I know my way around some Bel Canto, having reviewed their e.One C6i DAC Integrated Amplifier and e.One Stream2 Network Bridge along with the more upscale E1X Integrated Amplifier.
Today we’ll take a look at and give a listen to the e.One Pre5 Preamplifier / REF501S Stereo Amplifier combo. The stack. As good timing would have it, the e.One pre/power stack got to play with the new GoldenEar T66 (more info) which is good timing because I ran the e.One C6i integrated on the GoldenEar Triton One.R Tower Speakers (review) back in October of 2022 so we have a nice amp/speaker/company symmetry. I also leashed the e.One stack to the Barn resident DeVore O/96 (review) and the recently reviewed Wharfedale Dovedale (review). While the e.One REF501S Stereo Amp had no problem driving each of these fine and fairly different speakers, some magic happened with the Bel Canto/GoldenEar pairing, which I’ll talk about in a minute.
The e.One Pre5 is a fully balanced analog line level preamplifier that offers 125dB dynamic range, distortion below 0.001%, and high current discrete custom output buffers according to the company. The multifunction front panel control knob offers a number of controls including volume, input selection, and Mute with a 2-3 second press along with programming modes to set Max Volume Level, enter custom names for each input and Home Theater Bypass mode for each input (sets the input to a unity gain setting of 84 for use with an external surround sound processor), Balance, and Reset to factory default settings. The included plastic remote offers all of these controls and functions and more to control other e.One products. The complete Bel Canto e.One Series also includes the DAC2.8, PHONO, Stream 2, CD3t, REF601M monoblock amplifiers, and the C6i integrated.
Around back we find a total of five inputs (1x XLR, 4x RCA) and single-ended RCA and balanced XLR outputs. An IEC inlet and power toggle switch complete this simple picture. When you first power up the Pre 5, it goes through a brief startup sequence after which the Balanced input is active, set to 50.0.
The REF501S Stereo Amplifier is of Class D origins and features the company’s Impedance Optimized Input Stage, a DC-coupled signal path (look ma, no capacitors), a 5th order loop filter, and 250 Watts of output power (with 1% THD according to Bel Canto).
A pair of WBT NextGen speaker binding posts join the XRL and RCA input pairs and a switch for selecting between the two complete this backside story along with an IEC inlet, power toggle switch, and ground lug.
As I’ve said before, I am a fan of the e.One series’ size and looks, especially when finished off with the black aluminum faceplate as seen in the review stack (silver is the other option). They are small, light of weight, and unassuming yet attractive in a minimal no fuss no muss manner. Using them is a breeze and I didn’t have to look at either user manual to know how to use ‘em (I don’t do Home Theater Bypass). From a purely practical perspective, as in I’m getting old(er), it’s also nice to be able to pick up a pre/power combo in one go without having to remember to lift with my legs for fear of injury (me or the gear).
I paired the e.One stack with a number of digital front ends including the review sample Auralic ARIES G2.2 (more info), the review Merason DAC1 Mk II (more info), and the Barn resident Mola Mola Tambaqui (review) whose size mimics the Bel Canto stack, if that kind of thing flips your switch. All cabling was provided by AudioQuest and I used a length of their ThunderBird XLR cable to connect the Pre 5 to the REF501S (complete system details).
In another interesting twist of timing, Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee recently released the first single from their upcoming album Tigers Blood, due out on Anti- Records come March. The twisty timing part is Katie Crutchfield & Jess Williamson as The Plains released their album I Walked With You A Ways around the time I reviewed the e.One C6i/e.One Stream2 combo so also have some music/gear symmetry. “Right Back To It” from Tigers Blood instantly reminded me of how much I love Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud +3 from 2020 so I let it rip from beginning to end, playing through the GoldenEar T66/Bel Canto combo with the Mola Mola Tambaqui converting the stream. One of the extras you get with the “+3” version of Saint Cloud is a cover of Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” which makes sense, at least to me, as I can hear ghosts of Bruce throughout this lovely record.
With the Bel Canto stack driving the GoldenEar T66, Katie Crutchfield’s plain sung stirring vocals leapt into the Barn’s B-Side as if the amp/speaker pair were acting in concert to eek the most emotion out of this emotional song. I’m reminded, synergy-wise, of the surprisingly delicious sound offered by the Java Hi-Fi Single Shot Integrated Amplifier (review) driving the YG Acoustics Summit: “The YG Summit positively loved the Java integrated. Loved, not liked, as the Single Shot as pre/power/DAC seemed to light up the Summit from within, offering effortless, clean, clear, and rich power that made music sound alive and kickin’.” And I would say the same things about the Bel Canto e.One stack as they lit up and loved the T66 in similar fashion, making music feel completely apart from the speakers while bristling with life-like energy in room. Lovely.
Ancient Infinity Orchestra’s 2023 release River of Light fits, albeit loosely, in the jazz genre but bassist Ozzy Moysey’s 14-piece band is joined by a number of guests and a 12-piece choir for this exceedingly rich and lovely 1 hour+ romp. I let this record rip on the GoldenEar and enjoyed the full spectrum show. Each T66 house a pair of side firing 8″ x 12″ quadratic planar back-wave-driven radiators powered by internal 1000W peak/500W RMS, DSP-controlled amplifiers that you can dial-in to taste (by adjusting the Level) so they can go real low without asking anything of the accompanying amp (29Hz -6dB on axis @ 29Hz, anechoic bass response). Album opener “Greeting” greets us with a flourish of sounds and textures from piano, tenor sax, flute, and drums with Moysey’s double bass grounding the sound and the Bel Canto/GoldenEar combo delivered each instrument’s full voice and full power, never sounding lean or timbrally bleached. I highlight this aspect of the e.One REF501S’ performance to help dispel the notion that all Class D amps have a similar thin sound, which I’d wager is a notion born from ideas not listening. And I’m being kind calling these half-baked notions “ideas”.
The e.One stack drove the heck out of each speaker it got to play with, making the recently reviewed Wharfedale Dovedale jump to life, tiling them toward a more dynamic and snappy presentation compared to the other amps in that review and the DeVore O/96 also enjoyed the Bel Canto’s firm grip, super speedy snap appeal, and full voice. As you might expect, you can get different sounds from all of these speakers by pairing them with different amplifiers and I’ve certainly heard the O/96 with my fair share of amps—of all varieties—and then some and the Bel Canto e.One Pre5 / REF501S combo offer very compelling performance that is fairly exceptional when their $4990 total price is taken into account.
Lebanese-Canadian musician Natalie Chami as TALsounds offers up a rich, dreamy soundworld on Shift, released last November on NNA Tapes.
From the liner notes:
Surrounded by an arsenal of synths and electronics, Chami sculpts intimate electro-acoustic sessions that straddle the line between improvised performance and deliberate composition, carried by her affecting vocal performances and gradually accumulating networks of looped synth figures.
Like I said, dreamy. With the e.One stack driving the GoldenEar T66, can you tell this was my favorite partner for the Bel Canto?, on the Barn’s B-Side, Shift filled this spacier space (21’ x 35’ x 12’) with billows of looped loveliness. Once again, I was struck by the effortless drive offered by the e.One REF501S Stereo Amplifier that manifested music in space completely separate and apart from the speakers while sounding grain-free, fleet of foot, and full of voice. Kudos are also due to the e.One Pre5 that appears to be about as transparent as one could wish for in a preamp and the ever-stunning Mola Mola Tambaqui as streamer and DAC that offers a level of refinement and musical charm that’s hard to beat. All together, as a system, I was treated, day after day and some nights, to effortless, rich and rewarding music that drew me in and asked for more.
What better way to dig into the e.One Pre5’s headphone amp than with some Nico. Chelsea Girl from way back in 1967, oh how I wish I knew this music in 1967, is a masterpiece in my short book of masterpieces, a cornucopia of loveliness wrapped in near medieval attire. With the luscious Focal Clear Mg plugged into the Pre5’s jack, Nico & Co. danced around my head till I was dizzy with delight. I would have been even more enrapt with a bit more body and texture, things I know the Focal can reproduce because I’ve heard them sound richer when paired with other amps.
Here, the Bel Canto’s headphone amp came up short for me on the riches exhibited by the stack when driving speakers. I’m not saying I didn’t or couldn’t enjoy Chelsea Girl because I did, I’m just saying I prefer a more saturated sound through earphones than the Ref5 offered.
L’Rain’s 2023 album I Killed Your Dog showed up on many Best Of lists (I should have put it on mine), and I imagine part of the reason is its joyful inventiveness. This is heavily processed for a purpose music with Taja Cheek’s vocals twisted into super-human forms bleeding into electronica while remaining wholly human. Nice. The e.One stack drove the Barn resident DeVore O/96 to dizzying heights of human/machine expression. Perhaps contrary to some beliefs, the O/96 can enjoy some power especially power that’s more about body and deft drive than sheer brute force and this is what the Bel Canto stack delivered.
“What I do enjoy is surprises and the Bel Canto stack had their fair share to offer. Namely, I was not expecting such a meaty and timbrally rich sound from them but even I can fall prey to assumptions based on nothing more than rumor.” This is what I said about the other Bel Canto e.One stack I reviewed, the C6i DAC Integrated Amplifier and e.One Stream2 Network Bridge, and as you may have gathered the same surprise greeted me with the Pre5 and REF501S. I suppose I shouldn’t have been as surprised this time around, so perhaps delighted is the better word for this review’s findings.
The Bel Canto e.One Pre5 Preamplifier / REF501S Stereo Amplifier combo surprised, delighted, and enchanted with superb control, speed, body and texture that drove the Wharfedale Dovedale, DeVore O/96, and especially the GoldenEar T66 with effortless music-inspired power. And they deliver all of this goodness in a small attractive package(s) at a price that seems nearly too low to be true.
Bel Canto e.One Pre5 Preamplifier
Price: $2495
Bel Canto e.one REF501S Stereo Amplifier
Price: $2495
Company Website: Bel Canto Design
e.One Pre5 Preamplifier Specifications
Analog Inputs: |
|
| Balanced Input Impedance: | 10k Ohms |
| Single-ended Line Input Impedance: | 50k Ohms |
| Maximum Input Level Balanced: | 5Vrms |
| Maximum Input Level Single Ended: | 2.5Vrms |
| Maximum Output Level, RCA and XLR | 5Vrms |
| Distortion at 1Vrms Output: | <0.002% 1KHz |
| Dynamic Range: | 125dB A-Weighted re: 5Vrms |
| Single-ended Line Out Impedance: | 50 Ohms |
| Balanced Output Impedance: | 100 Ohms |
General: |
|
| Output Connections: | XLR and RCA Outputs |
| Power Usage On: | 4W |
| Power Usage Off: | 0.0W |
| Power Input: | 100-120VAC, 220-240VAC 50/60 Hz |
| Fuse | Littlefuse 214 Series, 3 ampere, time-lag, 250VAC, 5x20mm ceramic body fuse |
| Dimensions: | 8.5″ W x 12″ D x 3.5″ H (216 mm x 305 mm x 88 mm) |
| Weight: | 13lbs. (6.5 kg) |
e.one REF501S Stereo Amplifier Specifications
| Power Output 1% THD: | 250W per channel |
| Minimum Load: | 2 ohms per channel |
| Peak Output Current: | 17.5 amperes per channel |
| Frequency Response: | +/-3 dB 0Hz-50KHz, all loads |
| THD+N: | 0.003% 1W, 1KHz, 4 ohms |
| IMD (CCIF): | 0.0003%, 1W, 14:15KHz, 4 ohms |
| Output noise: | 35uVRMS A-weighted 10Hz-20KHz |
| Voltage gain: | 27dB |
| Damping factor: | >1000 |
| Output Impedance at 100Hz: | <8 milliohms |
| Dynamic Range: | 121dB |
| Input Voltage for Max Output: | 1.4Vrms |
| Input connections: | Single-ended RCA or balanced XLR |
| RCA input impedance: | 47Kohms |
| Balanced input impedance: | 95Kohms |
| Output connections: | 2-sets WBT Nextgen 5-way binding posts |
| Power On usage: | 12W |
| Power Off usage: | 0.0W |
| Internally Set Operating Voltages: | 100-120VAC or 230-240VAC 50/60 Hz |
| Size: | 8.5 x 3.5 x 12[inches], 216 x 88 x 305[mm] (WxHxD) |
| Weight: | 12 lbs, 5.5 Kg |
