Bel Canto C5i e.One - Digital Ready Integrated with Onboard DAC

There's no denying the ease of use of the Bel Canto C5i's amp design: compact, cool running, and quiet. It's ready to roll at the press of a rocker switch, and far less of a hassle to set up or move than almost any amp designed for our main room. The Bel Canto, in contrast to everything else in there, sits nice and polite in its little piece of real estate in the rack, and the amp's large green display is always clearly visible. It's always powered up, because it's stingy on power and heat, and because the manual tells you to keep it on.

Belying its affordable price, the C5i retains that characteristic style of all Bel Canto gear, and its solid all-steel chassis is claimed by the manufacturer to prevent "mechanical resonance from compromising the audio signal quality." For less than two grand new in 2011, you got plenty of high-quality options. Besides the aforementioned USB input, the C5i's digital inputs includes two SPDIF 24/192 and two TOSLINK inputs at 24/192. And the analog MM Phono and Line Level inputs on RCAs ensures that vinyl enthusiasts won't be left out. There's even a headphone jack for the can-can man (or woman) in the family. The C5i's dimensions are 8.5 x 3.5 x 12" (W x H x D) and barely weighs 13 pounds, so you'd think that an audio boardinghouse like this would be a pretty noisy affair. And the fact that it has a switching output stage shouldn't help matters either, but the pure truth is, this amp is ultra-quiet. If operational noise reduces the clarity and definition of music retrieval, you wouldn't know it by the dead silence and wonderful sonic character of the C5i.

Amplifier Specifications

Power Output: 60W per channel into 8 ohms; 120W per channel into 4 ohmsPeak 

Current Output: 30 amperes

Minimum Load: 3 ohms per channel

Frequency Response: ±3 dB, 1.5Hz–90kHz (4 ohm load)THD+N: 0.003% (1W, 1kHz, 4 ohms)

Dynamic Range: 115 dB

Inputs & Outputs

Digital Inputs:2x S/PDIF coaxial (up to 24-bit/192kHz)2x TOSLINK optical (up to 24-bit/192kHz)1x USB (up to 24-bit/96kHz)

Analog Inputs:1x Line-level RCA1x Moving Magnet (MM) Phono RCA

Outputs: Speaker binding posts, line-level preamp output, and a front-panel headphone jack

Physical Properties

Dimensions: 8.5" W x 3.5" H x 12" D (216 mm x 88 mm x 305 mm)

Weight: 13 lbs (6.5 kg)

Power Consumption: ~13W–14W active, 0W off

So this piece is super clean and really plays incredibly well. Has a really nice phono preamp and comes complete with upgraded MAC HP Sound Pipe Power Cord, OM and Remote. been fully tested and run through by our in-house expert tech staff and its ready to go. 

Come have a listen here at the Andover shop or purchase with confidence on this site.

Bel Canto C5i e.One Integrated Amp/DAC: $729.00 plus sales tax and shipping when applicable