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Spectron Musician III - Can anyone comment on it?

I am currently on the hunt for a pair of amplifiers that have massive peak power capability with excellent micro dynamics and neutral presentation. I am driving a pair of Martin Logan Statement E2's

The Spectron Musician has been reviewed exceptionally well everywhere I looked and seems to fit the bill but I just can't get over 25 years of snobbery telling me to avoid switching amps because linear amps just sound better and, hey, the name on the faceplate ain't Krell or Mark Levinson!

Can I PLEASE get a few people with experience listening to these amps tell me why I should or shouldn't buy them?

I desperately want to buy a pair of the BAT VK-600SE's since I own mostly all BAT equipment but to produce, say, 110db peaks one would comfortably need several thousands watts of power in the bucket to meet the challenge. I don't think the BAT amps have that under the hood.

Advice?
sashua
dob
577 posts
 
Hello Audiograils,

I fully agree with you that Plinius is first class amplifier - one of the best there is. I owned a few. BAT is also very good amp - I have extensively auditioned VK600SE with a number of speakers.

To my regret, I disagree with you on Musician because I own Musician right now and as much as I like Plinius (and BAT) these amplifiers are in different classes. Pure and Simple

If you will A/B them, particularly on the long run then you will see what I am talking about.

All The Best
Rafael
argyro
438 posts
 
Hi Rafael!

It was the standard edition. I suppose it had more that 500 hours on it. The thing is that the sound was so unrealistically sweet and I really cant blame any of the other componenents in the specific system.

Maybe it hadnt fully broken in, maybe it was the systems fault (that I doubt very much). Anyway.

Regards,

Michael
dob
577 posts
 
Argyro: Actually, I agree with you. Standard Edition's highs were bad. Even in Nov 2006 TAS review of many class D amplfiers their all amplifiers highs were critiszed.

However, in January 2008, Neil Gader of TAS wrote rave review of Musician 3 Signature Edition - check TAS archives

and now we have Mk2....different animal all together and much, much better then Signature. Read Don Shaulis review on Stereo Times

Thank you for clarification. Now, I can sleep knowing that I am not totally deaf

All The Best
Rafael

argyro
438 posts
 
hehehe!

Of course you are not deaf Dob, we just listen differently and have different tastes!

Happy Listening,

Michael

ACA.gr
dob
577 posts
 
Argyro:

I don't know if "we just listen differently and have different tastes"

I think we both listen to standard edition of Musician III and we both agree that its highs were bad.

With whom you disagree (and so do I) is with the reviewer of EnjoyTheMusic Mr. Wayne Donnelly who wrote that standard edition high's are the best he ever heard in solid state or tube amplifier - check his review on Spectron web site. May be he is right not us and TAS panel (Nov 2006)

I just must point out that these observations are moot because Musician went thru two subtantial changes - Signature and Mk2 which changed this amp completely, so who cares and if cares then it should shows to you that designers - all or some of them took TAS critic seriously and worked on the highs.

All The Best
Rafael
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