Battle of the "Davids"......Belles vs. Berning


OK, it's a cold, rainy Sunday am in Chicago - a great day to listen to music. After the provocative thread on "Tenor vs, Berning" that got a little side-tracked, I thought I'd narrow the scope. I have been fortunate to audition both the Belles 350a ss amp ($3,500) and the Berning ZH-270 ($4,500)in the past two weeks. The common theme is that these two amps come from, in essence, "one man shops" and seem to eschew mainstream "hi-end" retail. Both amps are widely recognized as providing huge "bang-for-the-buck" and might cost substantially more if their logos were different.

This would seem to be a real world comparison of two "Davids" that may be able to bring down Goliath - whoever that may be. What do you think?
ianrmack
I think that you or any other locals should read the responses AFTER you go to the Chicago Audio Society meeting being held today. Here's a link for more info. Sean
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www.chicagoaudio.org
I've never heard the Belles 350A amp. I would be very interested to hear how others respond to this shootout. My guess is that the Berning will get the nod. I am a tube freak so maybe I'm biased(Ha Ha!). Here's a chance for the SS contingent to speak their minds. Sounds like a battle of filament glow versus rows of huge heat sinks to me.
having auditioned them both, maybe you should tell us your opinion.

what did you audition them with?
rhyno