"Give the Bel Canto REF500Ms a long audition: you will be amazed by their surprising authority, seduced by their agility, and will fall in love with their superior musicality."

Guido D. Corona reviews a pair of REF500Ms
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"For such a little thing (8.5 by 3.5 by 12 inches), the REF500S is seriously powerful, it can deliver 250 watts into 8 ohm speakers; 500 watts into 4-ohm-rated speakers. Bel Canto doesn't specifically refer to the REF500S as a Class D amp, but its low-heat, ultraefficient, heavily regulated switch-mode power supply and switching output stage use a minimum of AC power.

The REF500S sounds stellar on my Magnepan MG 3.6/R speakers, which is one of the toughest speakers to drive well."

Steve Guttenberg blogs about the powerful and cool-running REF500S
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Guido Corona at PFO has much to say about our REF1000 MKII monoblocks: "Haunting majesty ... tuneful and well pitched ... the midrange has a pleasing grace without euphonic glow ... palpable three-dimensionality ... sheer power and authority." His conclusion? "Give them a careful audition: you will be excited by their authority, seduced by their agility, and will fall in love with their musicality."

PFO Enthusiastically Covers the REF1000 MKII Monoblocks
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Another knockout review of the REF500 Monoblocks by Bob Wood at SoundStage. We won't keep you in suspense: "Consider a line between 'analytical' and 'organic'; you can draw another line parallel to it stretching from thought to feeling. The REF500s live on the 'organic', 'feeling' side of this continuum. There was a sense of effortlessness -- no strain or disproportion. ... The REF500 monoblocks delivered on the promise of low noise ... Good detail retrieval and heft amidst notable dynamic drive and power ... A step forward in the march of class-D amplification into the world of organic high-end audio." Guess he liked them!

Bob Woods of SoundStage! covers the REF500s
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Stereophile's Kalman Rubinson weighs in on the REF1000 MKII monoblocks in the March '09 issue. “The Bel Canto Ref1000 Mk.II can be compared with the cream of the other amps I’ve had in my system: the Classé CA-3200, Mark Levinson No.433, and Ayre Acoustics V-6xe. Each of these distinguishes itself in different ways, and particularly with different speakers. Because of this, I think I must keep the Bel Canto Ref1000 Mk.IIs as a reference amplifier—an easy decision even when based solely on its sound, but also: in my living room, none of the others can be so easily hidden in plain sight.”

Stereophile's March '09 REF1000 MKII update
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"...Bel Canto's smooth, rounded top end is decidedly tube-like; from top-to-bottom the Bel Canto is more even..."

Chip Stern-Positive Feedback
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"Hence, the trio of Bel canto e.One Pre3 and two e.One M300s has become one of my must-hear recommendations."

Jorg Dames
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"...both amps do a splendid job preserving the dynamics, sonority and transcendent energy of this music, both amps facilitate that all-important connection."

Russell Lichter
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The REF1000's..."easily handle all the basic requirements of a high-end power amplifier. They are smooth and refined. They are transparent to the source in a way that makes them appropriate as listening devices as well as reviewers' tools. They also deliver lots of current and they exude the kind of bold muscularity that you'd expect from amplifiers equipped to deliver 1000 watts into 4 ohms. Additionally, they deliver the tonal saturation you just may have to experience to appreciate."

John Potis
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"The PRe3/S300 duo excels at revealing the inner game of music. The better the recording gets, the more you hear the interactive stuff - between the performers; between instruments or voices and recording venue and mic position; between fingers and keys or strings. Because there's no spot-lighting or unrealistic outline edging, this level of detail doesn't distract. It simply is extraordinarily precise and telling."

Srajan Ebean, 6moons.com
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"I love the sound, or lack of it, of the Bel Canto S-300. ... If I had only heard one of these fine products I would, more than likely, be claiming it was the best new amplifier product ever."

Steven Stone, Enjoy The Music
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In summary, the e.One M300s are pretty amazing. I'm not sure how Bel Canto accomplished it, but the e.One M300s have all the best characterizes of solid-state amplifiers?dynamics, bass, and power?with the best characteristic of SET amps?smooth detail.

Ed Morawski
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The REF1000s "offer a selection of strengths that made my listening time with them a real joy."

John Crossett
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The Bel Canto e.One M300s delivered sound that satisfied. They kept me putting on more and more recordings, without any concern about finding that perfect musical match. Bel Canto has come up with a winner here, and I say that with no hype whatsoever.

Lester J. Mertz
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