General Asylum: REVIEW: Bel Canto Design EVo. 200.2 Amplifier (SS) by mikem

Never thought I would be in the market for a SS amp, but after hearing all the rave reviews and having my curiosity aroused, I decided to get the Evo for an audition.
The unit is easy on the eyes being both simple and elegant. It has a stand-by switch on the back but the unit is at its best when powered up all the time. It runs totally cool. No matter how hard I pushed it, it would barely gets warm. The connections on the back seem to be of good quality.
The power IEC socket is on the right rear which is the opposite of my other equipment? The power switch is right next to the outlet which I like as it keeps the AC stuff in one area. It has balanced and single ended inputs.
The binding posts feel sturdy and seem to be of good quality. The Evo can be bridged and used as monoblocks for more power and a lower noise floor.
I only heard this arrangement briefly at CES so I can't comment on it.
The sound:
I plugged the Evo in and gave it a few minutes to warm up. I fired up my favorite most listened to recordings and had a listen. Nice, but it didn't blow me away. I wondered what all the fuss was about.
After 3 weeks of being powered up and being used quite often, I sat down again for a serious listening session. This time it was different.
The amp is very quiet. The music emerges from a very quiet space. There is good contrast between instruments which makes them sound clear and crisp.
The Evo has some tube-like characteristics. It has a very natural sounding bass. Not hard or overly tight, but quite natural. There is plenty of punch and control but its not artificial sounding. The acosutic bass in Rebbeca Pidgeons "Spanish Harlem" was right on. I played "tiger" by Paula Cole just to see if I could overload the bass and get it loose. Nope. Didn't happen.
Tight and controlled but not hard.
The mids are very good. Voices were grain free without being edgey. I did find the mids somewhat recessed but it wasn't a bad thing.. It just made the vocals a little laid back, not as airy as tubes but not flat against the back wall either.
The highs were very detailed and easy to take. This was a pleasant surprise. The main reason I don't like most SS amps. The highs are usually too piercing, too harsh. The Evo was smooth and clean. I could listen all day to strings and not get tired. In fact I never found myself getting fatigued or worn out.
I am currently comparing the Evo to the Bel Canto SET40. The Evo has some of the tube attributes but lacks what it takes to make the magic. It is not as airy and it does not have the mid range magic. I don't know how else to describe it.
The Evo has many virtues which make it a great choice.
It can drive and control most any speaker with is realistic power output.
It is smooth and tube like in many respects.
What you also get is a powerful, cool running, great sounding amp in a small package for a reasonable price. The Evo is worth a listen if you like the above attributes. I am keeping the Evo.
I am also keeping the SET40. More on that later.
mike

REVIEW: Bel Canto Design EVo. 200.2 Amplifier (SS) Review by mikem at Audio Asylum