AudiogoN Forums: Spectron Musician III Signature vs VTL Siegfried?

Spectron Musician III Signature vs VTL Siegfried?

I have the Musician III Signature two months. In my review, a month ago, I wrote:

"the sound, excellent to begin with, dramatically changed for the better. The highs became something magical, I never heard such in any solid state or tube amplifier. Totally silky and extended to heaven!!!! The "see thru" soundstage became immensely three-dimensional, truly, I feel sometimes that I can touch musician, go around him or her, and soundstage huge to begin with became even more specious! Midrange became "alive" like in the best tube amplifiers I ever owned or even auditioned, its magic feeling!!!! Base have now both: more authority and startling clarity - so different from one-note solid state and mushy tube base. I can play it quietly and I can play it loudly - no slightest strain. Additionally, black background became even blacker again as never in any other amplifier I auditioned in the past. It adds to the overall "magic".

Last week, I got well broken in VTL Siegfried monoblocks for a a few days of auditioning. Spectron cost $$6.5k, Siegfried - $35k. Spectron weight 50 lbs, Siegfried - 360 lbs. Both declare power into 8 Ohms - 600 watts and and into 4 Ohms - 800 watts. Headroom, Spectron 3600 watts over 330 msec, Siegfried - unknown. As a matter of fact, VTL except power and few others does not disclose its specs even such important as bandwidth and distortions.

OK, playing - both show big soundstage and good imaging. Treble is Spectron's domain, VTL sound simply murky and veil. Midrange is warmer in tube amp, very pleasant on ear. Bass - here is my problem. First, I though VTL bass is better - weightier and richer. Next I compare a few discs and to my surprise I am starting to believe that this monster tube amp bass is full of distortions, full of warm rich details which are not present at all in cello which I played and Spectron is accurate and after few days even surprisingly for me, I fall in love with Spectron bass - rich weighty. Perhaps, one detail. I am not sure I can physically hear deep bass but I can feel it, my chest is "shaking" my listening chair leather is vibrating etc. I hear it in Spectron very much and just a little bit with Siegfried.
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I am eager to know if anybody else have experience with Musician III Signature vs best tube amplifiers? Thank you very much for reply

Dob (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

06-03-07

Responses (1-26 of 26)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

06-03-07 Thanks for the detailed description but it's hard to get a f ... Cytocycle

06-04-07 No but a ps audio gca or gcc modified by underwood hifi, or ... Tweak1

06-04-07 It's probably a bit too soon to comment, but simon asked me ... Molly

06-06-07 To tweak1 hello, you wrote "ps audio gca or gcc modifie ... Dob

06-06-07 Hi dob: i ... 51derrill

06-07-07 I'm taking this thread even more off topic, but since someon ... Emailists

06-07-07 To emailist, well, i made inquries as the the mod: level 2 ... Dob

06-09-07 Hello dob, i agree with you fully. musician iii signature is ... Simontju

06-11-07 To simontju, thank you simon, i also noted that most of spec ... Dob

06-19-07: Steinbergj
I've listened to a lot of amps over the years, and built a few, too: mostly triode tube amps. As the years passed, my audio budget became more ample, and I have been able to try
just about all the "killer" amps out there, tube and solid state. The good news is that the art form is actually improving. The bad news is that audio mags and their advertisers have done a great job pushing the price of amplification skyward. But I was prepared to suck that up, and just get the "killer amp" that would make it unnecessary to wring hands again about amplification. At least for several years.

Hearing the Spectron Musician III Signature has put an end to my amp questing. There just is no amp out there that combines the authority, tonal rightness and delicacy of this amp. It will drive anything, and laughs at tough loads that send a lot of amps into deep depression. {I've used it with the Shahinian Diapasons (19K), which are notoriously tough to drive, and also with the new Fried Reference (25K) which are not) But what really blew me away is how the M3 Sig does so with utter transparency and tonal accuracy. Its treble reproduces the almost-impossible-to-reproduce sound of massed violins with no haze, no glare and enough vividness that you feel you can hear the rosin on the bow. Voices have the kind of immediacy that many associate with single ended tube amps. And when it is time for the kettle drums in Malher, or the juicy bass of, say, Charlie Haden, the amp controls the speaker with complete authority. Not just firm bass; rock solid, clean, REAL bass. [NB I was a symphony musician for several years. Sitting in the middle of an orchestra really teaches what real instruments in real space sound like.]

All of this performance for so few dollars, comparatively, and with complete reliablility and no furnace effect. Yikes!

I was prepared to spend up to 30K for amplification, and end the quest. I was thrilled to spend less. But I am even more thrilled to be out of the amp-comparing business. Its just not as good as listening to the music.
Steinbergj (Answers | This Thread)

06-23-07 Very intriguing indeed. the most enjoyable amp i have heard ... Guidocorona

06-29-07 I don't think so. they are busy with their professional audi ... Dob

06-30-07 Thank you dob. i was actually asking about spectron presenc ... Guidocorona

07-01-07 I called them - no, they will not. if one of the speaker man ... Dob

07-08-07 I also just bought the spectron on the recomendation of some ... Farmersre

07-08-07 Duly noted farmersre. unfortunately comparisons with 'myst ... Guidocorona

07-09-07 This original posting is simular to my thoughts on this amp ... Duraace9sp

07-19-07 Guidocorona, this guy is a neighbor of mine. he really has g ... Muralman1

07-19-07 Thanks muralman, i am looking forward to reading your compa ... Guidocorona

07-22-07 I will cut to the chase - i do not know of a better buy in h ... Molly

07-22-07 Molly, what amps have you been able to compare directly wit ... Guidocorona

07-24-07 Hello, i have my signature, now, with more then 1000 hours ... Dob

08-06-07 Use of balanced interconnects in spectron: thank you guido ... Dob

11-07-07 Molly, wondering if you were able to compare the spectrum t ... Cyrus

11-09-07 Hello cyrus, molly does compared , in one of his posts, rath ... Dob

11-09-07 Hi all, i think i'm the only one here have a chance to try t ... Schang