[billc]

The Bella Phono Stage came to my door one week ago today. 

That Thursday I was calling Bill Baker (the phono maker) for the tracking number.  He was unsuccessfully trying to retrieve it off the Fed Ex system.  My doorbell rang.  The reason he couldn't find it on Fed Ex was that the delivery person has just changed its status to Delivered.  I ran to the door, signed in my hastiest scrawl, and began unpacking.  To say it was well packed is an understatement.  I pulled my existing phono stage, placed the Bella, used my own power cord and ICs, but Bill's JJ tubes, let it come to room temp and turned it on.  Just to warm a bit. 

Fit and finish are wonderful.   aa
Bill's new wood cabinets for his equipment are spectacular, and the great veneers are very attractive. Bonus points for WAF.  (Now I just need to send the rest of my system out for an appearance package upgrade. )

I remembered Bill might still be on the telephone line, since I had not hung up the phone when the doorbell rang (in my race to make sure the Fed Ex person didn't leave, with the phono stage, having allowed me 4 milliseconds to answer). 
But, knowing my enthusiasm and interest, Bill realized staying on the line would be fruitless.  So I rang him up to confirm the arrival, great packing, and (most importantly) its working condition, and to apologize for leaving him talking to my unmanned phone...

OK, enough backstory.  After a week, I hear a beautiful, crystal clear, dynamic, balanced phono stage, with a great big soundstage. 

I was the first stop on the road trip for the Bella, and the first day or two the Bella spent breaking in, warming up, and making friends with my system.  There has been notable development.  The first day or two bass was a bit light, treble a bit pronounced, and the dynamics a bit compressed - just what one expects from new hardware.  Let me assure you, all those early break-in effects were very temporary and are well in the past.

A week later - I am almost speechless.   
Although tubed, this phono is one of the clearest I have heard (at, or considerably above this price point).  Four listening impressions dominate.  Clarity, balance, speed/dynamics, and ability to unravel complex passages. 

First, the clarity and naturalness of the sound.  Black background, and the effect of opening the window further to better hear the original recording.  I hear so much more detail (I have owned three phono stages previously) than ever before, even better than on other NJ Audio Society member systems better than mine.  Many records, Peyroux (Half the Perfect World), Joni Mitchell (Don Juan's), Band (Big Pink), Poulenc (Les Biches), Strauss, etc. that I have heard many times before revealed so much new detail and musical information, and enjoyment, I couldn't stop putting records on (strained, bloodshot eyes confirm this...).  This clarity (coupled with the speed) is responsible for my first amazing listening moment - HUGE soundstage.  Wider, deeper, way past speakers...

Second, the balance of the phono stage's sound is very faithful to the recording.  Bad recordings are even more annoying, but great recordings (this phono stage just LOVES high quality recordings - Alison Kraus and US, Night Ark-Picture, Holly Cole, M Peyroux, Jacintha, Classic Records RCA re-masterings) sound unbelievably good.  Bass is strong, articulate, clear.  Brass sounds very natural and clean (Bill has a great ear for jazz brass).  Strings have just the right delicacy/intensity, depending on the musician's style.  Percussion is precise, good skin sound, cymbal shimmer is very clear/clean and decays just right.  All the elements are in balance.  Bill - you have a great ear!  There is NOT a tubey, golden, even-order harmonics dominanated sound.  Just what was happening in the studio, very clear and faithful to the recording event.

Third, the speed of the unit is amazing, a very capable presentation, no lag or delay on the fastest sounds. This allows for the very BIG soundstage to the degree the recording provides it.  Classical music symphony halls, chamber music chambers, jazz clubs (think Evans - Waltz for Debby), all this music provided a very clear impression of the space the music was recorded in.  Not exaggerated, but faithful and accurate.  Dynamics are excellent.  Inner detail and micro-dynamics, to big rock macro-dynamics were easily discerned, and the live music "jump" factor was very impressive and real.  Live recordings were heard to be much more live than previously. 

Fourth, ability to reveal complex music and unravel complex passages was better than anticipated, and excellent.  In my experience, this is one of the benefits that you get only with the big $$ phono stages.  The musical image provided is one of layers being peeled back, allowing far far greater understanding of the original intent of the music.  Complex (and often loud) classical music passages were sorted out (in the better recordings, usually Philips or Telefunken) so that previously confused passages were heard more cleanly, allowing the natural instrumental sounds to be differentiated and heard.  Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, which can be overbearingly bright, was heard to be a layering of the bright, reverbed guitar/voice, in front of which was Joni's natural voice and guitar, with Pastorius playing a powerful and expressive bass line working from lead instrument status to rythym section beat all around her centered natural (unreverbed) image.  The phono stage let these layers appear in space, dynamically, with accurate tone in a way so that the music made more sense to me than ever before. 

Such is the value of a good phono stage.  And the Bella is truly beautiful.   
There are many phono stages out there, and I have heard many.  I have come to be a bit cynical about whether there is a need for so many different version of the same function.  But I have been convinced that the Bella has earned its place, and brings more music to my ears.  I strongly recommend a listen.  If you are part of the road trip - congratulations!  I think you will have an interesting experience with this unit.  Bill, you have created a phono stage that finds the music and carries it very well, to the rest of my system and me.  Congratulations are especially in order for you!

I have a list of most all the records I have spun during my listening experience (about 40 or so records), with notes on my listening impressions. It is far too long to include here, but if you are interested, PM me and I will be happy to share my notes.  My apologies for the length of this post, but I wanted to start with enough information for others to compare to...   

Bill C.

Equipment: Rega 25 turntable; Shelter 501 II cartridge; Bella (Bill Baker) Step-up Transformer; Bella Phono Stage (focal point of evaluation); ModWright Instruments SWL 9.0SE Preamplifier; Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai CD Player (used as transport and for SACD); MSB Nelson Link III 24/192 upsampling DAC w P1000 Power Base; Antique Sound Labs Hurricane DT Monoblock Amplifiers (with extensive component modifications by Bill Baker at Response Audio); Von Schweikert VR-4jr speakers; K-Works Power Station; K-Works speaker cables (bi-wire); K-Works Clearheart interconnects; Grover Huffman SC interconnects; Various power cables

[Bill Baker]

Thank you Bill for such an in-depth evaluation. It really was more than I expected. I am glad you like the look of this unit but in all honesty, being a 'beta' unit, not as much care went into this as would go into a production unit.

[Mariusz]

Nice write-up Billc.

Thanks
Mariusz

[Listens2tubes]

  Whoever's on the list to demo this little gem...well 

[Bill Baker]

.

[markC]

Is that turn table a pull from an old console? Looks similar to the one in an early '60's console I rescued from an elderly lady who was "putting it to the curb".

[Bill Baker]

Hi Mark, as not to bog down this thread with the table, here is a link started about the table some time ago.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=61407.new#new

[toobluvr]

I just received unit #1.
Packaging is stout and impressive.

Bella is settling into her new home, and making nice with the neighbors.     





Vinyl setup #1:





Vinyl setup #2:





The Evaluation Chamber:




At the moment I am just casually listening from an upstairs bedroom.   I can already tell it is musical and detailed......and that is with stock current production tubes in place!

I have plenty of NOS tubes to roll in, so it should be fun as I endeavor to eek some fine performance out of this baby.     

Stay tuned you vinyl-phools!

 

[zybar]

John,

What speakers are you now using?

George

[toobluvr]

John,

What speakers are you now using?

George

Sunny Cable Technology H2W10.

http://www.stereotimes.com/speak101007.shtml

[woodsyi]

John,

Why the heck are you running two TT's?  Isn't one good enough? 

[toobluvr]

John,

Why the heck are you running two TT's?  Isn't one good enough? 

Ya have two ears.....doncha?!

 

I'm an audio-fool...... I like to indulge and revel in excess.
Can anyone help me?

 

[lonewolfny42]

A "Sunny" day in Long Beach....

The Bella looks good in your rack John...

[toobluvr]

A "Sunny" day in Long Beach....

The Bella looks good in your rack John...

Wellllll.....

Not quite summer yet Chris, but the Sunnys sure do brighten things up on the inside!

 

[Bill Baker]

Hey toobluvr, I noticed you changed your wording on the stock tubes Thank you but it wasn't necessary as I knew AC members would have some tubes to roll. I just wanted to make sure tubes were provided for a ready to play unit. It is nice to hear what various NOS tubes do for the unit. I am running some NOS in mine now. I don't get in the habit of recommending particular NOS tubes as I know everyone has different flavors they prefer.

 Very nice system by the way aa

[toobluvr]

BobM now has unit #1.

I will post my impressions within a few days.

John

[BobM]

Very, very early impressions after a brief session. Out of the box with the stock tubes and cord I was not terribly impressed. Swapping out some tubes, including a few John loaned me made the unit come alive and bloom a bit. Swapping in a Kaplan rhodium power cord opened things up a bit. Plugging this into my choked power conditioner and ... now we're talking.

The improvements were such that I would consider them manditory for any purchaser of the unit. I guess it is a good sign that the circuit responded so positively to these improvements. I can say that the gain on the unit is a bit low, so the noise floor seems to rise as I turn things up in level. But that is not noticeable once the unit is passing music through it, and that it does very well.

More to come later ...

OK, here's  some more. There's a certian lack of dynamics (small but noticeable) when plugged into the choked power conditioner. But there's a certain level of hum when plugged directly into the wall. Perhaps it's my cables or layout or proximity to the cartridge - dunno. So there's a little trade off, but I can live with it either way. It's sounding very nice right now. A clean and extended top end. Maybe a little squished in the soundstage department compared to my Trumpet, a little leaner on the bottom end and not as dynamic overall, but still very good.

I took a quick peek under the hood. All point to point wiring. Some very good components, with Elna Cerafine and Sonicap capacitors, Dale/Vishay resistors and such. Very nice.

Bob

[toobluvr]

Firstoff, I'd like to thank Bill for allowing me to audition the Bella.  I thoroughly enjoyed the 9 days I spent with it.  Over that period it was completely trouble free.  I did not look inside, but build quality appears to be fine.  Just one small comment......I think the R phono input is just a bit fatter than the rest.  It was a very tight fit attaching the 2 phono cables that I own.

System

I played both my vinyl setups through the Bella:

(1)  Townshend Rock mk3 table  +  SME V arm  +  Zu Xaus phono cable

(2)  Kuzma Stabi "s" table  +  Kuzma Stogi "s" arm  +  captive Cardas phono cable

I used three high output cartridges:  Benz H20,  Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood mk2,  Dynavector 20X-H

Rest of my system can be seen in my post above, and also in my photo Gallery.

Self Noise

With the Bella in place there was an audible hum emanating from the speakers.  It got louder as I turned the volume up, but I can't say it was intrusive or bothersome at my normal listening levels (typically 80-85 db).  It was present with all the tubes I tried, and all the interconnects I placed between Bella and my line section.  During its stay here, the Bella was always plugged into my original Shunyata Hydra power center.  I did not try it direct into the mains, nor did I try floating any grounds.  I don't know if the hum is a feature of the unit, or some kindof interaction with my system.

While my JuicyMusic Blueberry Xtreme full function preamp produces no hum, the tube rush with its volume fully 100% open is much greater than the Bella.   Fortunately, at my normal listening levels, it is not so obviously apparent to the point that it is an issue or objectionable.  Nonetheless, the noise is present and this higher noise floor, particularly at higher listening levels,  is no doubt obscuring low-level detail when listening with the BB.  So kudos to Bella for a lower noise floor.

Gain

Compared to my Blueberry (BB) MM section, the Bella has noticeably less gain.  I don't know the specs on each unit, but with the volume pot at a fixed setting the Bella measures 4 db less (RatShack SPL meter) at my listening seat.  My Benz H20 (2.0 mV output) in my BlueBerried system is just barely adequate in terms of drive and headroom, so I found it weak and soft sounding with the Bella.   The Bella did better with the slightly greater output of my Dynavector 20X-H (2.5 mV), but it wasn't until my Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood mk2 (3.5mV) was inserted that the Bella had the kindof drive, ease and overall balance that sounded right.  

With the overall gain and sensitivity profile of my system,  I would consider a 2.5mV cartridge absolute minimum when using the Bella.  Just something to be aware of if your system is a bit on the inefficient side.  I consider my system to be fairly efficient with decent gain:  speakers are 91db; amps are 1.4 volts sensitive on the input;  line section has 15 db of gain.

Tubes

With stock current production tubes the sound was just decent.  A bit dry, wiry, grainy and kindof uninteresting.  Nothing that would rivet my ass to the listening chair.  But I could certainly hear potential in the Bella, and I knew that it had more to offer.  Time to roll some tubes!

I emailed Bill and he suggested concentrating on the 12au7.  Since it was the output tube, it would yield more sonic improvements than the 12ax7 (input tube).  So I spent most of my time doing just that, with the stock 12ax7 in place. While sonic changes were certainly apparent with different 12au7's, I could never really get it to be "just right".  It was either always too lean, or too veiled, or too dark, or too bright, or too flat,  or too dry,  etc.

It was not until I started inserting some decent 12ax7 that things began to get interesting.  I first tried a Sovtek 12ax7 LPS....a decent tube.   With it in place, I rolled in all the same 12au7's that I had previously.  Once again, they each had their own distinct flavor and personality, but now they all sounded better than they did before.  It was as if the stock 12ax7 was inhibiting, or putting a choke on things and not allowing the NOS 12au7 to sound as good as they could.  A "better" 12ax7 tube seemed to allow the quality and unique characteristics of each 12au7 to shine through in a more interesting and musical way.

My conclusion is....
Don't ignore the 12ax7.  Unfortunately I discovered this on my last day with the Bella, so I was not able to try all my NOS 12ax7.  Nor was I able to try all the different combinations of NOS 12au7 and 12ax7 that I have.  I did move from the Sovtex 12ax7-LPS to a Baldwin "organ pull" 12ax7 (made by Raytheon, I think).  This really elevated performance.  This is a great tube that I have used and always loved in the past, regardless of the circuit in which it is placed.  Warm, rich, palpable and smooth, it sounds quite refined and musical.

I only tried these two 12ax7.  I wish I had more time to play with some other nice ones I have.  One must live with a piece of gear for a good while before its nuances, intricacies and charms can truly be revealed. And that takes time.

(Post size limit reached:  more on tube comparisons in my following post)

Cabling

I would also recommend that you try different interconnects to link the Bella to your line section.  I love the look, build and ergonomics of the one Bill included.  It appears well made with nice connectors, and is flexible.  So it is a joy to work with and route through your system.  But in my setup and to my ears, I kept getting the nagging feeling that it was holding things back.  Since both it and the Bella were new to me,  I tried the Bella i/c on my cdp to assess what it was doing.  In that location it impressed me with its nice clean, clear and open view on the music, but it also sounded a bit flat and mechanical to me.  I got better performance with some other cables I have on hand.  As with most cabling situations, this may be system dependent and others may find differently.

Comparisons

I don't have lots of experience with outboard phono stages.  I have only owned two in the past, and that was many years ago, in completely different systems.  Since then I have owned two full function tubed preamps, with internal phono sections.  So I don't feel qualified to comment on how the Bella stacks up to comparably priced competition, or if it is priced fairly or offers good value.

What I can comment on is its sound, and give general comparisons to my BlueBerry Xtreme (BB).   I think the Bella is a fine sounding phono section.  It produces a sonic landscape that is clean, open, and balanced. It is quite detailed in a natural way, never fatiguing.  It is fast and lithe performer. No part of the frequency range sticks out relative to another.  The soundstage it throws is large, and the images are solid, non-wavering and believable.

Comparatively, my BB sounds a bit darker, and not quite as open or transparent sounding.  Bella has greater detail and openness in the HF, making the BB sound slightly shelved in that area.  I suspect the Bella's superiority in transparency is due in large part to the BB's higher noise floor.  My BB has a "fatter" sounding bottom and midrange.  The bass never seems lacking or lightweight when listening to the Bella, but it has greater presence, weight and thump with the BB.  This is particularly noticeable with jazz where the bass lines are just that much more "there" and present with the BB. The Bella is not dry by any stretch of the imagination but comparatively the BB sounds a bit more bloomy and liquid.  The Bella also sound a bit faster and more propulsive.  The BB has just a bit of a vintage tube sound to it, while the Bella sounds more modern.  The Bella is a bright clear crisp sunny day, while the BB is late afternoon with sun low in sky and all the golden hues and long shadows that accompany that "gloaming" time of day.

I also get the sense of slightly greater coherency with the BB...that the music just seems to hang together better as an integral whole.  What I might be hearing here is simply the advantage of an integrated phono + line unit with its shorter and more direct signal path and one less interconnect, and not necessarily any inherent flaw with the Bella.

Personally, I think I could live with either of these units, and I am not able to conclude which is "better".  That is for the individual to decide.  Personal tastes and system balance will be determinative.   My limited time with the Bella tells be that bloom, liquidity, detail, space and musicality can all be significantly improved with the right tube combo, and i/c selection.  With careful selection, I'm sure the Bella can be nudged in whatever sonic direction one desires.  

Apart from great sound, one of the beautiful things about the Bella is how insanely simple and convenient it is to tube roll.   And with only two tubes of the 12a_7 family, nice NOS ones can be had at reasonable prices.  This unit responds so beautifully to tube swapping, that in my view not doing so is a serious mistake.  So much is to be gained, and nothing lost.

Bravo Bill!  I think you have done a really nice job with the Bella.  I wish you continued success!
 

John

[toobluvr]

Below are some notes on 12au7 tubes I tried.
They did not fit into my post above.

With the very excellent Baldwin 12ax7 "organ pull" in place, I really like the Mullard ECC82/CV491 (labelled MWT, British Made).  I also like the ruggedly built RCA 5814A triple mica black plates.  Both gave a warm full rich liquid sound with good tone, harmonic structure and musicality.  Good detail accompanied the richness and musicality.

For greater clarity and energy on top, I liked CIFTE and Radiotechnique 6189/12au7WA's.  Nice sparkle on top if your system needs this flavor, but I thought the presentation got just a bit leaner and drier with these tubes. 

The RCA 12au7 clear-top was very clean and detailed but a bit too dry, crisp and tilted to the treble for my taste.....as I find to always be the case with this particular tube. 

I was a bit surprised to find the Mullard CV4003/12au7 a bit veiled and lacking in punch, and just, well, kindof ordinary sounding.  This is typically one of my faves in most 12au7 circuits. 

Likewise, the CBS-Hytron 5814A is often a stellar performer in the right circuit, but in the Bella I found it lacking in detail and bass.

I found the RCA 5963 to be clean and neutral, with a nice presentation of space, but perhaps a bit lacking in body and midrange bloom.

Last but not least, an unknown 6189 that was in my buddy's EE Minimax line section was very balanced and really quite good when paired with the Baldwin 12ax7.  The only priniting on the tube is "USA 6189", so I don't know who made it.  I'm gonna guess GE or Sylvania.

In general, I think most folks would be happy by pairing a full, rich and musical 12ax7 with a more neutral, transparent and lively 12au7.  For some reason I found that every single 6189 (a member of the 12au7 family) I inserted seemed to pair synergistically with the Baldwin 12ax7.  This combo gave a lively, balanced, dimensional and musical sound.

[tybee]

John,

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Bella.  Your observations especially the ability of the Bella to offer whatever sonic characteristic of the tube you roll.  By the way, I previously owned a Blueberry Extreme and your observations of its sonic character matched mine. I also agree with your sonic observations of the Bella.

I must add that any potential Bella buyer should consider the stock tubes as a starting point. To obtain the best from this phono preamp, you should be prepared to invest in a good 12AX7 and a matching 12AU7.  I think many would be happy with a Sovtek 12AX7LPS or a new Mullard 12AX7 and any of the 12AU7 tubes that I included in my review of Unit 2 or John’s review of Unit 1.  One can still purchase phono grade NOS 12AU7s at a reasonable cost compared to the NOS 12AX7s in phono grade condition.  As John observed in his review above, the Bella phono is one of the easiest preamps to roll tubes.

During my review of Unit 2, I made a choice to limit the 12AX7 to the Sovtek 12AX7LPS because it is extremely quiet.  Some of the 12AU7 tubes that I rolled did contribute to the tube noise that I experienced in my systems. When I inserted a phono grade 12AU7, I only heard tube noise with my ear to the speakers.  Keep in mind that I am using 96dB efficient speakers so any tube noise is easily heard as gain is increased.