Spectron vs any good tube amp.

Charles1dad, you and I are on the same page when it comes to the 'too loud' thing. I for one value my hearing quite a lot- I think anyone here does as well. The point of my prior post was simply that SETs can create a 'too loud' experience at an *actual* sound pressure that is quite lower than it seems and I explained why that is.

Its my opinion that a system should be devoid of loudness artifacts, leaving that to the music instead. But- if you are concerned about hearing, than using SETs is a good way to go.

" Why rely on atmasphere to 'tell' you what a SET amp(which one? there are many) sounds like, experience it yourself if you really want to know."

Charles1dad: you do have some problem with reading AND understanding at the same time. Athmasphere explained NOT (Nyet!) what a SET amp sounds like. He explained the composition of odd and even harmonic distortions extressed as a function of ..., to put it in clearly understood terms, the poisition of given volume control. These facts I was anaware of and thankful to him for kind sharing or teaching.

I did listen to a SET amplifier and not a single one. With single exception of $60k unit in listening room of Stereophile reviewer ( we listened to Schubert Male Songs) - I HATE its sound as its full of distortions and bleed my gentle ears.

When I attend live concert I hear music at whatever level musicians play it, be it 109 dB or 79 dB and without any distortions whatsoever. No distortion. Period! This is exactly what I am seeking in my electronic stereo system - the accurate as technically possible reproduction of live sound as I remember it.

My system with Joule-Electra flagship "450" preamp, two Spectron monoblocks with all upgardes and David Wilson's Sasha speakers is very close to this ideal and is under my budget (I love Alexandria II but at $169k cannot afford these magic speakers).

You listen whatever you want and at any conditions you want - just specify its your PERSONAL preferences.

Atmasphere,
SET is definitely the way to go.It`s providing superb sound and certainly the most realism and natural sound I`ve heard so far from an amplifier. I hope Orpheus is able to experience one and form his own impresssion.
Regards,

This is a "Tower of Babel" if there ever was one. "God confused their language, causing them to speak different languages so they would not understand each other".

The music we like, and every aspect of that music determines what gear we like best. It determines which cartridge, what speakers we like, and so on. We could sit in the same room, listening to the same music, emanating from the same gear; and hear two entirely different "songs". That is our "reality".

I learned quite some time ago how to get the most out of reviewers in regard to cartridges. When I picked the one who liked the same music as I did, I succeeded. When we speak in glowing terms of what we hear emanating from the gear we like best, and how good it is, and recommend it to other people; we are making far too many assumptions. For example: SS people speak in terms of "fast and definitive with bass slam". While tube people will speak in abstractions like "nuance", that aren't always easy to communicate; we live in two different worlds.

I hope these new elements I've injected into this conversation, will aid in our communications.

This last comment is wonderful, and explains why every thread should begin and end with "Let's agree to disagree." I had a friend whose ears stuck out from the side of his head like flaps. His audio system was so rolled off at the top as to beggar description. But if you cupped your hands behind your ears then listened to music, you got a taste of what he was hearing.

Our ears are different, our heads are different, the things that we need, sound vs music, are different. I just picked up some PrimaLuna ProLogue Seven monos. Love them. At the audition, the dealer, who was a recording engineer, preferred the sound of a solid-state amp, because it let him hear detail and engineer stuff. I preferred the PrimaLunas, because all I could think was that the singer has that "jump" factor.

"Music" people shouldn't feel superior to "sound" people, nor should the reverse be true. But like what you like, and love what you love. The trick is listening to, and respecting what someone else likes and loves. Through it all, it makes for much better (and much more helpful) debate.

In other words, we don't need to have someone like what we like. But we would like to have them understand why we like what we like. As long as that happens, it will all make sense.