Awards
Bel Canto was founded in 1991. Over the years, we’ve created many award winning components. From our early years designing Single Ended Triode amplifiers, to being credited as one of the first companies to design the DAC Control preamp, and the first companies to adopt very advanced Analog switch mode, Class D amplification, we have always been driven to reach beyond the accepted technology to find new and challenging systems that bring true advantages to High performance audio. The musical experience has always been the driving factor for everything we do in Bel Canto.
Our work has not gone unnoticed and has consistently garnered high praise and awards from publications and consumers around the world.
The Absolute Sound 2017 Product of the Year: REF600M
The REF600M monoblock amplifier has been awarded by The Absolute Sound in their 2017 Product of the Year awards.
Sound+Image 2017 Awards: REF600M
The e.One series REF600M has won a POWER AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AWARD (Under $10,000.00) at the Sound+Image Magazine 2017 Awards!
Stereophile Best of 2015 Issue
Thanks to Stereophile for naming Black by Bel Canto as the Amplification Product of the Year 2015!
TAVES 2013: Best Sound of Show – Digital
“Bel Canto/Vienna Acoustics/Transparent. An easy first choice. Listening to Glenn Gould and Rimsky Korsakov orchestral music was a humbling experience.”
The Audio Beat: CES 2016 Jimmy Awards
Jim Saxon presents his CES 2016 Jimmy Awards:
“Every year the good guys at Bel Canto Design team up with Joseph Audio to produce award-winning sound. This year was no different, although the dollar cost of the system may have reached an all-time low. Jeff Joseph unveiled his timbre-correct Profile loudspeakers ($6990/pair) and brought his own music files as well. According to Bel Canto’s Michael McCormack, “We were running Roon on the computer through USB to the DAC2.7. This gave us all the music that was on Jeff’s computer drive and we were streaming from Tidal. It was just that simple with great sound and connectivity to a huge music library, all at minimum CD quality.” Since I happen to like CDs, I thought the sound was realistically large in scale. Bel Canto electronics system consisted of the DAC2.7 ($2495) and REF600 mono amplifiers ($4990/pair). Lashing the Profiles to REF600 was Cardas Clear Beyond speaker cable ($9500/pair). When I asked to hear an Elvis Presley track that Michael played in 2014, he spooled it up faster than I can say “Don’t Be Cruel.” That there Roon is quick. Despite the “minimum CD quality,” Elvis was in the room. For capturing the King in all his vintage glory, the Bel Canto Design/Joseph Audio room scores a Jimmy Award for Most Accurate Timbre from Computer Files at the CES.”
REF1000M: The Absolute Sound Editors’ Choice Awards
If you’re looking for a component that is compact, efficient, powerful, transparent, musical, and extremely reliable, the Bel Canto REF1000M monoblock could be the last amplifier you’ll ever need. While it may not warm up an overly sterile-sounding system like a classic tube amplifier, it certainly won’t subtract any harmonic warmth.
C7R, CD3t with Joseph Audio and Cardas: The Audio Beat ‘Best of Show,’ THE Show Newport 2012
C7R: Positive Feedback Brutus Awards
“Earlier this year I had the opportunity to evaluate Bel Canto's C7R receiver. I was very impressed with the C7R's musical nature, robust power, and great versatility. Since then, the C7R has been in my possession for several months and unit has consistently performed admirably. Therefore, my award for Best All-Around Musical Performer goes to the Bel Canto C7R. The C7R has that rare combination of substance, style, and real world price that should give listeners years of musically satisfying service.” Read more.
e.One system: PFO Oasis! Award RMAF 2012
“Here are three great names in fine audio, but I had never heard them together in a room, at least that I could recall. The Cardas Clear line is my current reference for headphone cables, and a Bel Canto stack is playing some lovely Debussy solo piano works from DVD-A at 88.2 kHz as I type this (their pre/DAC 3.5, the REF150 stereo amp, their dedicated power supply, and a REFLink USB interface, if you must know) and I've heard Joseph Audio from time to time at other shows over the years.” Read more.
DAC3.5VB mkII with VBS1: Positive Feedback Brutus Award
“Bel Canto's latest iteration in their fine line of DAC preamps was extended in my experience when the DAC 3.5 VB Mk. II arrived this year, together with its dedicated VBS1 "virtual battery" power supply. The same form factor as others in the line, the 3.5 VB Mk. II features a lowered noise floor, beaucoup I/O (including ST glass, a good thing) and a claimed dynamic range of 126 dB. Jitter is a claimed ultra-low 2 picoseconds…nice! The remote control is a dandy, handling all I/O, volume, and muting, naturally…but the 3.5 also handle mono/stereo, and phase inversion at the DAC, which you do not always see. Better yet, the 3.5's remote has one of the best angles of incidence that I've seen…nearly 180 degrees. It's very responsive from all sorts of directions.” Read more.
C5i: CEA Innovations 2012 – Design and Engineering Awards
C5i: Positive Feedback Brutus Award
“Man, what a deal. For $1895 you get a wonderful 60-watt amplifier and preamplifier (oh, that is referred to as an integrated), a DAC that handles multiple inputs and can deal with 24/96 and/or 24/192 signals (depending on the 5 inputs—USB, S/PDIF, optical, etc.—of choice), a MM phono stage, an analog input for some analog need, a very functional remote control, runs cool, saves energy, looks cool, is relatively small, and wait... wait for it... has a headphone amplifier! Besides all that, damn the thing even sounds really, REALLY good! I mean this could be all that you ever need.... ever!” Read more.
DAC 2.5, REF150S: Positive Feedback Brutus Awards
“Bel Canto’s e.One DAC 2.5 and REF150S amplifier brought new life to the desktop reference system. With clean Class D power and Scanspeak-based Nova Ovation monitors, the upgrade delivered clarity, balance, and musicality—making Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert sound better than ever.” Read more.
eOne series: Wall Street Journal “New Tech Collectibles”
The New Tech Collectibles
“In an era when iPods feel obsolete after six months, there are still some products you'll be searching for on eBay decades from now.” Read more.
