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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
 
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
audiograils's avatar
audiograils
23 posts
 

Rafael,thanks for your input. My opinion was based on the Musician II which was VERY powerful but far away from musical. It just had no soul. At that time the Plinius' top of the line was the SA-250mk4 and was both powerful and musical. I've no experience with the current Spectron iterations but I prefer to stay away from Class D amps for the time being as I also tried a couple of others and wasn't impressed. I do understand that with Class D, one can make a very powerful amp with less cost etc..but I still think this technology needs sometime to approach the best of the 'linear' SS and tube amps of today in how they
dig into the soul of the music.

But, as always, the milage may vary. I know taste also plays a role in this.

Best
AG
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Argyro said:

"I really dont like this amp. Except tha fact that it can drive any speaker on the market, the timbre it produces is the fakest timbre I have heard IN MY SYSTEM.

Actually in a different system that I knew its componenents quite well."

I heard the Spectron in monoblock configuration today at RMAF. The timbre was natural and very dynamic. Maybe Argyro wasn't as familiar with the system as he thought. We listened for about 15-minutes today, which is not enough for a conclusive review; however, it clearly showed this amp to be a very neautral contender as one of the amps around.

Dave
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