Two affordable US made components from Bellari
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- Опубліковано 3 лют 2021
- More on the designed and made in the US Bellari Passive Preamp, www.bellariaudio.com/index.ph...
More on the designed and made in the US PA555 tube pre, www.bellariaudio.com/index.ph...
Marc Maron's Daniel Lanois interview, www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode...
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You're right, changing out the tube makes a big difference on the Bellari. And since you only need one tube you can spend a little extra to get a very good old tube. After trying out a few, I settled on an old Ampex tube in mind, it made a huge positive difference.
I've had a Bellari VP130 tube phono preamp for several years now. I love it. Even though my integrated amp has a phono input, I still use the VP130. It just has a cool sound.
I have the PA555, and I coupled it with a Musical Fidelity M2si, which I find to be a fantastic combination. Replacing the stock tube with a Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 with gold tips adds great depth, richness, and air to the sound and deepens the sound stage. I'm running Canton Reference 9.2 DCs through this system, and I found the PA555 to be a great, affordable add-on that made me really love the M2si.
Steve I really appreciate you covering American made products. Keep it up. 👍🏼
I very much enjoy the fact that you are just as excited about the music you use to review the components as the components themselves. It is clear you are highly credentialed on both fronts, which makes listening to your reviews all the more satisfying. And your "boyish enthusiasm" is much appreciated. I also want to thank you for turning me on to Chesky and Contemporary record labels. Phenomenal catalogue of mostly amazing-sounding recordings.
Looking forward to a review of the Bellari phono stage!
Daniel Lanois is truly one of the greatest ever. As a producer and as a musican. His versatility. From U2 to Peter Gabriel. From Emmylou Harris to his marvelous, experimental work with pedal-steel on goodbye to language.
As always, thanks for you videos Steve. Have a great day. 👍
I have the bellari tube phono preamp. Getting a more powerful wall wart and better tube brought out the dynamics created a new piece of equipment out of it.
I've had the PA555 four months now, switched the tube to a gold lion balanced triode and what a sweet difference it made.
How did you like that PA555?
@@ranbymonkeys2384 I was very impressed on separation that allowed soundstage to expand horizontally and vertically-tube change made a big difference, well worth the $ and then some
@@scottlipes7111 have you tried any other tube "buffers" to compare it too?
@@ranbymonkeys2384 this was my first and only, just know where my system was before and where it is now. The pa555 made a very noticeable positive difference.
@@scottlipes7111 I wonder what's in there for components, capacitors and such.
I have the Bellari passive preamp and EQ too. I love the red and gold look. I even have matching red and gold RCA connectors (from Siesmic audio).
I have the Bellari VP530 tube phono pre amp. It is an amazing device has headphone out plus RCA and USB plus you can switch to flat output to put your own phono EQ also has rumble filter. I've had this for many years had to buy new wall wort and different tube here and there but no big deal. Sounds great! Great review. Thanks, Z.K.
I've been using one of their phono preamps for a few years and it sounds a lot better than I expected for 120 dollars.
Really appreciate the music recommendations. You have brought me to some incredible material. Thank you. 🙏
Another great review for affordable gear.
I recently got very surprised by a friends tiny little fx audio tube 03 pre amp. Which he had changed/upgraded the tubes with very cheap but sonically great russian voskhod (rocket) tubes..and WOW.
So I got one and ordered some tubes..and was happy. but typically found a forum so then messed around further, But in the end just took out the 2 (tone and volume control) opamps completely... and wow it sounded fabulous...and all for under $50!
It made me realise that we are truly lucky to have so many great products, options and choices...with some great bargains and surprises too. But have to say good tube preamps have a great deal to offer any system.
Ditto also the FX Audio Tube 01 - the GE 5654W JAN from Riverstone Audio sound fantastic in it.......I found the Rocket Russians a little TOO bright and thin....will switch back to recheck since I made many system improvements with the GE's in place
We must be on the same wavelength I just started looking at the Bellari VCP130 tube phono preamp. It's nice to know they're a US company. You can never say enough about Eno!
Thanks Steve for the great review of the Bellari preamps. Audiophile doesn't have to mean expensive and good to know this is out there.
For the passive little guy - you are actually listening to the Oppo CD player, especially critical is its output stage - IT deserves the praise, because IT is driving the passivie circuit and things could have gone wrong in many ways if it wasnt simply excellent.
Good reviews. Have seen their phono stages in a few stores and always thought about picking one up.
Would like a review of them in the future
I saw Daniel Lanois many years ago. Maybe the best live show I have ever seen.
Just bought a PA555 on your recommendation. Thanks!
Thanks Steve. I really enjoy your videos.
The Bellari tube preamp will really sing if you replace the 500ma 15 volt wall wart with a 2 amp wall wart which only costs around $12. Made a huge difference. Keep in mind the center pin is negative so you will likely need a phase reversal adapter which only costs a few bucks. Most wall warts are positive center pin. Bellari should have spent a few more cents and provided a better power supply.
Great job Steve, I would love to see you review their phono tube preamp. Continued success to you. ✌🏻
STEVE! It's the Martin Logan guy here....Just wanted you to know that I have been enjoying what has been taking place in the background (O: I really like the new look, and as you know, my room is minimally appointed and plain white wall color. With that, I hope you will do a 'tour' of your updated listening space with before and after captures? Looking forward to your next review (O:
More vids on Budget audiophile gear. Nice video!
I've had the Lanois album for years and years. Lots of good moments in it.
"...to the seeeeaaaa"
Love this review
That Holly Cole CD is ridiculously good. Highly recommended.
Completely agree, I have both LP & CD
I have the CD and have enjoyed it since it came out. I have not heard all the songs sung by Tom though, and need to remedy that.
Ditto
USA made stuff. I love it!
Wow wow wow ! Made in USA . I am going to buy . I love it !!!!
David Piltch is an incredible bassist! I first heard him on the 1980 "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" album "Nuclear Blues" (Bonus: His brother played guitar on said album).
Also, I owned 2 Bellari tube compressors. Very underrated gear!
Usually if a DAC (or audio interface) has its own volume knob, that will be a passive attenuation stage, if you want to know what this sounds like, and you have a power amp handy (or can bypass the preamp stage of your integrated). Passive attenuators do tend to sound a bit thin and the bass will be less present, but the increase clarity will be noticeable. There are also passive preamps that use a transformer and stepped stages for volume, and thse are supposed to sound better, but I've never heard one ($$$). These are sometimes called "transformer volume controls" or TVCs.
Hello Steve! I purchased the passive pre about 2 yrs. ago. Great little pc., but did develop noise in the selector pot. A small judicious amount of Deoxit D5 cleared it right up, but just wanted to pass this on to any 'potential' ;>) buyers... obviously can't be beat for the price though!
Nice one Steve!
How does the PA555 tube preamp compared with Schiit Sega+?
Holly Cole and Daniel Lanois, love your Canadian bookends!
Great video! I have always been curious of Bellari . I made my own passive but I have 6 inputs and 3 out. I also put in a switch so the volume can be bypassed. It works very well and doesn't add or subtract from the signal. I have never heard Eno,Enough, what would you recommend for my first taste? And I will definitely look for Little Kruta. Thanks Steve you are the best
Dan's Acadie is available in a Gold Top Edition. Different (better?) sound, extra tracks, wonderful booklet. My #1 recording to evaluate changes in gear. And for the joy. The Maker. Amazing Grace.
I just listened to that Gold Edition on Amazon , was wondering about the difference to the original too as its not on Amazon Music
Bellari VP130 Mm Tube Phono Preamplifier With Headphone Amplifier. This is my current phono pre-amp. with a Gold Lion ECC83 / 12AX7.... Maybe a future review??
They used to be Rolls and have used their pro audio gear. Be it known, before anyone misunderstands what a passive pre amp is, passive pre amps are not meant to do any coloration to your sound. They are used as a source selectable pass through for your integrated amp where the tone controlling is made.
Incorrect in part. They are also used as Attenuators, wired direct to Power Amp
@@kawasakiaddiction6296 No. There are those that has attenuators and those that has none. Passive pres back in the day were usually part of matching component type systems, stacks.
I can attest to the quality of the EQ. I hope you can get your hands on one and pit it against the Loki.
z reviews on youtube had done just that....do a search on youtube. Good review. He compared 3-4 different EQ's. The Loki to Zeos Pantera came out on top in his conclusion with good explanation. I have the Loki. I will purchase another one for the bedroom. It is very very good. However, I have not personally compared these two myself. I have a stereo "ROLLS" mixer. It is a good and solid product as well. FYI - Rolls and Bellari are the same company. Schiit and Rolls/Bellari are very good audio equipment companies. Rolls is the professional audio brand, and Bellari is the home audio brand.
@@dungysphincter7974 Have seen it. Want Steve’s opinion. Take all online reviews with a grain of salt. Online reviewers are beholden to hot companies like S for future review products. Bellari is a small division of Rolls. They don’t have the leverage of S. I respect Steve’s decades in the industry. Too much schtick from Z.
I would never put weight to Z’s reviews. Him doing sound demos are good tho.
@@BP-nj6fi If you don't know the answer, you need to find someone you trust for the answer. Hasn't changed in recorded history.
Great WTF podcast with Daniel Lanois. Thx for pointing us to it.
Very cool
Steve, do a comparison of the Belleria tube preamp from this video with the Schiit Saga +. Some of us budget audiophiles would appreciate your perspective.
I'm now wondering if that passive preamp would be a good choice to add inputs to my integrated amp. I've got some tape decks that I no longer use for recording, but I would still like to set them up for playback without juggling cables.
Also, I'm another fan of that Daniel Lanois album.
That’s basically what passive preamp are for, a source selectable pass through that does not do any sound coloration.
@@dentboxhero1717 Thanks. Seems like the only thing I'd need to do is set the volume control once to match the line input level of the components directly connected to the integrated amp.
Great news!
Hi Steve thank you for the review as always, how does the passive compare to the Schiit (Saga or Freya) in passive?
The passive Schiit SYS (only 2 inputs) would be a fair comparison.
Impedance
@@edwardbalboa5528 I respect your point. Passive switching depends entirely on the source output impedance vs. the amp input impedance. A 10:1 ratio is the minimum while between 50:1 and 100:1 would be ideal.
Have a Cyrus One HD and am thinking about a better phono stage. Using a Pro-Ject Carbon Debut DC with acrylic platter and Ortofon Bronze cart, pushing 1984 Cornwalls. Would you recommend these or Schiit? Look forward to all your videos. Thanks.
I found that the PA555 has breakup in sound. This was cured with a better power supply. Same as the VP31. I have both and they sound fantastic together.
Thanks, Steve. Ive always been on the fence with passive preamps...Do you have any experience with or know anything about the PSS (DAVID HUM) preamps that were made in Ohio, I believe?
I like the Ferrari red of the Bellari. The knobs look goofy.
Could you run the Bellari PP 532 into a pre amp &/or integrated amp if you wanted to increase the # of inputs you have, since it's passive or would this cause a problem either with sound or the electronics of the pre/integrated?
Wanted to add this information I googled. Steve please comment as I feel this is critical to passive pre amps success.
Passive preamps work well with most amps provided the impedance differential between amp and source are approximately 100:1. This isn't a hard and fast rule. We've seen great results with 50:1 and even less. It depends on your particular equipment. .
Good morning!
If I use the Bellari passive preamp can I just use a cheap meaty sounding amp to get a better balance in the sound and do u have any suggestions for the amp?
If your amplifier does nor have a switched power input, what do you do? Use a power strip and have to switch it off and on? Crazy
Thanks for the great music rcommendation!! Esp HC...Most of the stuff I try from other reviewers is either noisy bright kick ass trash or super boring dribble.....
Can this be used for headphones? I have a turntable with a preamp installed in it that can be switched from line to phono and speakers with an amp installed but I’m wanting to know if this will be ok to set up to my turntable and plug in headphones
Steve, I think a much better comparison to the Bellari passive preamp would be the Schiit Audio SYS. The SYS appears to be the same sort of device as the Bellari except that it has two inputs as compared to the 4 on the Bellari. Your thoughts? Thanks.
i love my Bellari PR-282 Dual Compressor/Limiter...
So what amp should be used with these that is also budget? I use speakers, not headphones. Or am I out of luck?
The passive pre-amp is that a switch with a pot-meter? And what potmeter, Alps?)
Or is the attenuator also a switch with resistors. (that would be impressive).
It is not a transformer, those cost more than the whole thing.
Looks like Bellari is the best new schiit.
I would love to see you compare the Bellari EQ to the Loki
I rarely see Bellari discussed. have their HA540 headamp. Very nice. Only weirdness is that the headphone jack is in the back which leads me to not use it often.
Hi, Steve: How about taking us around the front of your rack(s) some time and describing your gear.
Bellari is located right down the street from me... Do they also make Rolls as well?
Yes, in fact the PA555 is often sold as the Rolls PA555 or the Bellari Rolls PA555
Steve, you're freakin' awesome! I have been wishing you or the other fellow I watch would do a good review on the 555. Your video, & a couple of the comments sealed the deal for me, thank you! I could have sworn I was already, but I was not, so I am a new sub. (Don't know how I wasn't I watch most of your uploads, better see if I'm subbed to Andrew, now)
They have a tube phono preamp that I’m pretty interested in. Might be an improvement over the one in my Audio-Technica lp7.
I have the bellari tube phono. Nice sound. But to really wake it up, replace the Chinese tube and get a more powerful wall wart. Those changes really improved dynamics and high end.
Phono pre-amp was great for me early on. There is one with a USB out put for recording. They are only for MM.
@@jackpospisil6305 yes, but they also have a step up transformer for mc. Not the last word on detail but musical. For +/- $300 new, you can do worse, especially with the higher amperage wallwart and better tube.
@@jked7463 My man I think you are getting high enough in your spending range. Shop around I hope you find something ,perhaps with two tubes or hybid (which I have had great luck with). I moved to a Jolida phono stage. Killer up grade.
That Schitt amp is pretty low wattage right? But since it’s class A it’s able to push those power hungry B&W 807s?
Steve, the clarity of the passive preamp and the warmer, fuller sound from the tube preamp can be attributed to the superior transient response characteristics from NOT having electronics in the path with the passive preamp (which is a misnomer of course as there is no amplification) that inevitably rounds off the edges and rings somewhat after the transients cease that smears the music slightly in the time domain. This effect is more pronounced with tube amplification especially because of the transformers used in tube electronics and is considered better sounding by some because they are used to hearing it, especially musicians with tube amplifiers. But that is not what a reproduction system should do in my opinion, it should just reproduce the sound without altering it to an audible extent.
That said, I am a proponent of equalization having come from the pro sound business myself, and I have raised the subject of the Bellari EQ570 in some of the UA-cam channels because of the similarity with the Schiit Loki but at a lower price. I happen to prefer the EQ570 because of it's larger and easier to manipulate knobs and because it is cheaper than the Loki, but both are made in the USA. I also tend to prefer products that do not use surface mount components but use the thru-hole components and come from a lineage of professional products which is the case with Bellari.
Finally, I do not see any problem in using a little EQ to tailor the sound to my liking as I don't always agree with the choices made in the production phase, I don't try to equalize my systems with different speaker cables or electronics, and I generally need a little high-frequency boost to compensate for my age-related hearing loss. Equalization has been wrongly eschewed by the audiophile community and it is high time to embrace and champion the use of some well-designed tone control and also loudness compensation circuitry in audiophile components.
I agree 100% and I've been at this game for 80 years, man and boy.
@@roberte.andrews4621 started hearing and learning about sound in the womb, right? I started all of this when I built my first car stereo system with a Delco 8 track player and 8" speakers in my 1963 Bel Air in 1967. And had a Bowman color organ under the glove compartment. Nobody had anything like it back then. Good times.
how do you have a pre amp that isn't powered?
Steve,
I’m looking for an inexpensive preamp to go with my first watt F7. Do you think the Bellari would be a good fit?
Thanks.
Tom
Probably not the F7 does not have a lot of gain, so it would be best to pair it with an active preamp. Perhaps the Schiit Saga
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac As someone mentioned above, it would be interesting to hear a comparison between the PA 555 and the Schiit Saga.
The Bellari PA-555 with a 12AX7 tube is interesting ($275). But Doukmall on Ebay has (made in china) nice looking preamps that use three 12AX7 tubes. These ship from California for about $235, and will even pay return shipping if you send it back within 30 days.
Screw China.
@@1225KPH A very large percentage HI-FI products assembled in USA, contain parts made in China. I agree China is a problem in several ways.
Daniel Lanois also produced Martha and the Muffins - Canada's Talking Heads!
This made me smile. Did it occur to anyone to listen test this *not-a-preamp* against nothing at all? Like just bypass it. The only tonal effect that a "passive input selector and pot" can induce is an impedance mismatch between input and output. In other words, the best it can do to a signal's quality is nothing, and the worst is whatever an impedance mismatch can cause. (You imply such a mismatch effect as *a less full sound at low volume setting.*)
Understand, it is not without some usefulness to those who need a selector switch and some RCA jacks in a box.
Comparing it to anything with an active stage is apples vs. baked apples.
The magic of transformers are used throughout the music creation process
Audio systems have not used matching input and output impedances since the days of the early telephone systems. What we use today is a constant voltage setup where the input impedance is generally at least 10 times greater than the output impedance. Adding a potentiometer will only reduce the voltage to the following input when not fully turned clockwise, it does not disturb any impedance matching because there is none.
@@StewartMarkley Let's be sure to tell the worldwide audio mixer and broadcast industries of your assurances. They'll save a bundle on internal buffers. They will be amazed that they haven't discovered your theory before? :P
@@jimshaw899 they don't use matched impedance transmission except for mic inputs with transformers for noise isolation because of the lengthy cables needed. I worked in both of those fields for years .
@@StewartMarkley How did transformers show up here? Are you trying too hard to be right when ICE will show otherwise? The issue isn't exactly matched impedances; it is widely varying impedances between devices, varying with passive-only gain settings and thus, varying transfer functions in realizable circuits containing capacitance and/or inductance, not just resistance. It can be expected to be most noticeable with maximum attenuation by the passive device. Steve said he noticed this.
I work in the industry too. Diplomaed, Registered, board certified electrical P.E. here, OH and FL. (If you can't stand engineers and measurements, I'm the guy to hate.) Cheers.
Well of course the passive circuit needs to be very good too.
Well when it comes to separates I can get a reasonably good preamp from Belari, just gotta figure how much I want to spend on a power amp.
I've been looking for a smd 24 step passive with separate left and right channels. I guess I'll have to build my own. Anyone know of one?
@Carlito Melon try DACT CT2.
@@peterlarkin762
Thanks I'll look into it ;-)
Looks like balari in competition wit Schiit audio
Hello Sir,
Your Place looks better and different, is the Interior Designer working on your place ???
Tony in Venice Florida
Been diggin Belarri gear/equipment for a while, like a decade... First serious delve back into Vinyl, was project debut carbon Belarri tube phono stage combo, was magical, sustained me for awhile... I can remember when I first encountered Schitt products I thought, awesome!, it was like another Belarri style option... Having explored both over liike something like 15 years... If I had to pick a 'camp' (but really why would I?), But, hypothetically speaking... I'm in the Belarri camp,.. could be cause they engrained some serious sonic signatures into me at an impressionable time... Who's to say?! All that said for my sonic taste... I'm more Belarri (than Schitt).
To me.... Belarri is like the OG.. Schitt the prodnigy /came after. What's old is new again, luv it! Options at these comparable price points is definitely not a bad thing.
Thank you, upon reading your comment, & feeling an immediate kinship by your use of dig(I knew I couldn't be the only person who uses "dig" often enough that it finds it's way onto YT comments) & your genuinely well thought comment, based on your personal experience with these products. This has been most helpful. I have been on the fence about the 555 now maybe 4 months, as I mostly for the sheer fun of it want to give a spin through it on the aux of my sx680 (that not only has a phono stage, but a very good+ ) so yeah, just an absolutely unnecessary expense, that I am excited to move forward with.
Excellent stuff, Steve! I'm looking for a pre to plug my Node 2i into - which one would you recommend?
PA555
Can you explain preamp and how it's used for us newbies?
I spotted your question 2 weeks after you asked, but in the case you were never answered: the short answer is a preamp boosts the signal of low output components to a usable level, before (pre) the power amp. Ie. Turn tables, or passive headphones. & additional inputs for the tape inputs, & aux. On a integrated Amp, or home stereo reciever it's the input section.
Bela Lugosi made audio ?
Yes, & it was so good Bauhaus were inspired to write the hit song thats still keeping the goth kids....dancing Bela Lagosi's dead ....undead undead undead.
Steve, I want to run different amps with my setup .. one for home theater and another for 2 channel analog audio using the same speakers. Is there an amp switcher/ speaker switcher on the market that you can recommend?
Sorry, no.
@HiFiPhoto-Bri Oh wow thanks so much I will check it out right now ..
It depends on if your home theater receiver supports home theater bypass or has preamp outputs. All Schiit preamps support home theater bypass. Just select which ever input your HT receiver is connected to, put your Saga or Freya into passive mode and turn the volume all the way up. You will be using your two channel amp all the time on your speakers.
The other option is to get an ABX switch comparator from Audio by Van Alistine. It allows you to connect two preamps, two power amps and three sets of speakers. They don't always have them in stock but will do production runs. They do have them in stock today. Very nice and well built and comes with a remote for $1099. It may be overkill for you, but it is the only product like it on the market.
The simplest setup would be "home theater bypass". Google it. Your AVR would need to support it. Your two channel preamp (or receiver...some do) would too. Your main speakers would have only one amp hooked up to them. The amp would be used for BOTH home theater AND audio. Your audio gear gets connected to the two channel system and your video gear gets connected to the AVR/home theater system. When you "bypass" the two channel the AVR has control of the speakers.
I've been seeing ads for bellari equipment recently and just last night I was wondering if you had ever reviewed any of their stuff. I think it might be a sign 🙄
Guess I can also use this as an RCA switch? 1 IN 2 OUT.
Never saw these when I was searching for a few passive preamps. Wish they had a better marketing approach. Will keep them in mind in the future. I must say, the fit and finish and knob quality looks pretty poor. But I'd rather nice internals, as opposed to nice externals of Chinese products. Asking for both, at a reasonable price, is asking for too much these days.
These look like fun!
I’m enjoying the IFi zen phono preamp
I very much regret BELLARI Products are not available in India, otherwise I would have been one of their biggest customers.
Someone else agreed @1:39📯
I had the PA550 in my system for a few months and then put it in the closet, ultimately selling it on. At first I was smitten, then over time I found it lacked the depth that the Schiit Mani delivers. For some reason it really put this veil over the phono output that didn’t jive with me. What made me notice was that regardless of the cart I was using, they sounded the same. It was a good unit for the price for those that utilize it for more than the phono stage. For phono stage only, you can do better at the same price point.
Oh NOW you make this video. I’ve researched this unit so much with not much success. In the end, I decided against this model as some questioned the quality (especially in terms of durability).
How can the tube be the active amplifier if there's only one in a stereo device?
Tubes can provide gain to two channels at a time. I see single input tube on MANY components, even expensive ones.
The 12AX7 tube is a dual triode tube. There are two triodes in one glass envelope, one for each channel.
Live and learn. Thanks
Wow jump from a passive switcher???
You seemed surprised that a box with basically nothing inside it could sound so good. And how little they charged for it...
you can't take tom waits out of tom waits.... it just doesn't work