I was asking the same things a few months ago. I love ps audio and have a p10 power Conditioner so I was leaning towards the m700s as they were cheaper. They were going to be matched with triton ones.

I emailed a dealer for both products and this is what he said

"This is an *easy one*…



The Bel Canto, by a country mile.



The 600M is the best sounding amp we have, under $15000, full stop, regardless of size. I’d have a pair in a micro second if I wasn’t moving towards a more or less integrated solution – like a Bel Canto Black EX or A Naim Nova.


To clarify my response: They’re both very good, veryDetailed products. The PS Audio, like most amps in It’s Class, trades leading-edge detail for musicality, offering a ton of resolution and microdynamic ability, but with a touch of dryness compared to reference-class amps.



The Bel Canto’s give you everything. They’re enormous in their sense of depth and scale – and have all the rich,
harmonically complex warmth of a reference-class tube solution – but with the grip and precision of a top class A/B amp.

It’s not even close."

I went with the bel cantos and they sound incredible. Demo both side by side if you need to. (I didn't)

Steveo wrote: The Bel Canto, by a country mile.

The 600M is the best sounding amp we have, under $15000, full stop, regardless of size. I’d have a pair in a micro second if I wasn’t moving towards a more or less integrated solution – like a Bel Canto Black EX or A Naim Nova.

The Bel Canto’s give you everything. They’re enormous in their sense of depth and scale – and have all the rich,
harmonically complex warmth of a reference-class tube solution – but with the grip and precision of a top class A/B amp.

I went with the bel cantos and they sound incredible. Demo both side by side if you need to. (I didn't)

Yes, Yes, YES! Steveo, you made a great choice. I bought my 600Ms sight unheard based on two (count 'em, 2!) independent raves by Stereophile reviewers. I was not disappointed. I completely agree with the depth and scale. When coupled with the TRefs, they provide incredible detail and you-are-there realism. The bass power...and those transients! Wow. Those amps never run out of steam. This combination gives me joy every time I listen to it.

I hate the term "musical" because I don't know what it means. I want a system that reproduces, as closely as possible, the signal that's fed into it. Then, if the recording is done well, the music will be there. And so it is!

Of course, you could have gone with the Black....for only $50,000. Hard to believe it's 10X better than the 600Ms.

Charlie

Awesome to hear Charlie! I agree with you that I cant imagine the Black sounding ten times better than the 600m yet it still uses similar "trickle down"technology from the black range. IMO its all about finding components that over-perform at their price point. There will always be something "better"but it all depends on how much it costs to get there. This is why I love Goldenear. They built a whole company based on this philosophy of giving more for less and its paying off for them on spades. Their products are excellent and in my opinion second to none for their price point.

I was running my T1s through a 5 channel emotiva xpa 5 gen 2 and was always wondering what it would be like if I ran better amps, now I know. The good thing is I wont be getting upgradëitis on my amps anymore. I know that they are excellent amps and to get better I would probably have to pay much more"to get better.

Now all I need is to do away with amps all together when goldenear releases a Triton Reference "fully active version" How is that coming along @Moderator? I cant wait to hear what the Digital Aktivs sound like with fully matched amplification. I think active is the way of the future.

By the way Charlie are you using the BelCantos through XLR or RCA?

I'm using RCAs between my Auralic Vega DAC and the Bel Cantos.

Yes, I've reached the same place with my entire analog chain. I was always thinking that there had to be something better, something I could improve. The Bel Cantos definitely took care of the amp part, and the TRefs for the speakers.

I agree about GoldenEar. Their quality to price ratio is very high. Truly amazing sound for the dollar.

Now...if I could just find that perfect digital file server...

Charlie

charliehatch wrote:
Now...if I could just find that perfect digital file server...

Charlie

Talking about "bang for buck"I upgraded to this system and I have to say its really fabulous.

www.fidelizer-audio.com/nimitra-computer-audio-server/

It might seem like a basic NUc computer but he tweaks everything on this machine all for high quality audio and the service is second to none via skype.

I searched for a long time and it does everything I need and I use Roon now which is amazing. If you go this route let me know and I will show you how to enhance your sound further with USB re-clocking devices

Steveo wrote: .....IMO its all about finding components that over-perform at their price point. There will always be something "better"but it all depends on how much it costs to get there. This is why I love Goldenear....

+1

I'm in a similar camp as all my gear is - so I believe - price, quality, value and performance conscious. The caveat here is "I believe". Lets be honest, none of us have the wherewithal to "audition" each and every piece of gear out there. So, we rely on each other! Of course, "professional" reviews and other do diligence is also worthwhile and advisable. You guys sound like you have some terrific amps, and judging by your taste in speakers I believe you do! I have a Musical Fidelity M6si. I'm very happy with it and believe it offers tremendous value, as it can be had for under three grand with cash and some bartering. And I have listened to other systems, which consist of all different brands of components to that of my own. But only a bit more than a dozen. Realistically there are thousands of combinations of equipment one could assemble as a "system". I'm content with mine and don't feel the need to "upgrade" or change.

Besides, I primarily listen to Grateful Dead. Trust me, they're a band beyond description regardless of the playback mechanism