’t understand what Dynaudio, as a company, stands for. It sounds like they really knocked it out of the park with this model, yet they’ve limited its production to only 2500 units. Assuming they’re not losing money on it, why not continue production for as long as there is a demand? After all, are they designing speakers just to sell and make money, or their goal is (and should be) to be known as the company, which makes the best speakers?!

After they produce the last one, should those, who want to get their superior model, settle for their inferior ones? I mean, if they don’t want to put on more than 2500 units their marketing BS like "Heritage Special" to drive up the price, then OK, just continue producing them without that plaque! They can even keep the price the same, for all we care. Nobody cares/should care about what it says on the speaker - care how it sounds!

I don’t know if I would like everything about this speaker, but the number one reason why I’d buy them is because they seem to be really great at low level listening. So when I’m finally ready to pull the trigger in a year or two, turns out I’ll be out of luck, because the company, which makes this great product, decided that only 2500 privileged will be able to enjoy them!

Why? What is the point of designing/making good products then?!

Low prob of a pic inside, sorry...😉

My take is that DAve B does not really “market” his products, per se. Hardly any real,reviews on Aria. Just hobbyist stuff. He doesn’t buy media so media not looking to give him ink.

my hope is that the Aria Sig sits in my basement listening room (now home office) for ever and will ultimately drive Dynaudio Special Heritage if I can find a used pair in 1-2 years...😉

The Qutest/Teddy Pardo/node 2i works for me. It’s just so simple and easy and fluid. 

@ianrmack
Very interested in hearing your impressions of the Aria Signature sound. By the way, I also have the Qutest with Teddy Pardo power supply :-)

Also, if it’s not too much to ask, could you take pictures of the inside of the Signature amp? I can’t believe how little information there is about this amp on his website. Actually, his website has very little marketing information about all of his products... Strange, to say the least, as I haven’t come across a negative review

@ianrmack ,
Oohh, that sounds like a great pairing.
B

Have an Aria Signature en route that will replace a Soloist 1 driving Dynaudio s40s.
Chord Qutest with Teddy pardo power supply and Bluesound node 2i.

more later...😊

got some good input offline... i am good with this question - thanks

Agree with gdnrbob, John would be the best person to answer that question. If you are near his shop you’re u can go listen to them side by side.

@jjss49 ,
I wish I could answer your question, but I only found Belles due to John Rutan. That being said/written, I would PM or call him (Audioconnection).
He would be the one who could give you the best info on comparing the two models. -Other than Mr. Belles.
Bob

i am curious to hear from users who have the aria sig and formerly the regular aria whether the sonic character and tonal balance of the sig unit is appreciably altered from the regular aria

msafrick - As a Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 owner I would like to hear more about the comparison with the original Belles Aria. The V3 is an exceptional integrated with a killer phono stage, IMHO.

Wine glaring weakness ,knowing electronics very well. Everything in a standard volume attenuator goes through it .. if you have a $25 alps pot it is just a 
carbon coated piece of plastic ,no getting around that . Any good preamp section 
is either a discreet electronic type with relays, or a shunt type resistive ladder type like Khozmo  ,or gold point . David B is a good designer 
to not address’s this and at $4500 not good.
for $4500 the excellent Luxman 505 mk-2  is noticeably  better then the 
$5500 McIntosh and well thought out throughout for something similar in its price class.

@jjss49 ,
I have no experience with either Hegel or Naim, but I will say that the Belles Aria Integrated with a pair of Vandy VLR's (and with or without a sub) is a pretty sweet combo. In fact, with a Sub 3, it outperforms just about anything in the price range, and quite a few above.
IMHO
Bob

that is correct, the i-30 was the last class a/b primare - they went class d post the i-30 and the sound character changed... and not for the better according to most

The Primare I-30 from 2007, was replaced by the Class D I-32 in 2011

I don't know when the I-30 was discontinued, but Primare's current offerings are I-15, I-25, and I-35, all of which, AFAIK, are class-D based.  A review in Stereophile or Absolute Sound called the I-35 a little lean.

FWIW, I have heard the Aria integrated, and, for the money, it really smokes just about anything you could think of trying.

let me comment a little on grdnrbob’s assertion above...

i have had the belles aria in house for some time... sold it to a hifi bud recently who wanted it

-- agree that the aria, and david belles, are the real deal... excellent gear excellent ear, for a loooong time already
-- for $1500-1600 used (going rate) the aria is a great value, quality of sound (strong and clear, if a touch energetic in the treble) and the mm phono stage on board is excellent, if you will use it
-- i would say in an overall sense, a hegel (thinking rost or h90), a naim (nait xs) and a primare i30 are all worthy remote controlled solid state integrated amp competitors that are as good as the aria... all in the same used price range - all have feature set pros and cons versus the aria but all offer as good build and sound quality (though the tonality may be subtly different)

I recently got an Aria Integrated and love it.

Highly transparent and clear like previously stated.  It has the most muscular 75 watts I’ve ever heard. The inside looks nice too. Nice looking parts. I need to update my virual system with some interior pics...

@gandalf ,
I am using my Belles monoblocks with an Atmasphere UV-1 currently.
I have a Belles Aria preamp getting an upgrade. When I get it,and have a chance to listen, I will post my thoughts on the differences between the two.
FWIW, I have heard the Aria integrated, and, for the money, it really smokes just about anything you could think of trying.
Bob

Just to mention as I did not see this corrected in any of the posts. The original poster claimed the phono stage is MM and MC. It is not, the Aria Signature is MM only.

troidelover1499: You might look Tube preamp, a used one. I have the VT-01 and I got it used for a great deal and it gives the warmth and richness you are looking for, although for a solid-state piece the Aria does sound tube like to me.... It would be interesting to see what the differences are, I did use the Aria with a TubeDac which was beneficial on what your looking for as well. This was a great combo with the Aria, and wish I would have kept it.  https://www.jolida.com/product/glass-fx-tube-dac-iii

@troidelover,
I own the Aria monoblocks and think they are great, I was considering the Signature, but it was a bit too expensive for my modest rig.
The best person to put your questions to is John Rutan (audioconnection). He would be able to put the differences into words, better than anyone else.
Bob