Amp upgrade for 2 Ce Sig II


Guys,

I'm in the USAF stationed in England and don't have the opportunity to listen to these amps. My system currently consist Rogue Cronus Tube integrated amp 55 Watts, Rega Aollo and MIT Shotgun S3 bi-wire and interconnects. There are two amps that people rave about, Belles 150A and Mccormack DNA125. The choice will have to complement a tube
pre-amp. I'll be more than happy to hear any other recommendations as well. The Belles is at an excellent price on this board, so if it the one I'll have to act quick.

Thanks,
Ron
wig
I'd go with the McCormack, and I'll bluntly state why.

I owned two Belles 150A Reference amps, which both sounded excellent. The problem was that they both had buzzing transformers, and after paying Dave $300 to check them out, they still buzzed. He said it was a problem with my AC, but I have not had any other amps or gear that has buzzed like the Belles. There are other reports on the internet about this issue.

There have also recently been reports of spotty service from Belles (unresponsive to calls and emails) whereas Steve McCormack is one of the best in the business in this regard.

Considering you're overseas, I'd suggest limiting your risk and going with the McCormack.
I'm with Tvad on this one. McCormack amps are a bit more "lively" and have good synergies with Vandersteens, which tend to be a bit laid-back, though very musical.

I've run a set of Vandersteen 3's with a Classe CA-201 for a while (years). Recently, I was impressed with how much nicer they were with a borrowed McCormack amp. Now if I can just get off unemployment...
Tvad,

How would you describe the sound of these two amps and which pre-amp were you using? The only reason why I was considering the Belles over the Mccormack was one is listed
on this board as a demo at half price off. But, I'll read more before making a hasty choice. Thanks again for your help.

Wig