Indiana Drew

Yours have turned out so well, I’m inspired to do my 1977 Hereseys - I’ll bet they have not been oiled since the factory. I used Watco Danish oil on one old McIntosh walnut component case and Minwax Tug Oil on another. The finishes are similar but not identical. I’m not sure what the previous owner of my Belles used, but it was something similar. A good friend friend of mine swore by a combination of 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 white vinegar and 1/3 turpentine as a cleaner and conditioner. It smells bad and works well, but it is not the same as one of the oil finishes ...

From time to time I wonder if I really hear a difference, for instance between the two tube amps I have or if I just believe one sounds better than another because I have read others opinions on the subject. From the first picture I ever saw of a Belle, it triggered something in me to want to hear them and want to believe they would sound wonderful. At some point over the years I read that the MC225 to many had a unique sound and that it paired well with Belles. Because of the oddity and chance of eBay, I ended up with 2 MC225s at what I thought was a good deal. I used them in mono with Heresys and believe they sound better than the MC240 that s part of my original McIntosh set inherited from my dad. This is all a very long way around to saying that I don’t have an efficient way to do true A/B comparisons between my different components, let alone in all the different possible combinations. Being able to read others opinions of what they like and what other products they have had in the past that has led them to their current gear sets has helped me imagine what might sounds good to me, too. It’s not a foolproof method, but even in a city the size of Houston, there is not a shop that would stock product that would have let me demo every piece I now have together before I acquired it. It’s great to have a place to share information - to agree or disagree. Some issues are Imperial, but most are subjective. Here’s is a general thanks to everyone who participates, willing to share their personal research and knowledge!

That makes good sense. If I keep my Belles, I’ll have to consider buying a replacement set rather than rebuild the old crossovers. In the case of my old amplifiers, it is not possible to replace entire sub assemblies, so I never thought of doing anything but rebuilding crossovers which is what I did with my Hereseys ...

Nice looking - are they to be the same values as the original, or is there a tweak in those?

I used to live in Evansville - not that it would have helped if your gear is in Michigan, but being in Houston, lending you a tube amp to try is a little challenging!

Great looking example of Belles! I acquired my pair in July I believe. In what area do you live?

Great looking example of Belles! I acquired my pair in July I believe. I believe mine to be in original condition (no new caps or mods, etc) and an early set. For me, 25 watts/channel (MC225) is plenty of power for any volume I could possibly want. I listened a little with a 40 watt/channel amp (MC240) and with a pair of MC225s strapped for 50 watts/channel. I have not listened with a SS amp yet and when I do it will be an original condition Yamaha M40. I am sure your chosen amp sound great - how do you like it?

McIntosh MX110X with MC225 and Belles ...

Location?