Spectron vs any good tube amp.

SS people speak in terms of "fast and definitive with bass slam".

Yes, however I have always felt that to be the province of the best tube amps :)

...

While tube people will speak in abstractions like "nuance", that aren't always easy to communicate; we live in two different worlds.

Yes, communication is an issue! Two audiophiles can use the exact same terms to describe the aspects of soundstage and definition of a $600 transistor amp or a $30,000 tube amp, someone looking on might not be able to discern that the two experiences are very different, as our language does have the terms, but not the expression of intensity.

No, I have never been convicted.

Good news is stereo equipment is not a zero sum game. Many of us have multiple amps and can enjoy the unique characteristics of each without needing to declare any particular amp "the winner". I happen to believe both SET and OTL's are wonderful topologies and think audiophiles need to experience listening to both. Long ago I fell hard for SET's and have acquired 45,2A3,300B,F2a & GM70's. While tonally the tubes are different from each other, they all share an amazing sense of presence. SET's simply put me into the music. More recently I have also acquired an Atma-sphere S30 and am continually amazed by this little OTL. While my SET's are colored to one degree or another, the S30 is crystal clear, has wonderful liquidity, yet also packs a bottom end punch that my SET's can't compete with.

Unless you need to rock out at high decibels, I would venture to guess that a SET or OTL would be a more satisfactory experience than a Spectron (which I've heard - it did nothing for me).

" Unless you need to rock out at high decibels, I would venture to guess that a SET or OTL would be a more satisfactory experience than a Spectron (which I've heard - it did nothing for me)."

Correction: With OTL you can reach very, very "high decibel". A friend of mine owns MBL 101E driven by Joule-Electra VZN-300 OTL amp monoblocks and its a heaven !!!!!!!!!

Actually, you are wrong with SET too, sorry - another friend of mine own Vladimir Lamm's SET which drive Duo Avangarde and it also has extraordinary dynamic range !

What you personally like is, of course, different matter.

Mike