BelCanto eVo

Well, it is supposed to be in Lisbon since 6.45 this morning, if Air Portugal didnt screw-up again...

 

Antonio, although mine had 'dealer time on it' it took about 2 weeks to fully come up to speed, you'll know when it does

 

Yes, I read it takes its time before it plays well...

At least the new PC will be run-in when it arrives, but I still dont have the new power bar...

 

It should be here any time now... :MILD:

If you promise not to tell, I will let you know how much it costed me...

3900 euros including 100 euros customs handling + 50 euros VISA exchange commission, and, of course, all taxes including VAT... Am I lucky or what...

Now it wont work...

 

It is here and pumping... :MILD:

All I can say, until it finishes its learning curve, (40 hours Bel Canto says), is that the Brystons are going... :boughtMF:

 

You'll have to give us a report after a bit more extended listening, and the initial 'buzz' has died down a bit! (which we all get with new kit!!).

Look forward to hearing the pro's and cons from an AV perspective.

Cheers
Chris

 

After the 40 hours they reckon necessary for the chips to learn about the other components and settle, but well before the one month recomended play to be fully run-in, here goes my first impressions:

With Krell plus Bryston, bass mids and highs compete for protagonism, every note stands up and grabs your attention, with the Bel Canto, the music flows coherent, still, if you look, you can hear the bass authoritary and very well controlled, even better than with Bryston, lots of detail and air through the whole range, and extended highs, scintilant, but never harsh...

Still, there is a small problem, less body, maybe because the bass is so well controled it sounds less proeminent...

By the way, the missus that didnt like it being polished aluminum, (every thing else is black), said I will prove it is worst than the Bryston, just play "Crouching tiger and ... dragon"...

She thought it would be dull reproducing special effects, but she was in for a surprise, the swords clashing and the chairs and floor beeing smashed sounded as lively, or more, then with the Bryston...

But I have to admit the cello in the end was less enveloping than before, (today it was already better), after all its only 2 days old, it can only improve with some more time...

 

Antonio,

Sounds so far like the experience has been a positive one. I have found that after changing amps it is often necessary to change speaker positioning or sub crossover/gain settings. Have you tried this yet?

Are you running it with any mains conditioning/cables? These amps will reward you if you do.

Have fun, Robbo

 

Stage and bass are perfect, the small problem is higher timbre and less body than before...

I use VDH Mainsstream PC, same with DVD and processor, and have a dedicated line for the system...

 

Funny you should note thoes points,as they are what I have also noticed with Bel Canto amp,it has less body in the midrange,sounds a tad thiner and recessed,but as you rightly pointed out,this may be the effect of the bass really tightning up,it has no flab on it,but its a balance that i've now got used to,and makes other kit sound more bloomy.

 

I dont find the stage recessed, but it is sounds defenitely thinner than Bryston...

 

WM,

Would you be so kind and let us know the mods you did on your Bel Canto...

 

Humm, the 9bst I use as a comparsion is much drier and leaner (In the same system/cables) than mine, not as much punch either, still different system, different sound.
Prehaps the supply signal maybe ?
I had chance to visit a new customer with a showcase & matching power amp also with a DV27, could be a few reasons why this is so, however Adam has already stated, that the far better bass control & tightness, may lead to you surpose the lean factor.
Antonio, Humm, mainly power supply orinentated, some minor cap changes on the amp board, voltage regulation swopped and op-amps replaced, I've been working on some larger versions, and have great success with custom wound larger 2kva transformers, one per channel.
Anyway Glad your enjoying it, I've just bought another evo 4 for my centre and rear channels to help even things up a touch. Wm

 

Thanks,

I also would like to get an eVo 4 for the front speakers, and use the 6 for center and surround, but I am not in a hurry... :MILD:

2 kva per channel, you dont play around...

Have you tried ERS in it, not that I plan to open mine at all, better leave it alone without having a local dealer...

 

DISASTER... :newbie: :cry: :inferno:

The tweeter of the Proac CC2 blew, not a whisper... only after 3 days with the Bel Canto...

What could it be besides a faulty amp, I checked the connections, the speaker cable is wired to the highs terminals, then pieces of the same cable to the lows terminals, and the woofers play fine...

 

Erm...a faulty tweeter perhaps?

I wouldn't put this down to the amp, I'd say you were just unlucky to have the speaker fail - it's not that unusual.

Michael.

 

I had the Proac CC2 for over one year, it has a top tweeter, Scan Speak 9700, I dont believe in the coincidence of it dying three days after the Bel Canto arrived...

 

Luckily the dealer will bring a new tweeter chez moi and install it, no assle of unpluging and carrying it... :MILD:

But now I worry if the Bel Canto will blow it again...

 

Antonio,

Its probably just coincidence. I have had a similar experience to you. When I had my AR amp on home dem, a few days into the dem the left channel suddenly started making a farty noise. The finger of blame immediately pointed towards the amp 'bloody valves'! On further investigation it turned out that the left main driver had gone. The amp was then blamed for blowing the driver, and dc offsets checked etc. No problems. I then looked at the drive unit and found that a loose connection had developed on the voice coil leadout wire.

This must have developed over a long period of time. Resoldering the wire solved the problem and there have been no more issues since.

Robbo

 

I will give it the benefit of the doubt, fix the speaker and move on, hope it doesnt happen again...

Good thing Proac speakers have 5 years warranty... :MILD: