Up for sale is a rare Belles 28A Solid State Reference Preamplifier in excellent condition with MM/MC phono inputs. The unit works perfectly and the sound is really amazing. I bought from original owner who kept it in immaculate condition. Rating “8” due to age, but no dings, dents, slight scratch on top – see first picture. I do not have the original packaging, but I will double box and pack well. Also, I did not get the original loading plugs from the owner. However, I got a set made from DB Systems ($50 value) – works, but not that easy on the eyes (included with sale). Once you know the loading, you can order a nicer pair(s) from Take 5 Audio or Belles (Belles said they could get the set made for $175) – however, keep in mind, it sits in the back out of sight. Comes with power cord, remote, loading plugs and pdf file of Owners Manual. Will ship to 48 CONUS or pick up in Los Angeles area – willing to up to an hour from zip 91101. Ground shipping w/ signature and Paypal fees included at asking price, otherwise buyer to pay. Will also accept cash, m/o, check (items ships after check clears).
Thanks for looking. Feel free to ask any questions. To those that don’t know about the Belles 28A – below is additional information. The Belles 28A Stereo Reference Preamplifier has a comprehensive number of features designed to produce outstanding performance. All of the analogue circuitry in the Belles 28A consists of discrete bipolar transistor class A amplifiers. The Belles 28A produces a holographic presentation with unprecedented detail, clarity and smoothness. Its dynamics are unmatched due to its high energy power supply using a 50 volt-ampere power transformer and 400,000 microfarads of filter capacitance. Simply put the 28A is one of the most liquid, flowing and musically involving pre-amplifiers we have heard to date. Giving a totally linear and cohesive sound coupled with immense insight. Whilst instilling great passion and emotion into the music. Among its large compliment of features is a phono stage for moving magnet phono cartridges/head amplifier for moving coil phono cartridges. With a separate RCA jack input for cartridge loading. Moving magnet or moving coil is selected via the front panel. The Belles 28A has three line level inputs (CD, AUX, and Video) and a line level balanced input. The balanced input is buffered with a differential discrete class A amplifier. The 28A sports two pairs of outputs for each singled ended and balanced signal lines.
The Belles 28A preamplifier also incorporates a home theatre bypass feature which routes the signal directly to the preamplifier outputs with unity gain. So no issues with integration of when considering separate 2 channel and home cinema options. The Belles 28A solid state stereo reference preamplifier is incredibly capable and flexible performer with that great 'listen too' quality.
Specifications - General
Controls Listen, record, Volume and Balance
Remote Controls Power On/Off, Mute, Volume, Input and Mon
Dimensions 17" (432mm) W x 5" (127mm) H x 12.5" (318mm) D
Shipping Weight 26 pounds (11.2 Kg)
Power 120 VAC or 240 VAC @ 50/60 Hz
Power Rating 50 volt amperes toroidal transformer
Fuse 0.5A Slo Blo
Filter Capacity 40,000 microfarads total
Specifications - Line Section
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz +/- 3 dB
Hum and Noise 90 dB A weighted
Distortion less than 0.01% IM and THD
Input Impedance 20,400 ohms centre tapped balanced
50,000 to 100,000 ohms unbalanced
Output Impedance 50 ohms unbalanced
100 ohms centre tapped balanced
Maximum Output 6.7 volts rms
Gain 7.0 dB
Crosstalk 60 dB
Specifications - Moving Magnet Phonograph Section
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz +/- 0.1 dB
Hum and Noise 100 dB (1 volt reference)
Distortion less than 0.05%
Input Impedance 47,000 ohms
Maximum Output 6.7 volts rms
Gain 40 dB
Specifications - Moving Coil Phonograph Section
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz +/- 3 dB
Hum and Noise 76 dB (mm + mc)
Distortion less than 0.02%
Input Impedance Adjustable at extra RCA input 0 to 1000 ohms
Gain 26 dB
Review from Soundstage.com
Listening to the Belles 28A
After hearing the 350A Reference with three perfectly good tube preamps, I didn’t feel that any of them were revealing all the performance the amp had to offer. I have been using tube preamps exclusively for 30 years, because in that time I’ve found only one solid-state preamp that was sonically better than the tube models I'd owned: an RE Designs six-channel unit. But that really wasn’t a practical product for my needs, so I kept waiting for the day I’d find a solid-state preamp that could finally end the tyranny of tubes I’ve been living with. Then Dave Belles offered up his new 28A, a solid-state preamp complete with moving-coil and moving-magnet phono stages.
This is it -- the real deal. Never again will I stomp the floor and growl over another preamp tube gone microphonic. Never again will I sit down to listen to music knowing the preamp sounds just a little worse than it did yesterday. Never again will I have to accept tube hiss as background noise in my system. The 28A is so good that I may never feel compelled to use something different.
The 28A is a low-gain preamp and, psychologically, it’s hard to get used to the volume control being between 12:00 and 3:00 all the time. Turn a tube preamp up that high and you are often rewarded with audible hiss from the speakers. The 28A stays silent, even when cranked beyond the 3:00 position.
There’s a remote control for power, volume, mute, input selection and record monitor. All functions are available on front-panel toggle switches as well. The phono stage was fabulous with my .25Mv moving-coil cartridge -- that’s about half the output of most moving coils. Dynamics, detail and lack of noise were top-notch.
The 28A is freakishly good at everything it does. Like the 350A Reference amp, it has no color, no limits bottom or top, and no hint anywhere of solid-state sound. Nor does it have any hint of tube sound. The 28A delivers everything you could want in terms of dynamics and harmonic content. The highs set the standard for what they should sound like from a preamp. The soundstage size is strictly a function of the recording. You can have flat or huge space; whatever is on the recording is what you’ll hear.
If you are looking for a preamp with no sound and no detectable limitations, the 28A is it.
...Doug Blackburn
db@soundstage.com
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