Bel Canto REF150S amp, like new, pics

Here’s a like-new Bel Canto REF150S amp, in excellent condition electronically and cosmetically. The REF150S sounds warms and runs cool. It’s compact and draws very little power.

I am the original owner. I bought the amp new from an authorized Bel Canto dealer on 9/28/11. (I’ll provide a copy of the receipt.) You will be getting a like-new amp and save more than $500 off the price of a new one. This amp is one of the later-production models with five-way binding posts for the speaker outputs (in contrast to early models, which only accepted banana plugs).

I’ve owned other Bel Canto amps (S300 and the M300) and it is definitely a step up when you get to the REF series. The REF150S is clean, warm, detailed, punchy, never fatiguing. Driving either my Harbeth or Spendor speakers, it sounds clean, effortless, and so satisfyingly musical. I'm only selling because I've moved up to another amp in the Bel Canto REF line.

The reviewer for Goodsound dot com calls the Bel Canto REF150S "the most musical amplifier I have heard south of $5000." Australian Hi-Fi's reviewer says, "It’s difficult to credit that such levels of solid, powerful sound can emanate from such a small package." A Stereophile writer reported from a CES show that "this may be a wee-sized amplifier, but it sounded huge strapped to a pair of new Joseph Audio bookshelf speakers."

I have the original box and manual, and I’ll double-box for shipping. PayPal preferred, no extra fee. Preference to Audiogon members with a record of positive feedback. US-48 sales only, please. No lowball offers, please -- I am in no rush to sell this new-condition amp.

More from the Goodsound dot com review:
• “The inky-black background produced by the REF150S’s low noise floor helped to create a spacious atmosphere with seemingly limitless depth.”
• “The Bel Canto repeatedly rendered the subtle nuances of male and female singers in such a way that they sounded more real, more in the room.”
• “The almost tube-like refinement with which the e.One REF150S passes along whatever signal it’s amplifying has proven very seductive.”
• “If you’re in the market for a wonderfully musical two-channel amplifier that offers tremendous value and performance, rock-solid build quality, and uses a minimal amount of power, you owe it to yourself to audition Bel Canto’s e.One REF150S.”

More from the recent in-depth review by Australian Hi-Fi (which you can find online): "… one of the finest-sounding amplifiers I have ever heard. Even from the first few minutes, the amplifier’s sound came across as being incredibly dynamic, yet with a lightness of touch that I found completely compelling. It’s this lightness of touch that gives the REF150s that magical ability to disappear from the chain of components, so that it’s as if it’s not there at all, and you have connected your disc player, DAC, or turntable or whatever directly to your loudspeakers."

From the Bel Canto website:
“The REF150S delivers 117dB dynamic range, 75 watts into 8 ohms and 150 watts into 4 ohms with power to drive a wide range of speakers. The combination of fully-regulated switch-mode power supplies and analog control circuitry brings incredible dynamic expression to your music. The REF150S custom power input stage includes high speed, low noise rectifiers and large storage and filter capacitors that substantially increase energy storage, significantly lowering noise while reducing sensitivity to power line fluctuations. The custom input stage uses the latest advanced amplifiers and passive components including: Caddock resistors, Solid Electrolytic ultra-low ESR decoupling capacitors and low noise regulated power supplies.”