Bellari VP130 ramble
![[Deleted User]](https://w4.vanillicon.com/40bc09a87daec053937ab0249c85e591_100.png)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 10,716
First off thanks to NSpindel.
Thoughts on the Bellari VP130 while driving the wife crazy.
I have feared tube anything. Love the sound, don’t want to owe one. When a Bellari tube pre came up for sale with accessories and most of the investigative work done
I took the dive. I passed up on this phono pre in the past after reading comments about it figuring it was too much trouble for the money.
When it arrived, I hooked it up with the stock tube in it and had a go with my ole Rotel turntable and marriage savers. (Grado SR225i headphones) I randomly chose Bad Company ‘Burning Sky’ as it was just picked up out of the dollar vinyl section and close. Turned the output volume on the RCAs off and slowly turned the volume up on the headphones. Sounds good! I’m gonna like this.
Ran my Kenwood SS 3500 integrated receiver, Dynaco A25s, and sundry upstairs. The bedroom was the only place to set up for a while. Hooked everything up with the volume turned down still to the RCAs. As I turned the volume up on the pre and receiver I started picking up a Spanish-speaking radio station! (Pirate?)
Soldiering ahead I gave the rig a spin. Turned off the headphones and turned up the RCA outputs. The A25s have never sounded better. The A25s now are Warm full deep bass and detail only hinted at. Glad I took them off craigslist when I decided to try the VP130. I like it!
Turning my attention to the Station/Hum issue I was starting to notice, I ran out to the garage and grabbed my extension cord so I could run it to a wall outlet that is grounded. (I hope) Plugged in the new fellows strip I have and the extension cord and according to the power strip the wall outlet is properly grounded. This may have been a coincidence, but no Spanish and less hum after the new setup.
The Bellari folks recommended turning the volume up on the VP130 all the way and controlling it with the receiver, but I chose to back off the VP130 volume to an acceptable hum/noise level and adjusted from there. It turns out that the Bellari needed to be broke in however the noise persisted after days of use.
Jumping ahead, I ran with the stock tube as long as I could. Having my choice between Mullard and Telefunken as replacements, I went with the latter. Right away less hum and no noise. Well, there was new noise was coming from the wife. She didn’t like the idea of my retro rig and LPs in the bedroom. Re-arranging and cleaning the man cave became priority 1!
Fast-forward, the rig is in the mancave with Dynacos on top of my RT7’s for now.
Bellari opines that you can turn the pre on and off as much as you want. Once I turn it on, I leave it on while at home. I just turn the Kenwood off.
The Bellari has a rumble filter and the Kenwood has a high pass filter. Both or either have only slight positive change. However, with the level I’m playing the tunes at, this is minor. Tried “ferrite beads” around the power cable to the turntable to no avail. Still noise and faint radio station pickup at higher volumes (> 6-7) If I touch the pre I become part of the noise problem<grin>.
At lower volumes I’m blown away by the sound I’m getting. It’s not that I’m hearing new things on the vinyl; I’m hearing instruments in a different way. This has been so much fun the new 703’s have been neglected.
Thoughts on the Bellari VP130 while driving the wife crazy.
I have feared tube anything. Love the sound, don’t want to owe one. When a Bellari tube pre came up for sale with accessories and most of the investigative work done
I took the dive. I passed up on this phono pre in the past after reading comments about it figuring it was too much trouble for the money.
When it arrived, I hooked it up with the stock tube in it and had a go with my ole Rotel turntable and marriage savers. (Grado SR225i headphones) I randomly chose Bad Company ‘Burning Sky’ as it was just picked up out of the dollar vinyl section and close. Turned the output volume on the RCAs off and slowly turned the volume up on the headphones. Sounds good! I’m gonna like this.
Ran my Kenwood SS 3500 integrated receiver, Dynaco A25s, and sundry upstairs. The bedroom was the only place to set up for a while. Hooked everything up with the volume turned down still to the RCAs. As I turned the volume up on the pre and receiver I started picking up a Spanish-speaking radio station! (Pirate?)
Soldiering ahead I gave the rig a spin. Turned off the headphones and turned up the RCA outputs. The A25s have never sounded better. The A25s now are Warm full deep bass and detail only hinted at. Glad I took them off craigslist when I decided to try the VP130. I like it!
Turning my attention to the Station/Hum issue I was starting to notice, I ran out to the garage and grabbed my extension cord so I could run it to a wall outlet that is grounded. (I hope) Plugged in the new fellows strip I have and the extension cord and according to the power strip the wall outlet is properly grounded. This may have been a coincidence, but no Spanish and less hum after the new setup.
The Bellari folks recommended turning the volume up on the VP130 all the way and controlling it with the receiver, but I chose to back off the VP130 volume to an acceptable hum/noise level and adjusted from there. It turns out that the Bellari needed to be broke in however the noise persisted after days of use.
Jumping ahead, I ran with the stock tube as long as I could. Having my choice between Mullard and Telefunken as replacements, I went with the latter. Right away less hum and no noise. Well, there was new noise was coming from the wife. She didn’t like the idea of my retro rig and LPs in the bedroom. Re-arranging and cleaning the man cave became priority 1!
Fast-forward, the rig is in the mancave with Dynacos on top of my RT7’s for now.
Bellari opines that you can turn the pre on and off as much as you want. Once I turn it on, I leave it on while at home. I just turn the Kenwood off.
The Bellari has a rumble filter and the Kenwood has a high pass filter. Both or either have only slight positive change. However, with the level I’m playing the tunes at, this is minor. Tried “ferrite beads” around the power cable to the turntable to no avail. Still noise and faint radio station pickup at higher volumes (> 6-7) If I touch the pre I become part of the noise problem<grin>.
At lower volumes I’m blown away by the sound I’m getting. It’s not that I’m hearing new things on the vinyl; I’m hearing instruments in a different way. This has been so much fun the new 703’s have been neglected.
Comments
-
Your story is why we call this crazy pastime a 'hobby' - patience, experimentation, ears on, all the while enjoying the end results!
Soldier on!!
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
Thanks Eric!
Fav vinyl so far on this setup:
Pink floyd DSotM
Dire Straits Making Movies
Bad Co.
The Cars
ZZ Top Tres Hombres
Anything w/ great bass (Beatles, Yes, Who) -
Sweet! that is what it is all about Red! Tubes can drive ya crazy but their a lot of fun & pleasure at the same time. Kudos
phono preamplifier s can be a tricky beast, like a Ghost in the Machine!2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge
HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD -
Thanks Volts!
Add Rush to the list.
Nice sustain and decay w/ a woody finish.
-
Congrats. Dunno what cart you're using, but you might wanna try that Mullard at some point. I preferred it over the Telefunken, especially with one cartridge that benefitted from an added touch of warmth (DL-110 IIRC).
Craigb]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet -
Thanks VC.
an XLM improved MK II cartridge
I have a gifted Rotel RP-2500 that started the return to vinyl movement.
I'm looking at the usual suspects for replacement cartridge, but would love suggestions. (including punting and saving for pro-ject or something else)
I guess if someone were wanted something to digitize vinyl one would go
w/ the VP530 as it has a USB. At that pricepoint however, it opens up other options. -
I'm glad you're enjoying it! Have you tried the Sovtek tube yet? Most of the reviews I saw seem to converge on that one sounding best.Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
-
Hi NS,
I did even though I was having so much fun with the stock. Sounded better!
I probably needed more time on it. Haven't had the time to try the Mullard yet.
Had to re-introduce myself my new LSiM703's. So easy to Listen to.
Might try them on the tube but not enough power I'm guessing... -
I got a chance to plug in the Rick88 Technics SL-B2 TT to the Bellari and take it for a spin. Toss on a Bad Co. german vinyl pressing as it sounded great on the Rotel.
Sounds awesome here as well. As an added bonus, no picking up of some radio
station! So there you go audio fans!
-
Glad you're enjoying it!!!Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
