Just wanted to say that I had a most enjoyable visit with Mike Kallelis in Charlotte yesterday. I was there to drop my wife off at the airport and had the very good fortune to visit with Mike K who recently migrated from home and business from New Jersey to his awesome new North Carolina digs.
Mike, if you're reading this, thank you and your lovely wife, Carolyn, for your gracious hospitality!
I had exchanged a few emails with Mike after seeing the many high accolades of the Arion amps by Rollo and others here. So I wanted a chance to hear them myself and, particularly, hear the RS-500 compared to it's brother - the hybrid HS-500.
Now, I should couch this by stating that I have listened to several class D amps and had yet to hear anything I liked nearly as much as my McCormack DNA-500. But, as much as I love the DNA-500, it's big, hot and heavy and in my new listening room, it does tend to make NC summers a bit more unbearable. And, yeah, I've been getting that itch.
So, yesterday, after a very pleasant discussion with Mike about his business, amps, new speakers that he's working on, and his wonderful new home, we spent an hour or more listening. First up was the HS-500. For those that know these amps, we listened to the stock version with Cardas caps. He did not have one available with the Dueland caps.
Hearing an amp in someone else's home with someone else's gear is a challenge offering little fodder for critical evaluation of what that amp may sound like in my own system. In Mike's system, of course, it sounded very good indeed. To the extent I could tell, the HS-500s conveyed a highly dynamic and well balanced presentation. PRAT was excellent and my toes we're tapping the whole time, particularly once we cued up Patricia Barber who I've heard live in Chicago numerous times. What I think surprised me most was just how much bass was present with his planar speakers that he's developingare apparently still in development. Deep, tuneful with plenty of slam when called for. While some credit goes to the amps, I was quite impressed with what these speakers could do. We'll have to wait for Mike to reveal more about them.
We then switched to the non-hybrid RS-500 amps. With all I've read about the hybrid HS-500s, I was expecting quite a difference, but to be honest, the RS-500s also performed extremely well. Dynamics, bass slam, soundstage and top-to-bottom balance were all still there. It took a good bit more listening to begin to hear the differences. We didn't have the time to switch back and forth nor try a lot of different music so take these cursory words for what they're worth. But I think I would characterize the difference in terms of presence and detail in a more realistic 3d space. The HS-500 just had a bit more there there. Listening to Barber's live album, Companion, the HS-500s seemed to give a better sense of being in the audience at the Green Mill with more noticeable yet very realistic cues from both musicians and room.
I can definitely echo that the Arion amps are a must audition if shopping for an amp. Mike did indicate that he's had a number of customers that preferred the non-hybrid amp and if one is looking for clean and very neutral, high powered amps, the RS-500 could be a great match in the right system.
But personally, I really want to hear the HS-500s in my system.
Alas, that is not to be just yet... Mike is getting ready for T.H.E. Show @ Newport Beach and packing up his loaners for the show. But hopefully I will get that chance soon.
If anyone in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC area would be interested in hearing these amps, let me know and we'll see if we can arrange a g2g sometime in the new few months. Might even entice Mike to come up and talk with us about what he's doing with amps and speakers if there's interest.
