The Best Tube Amplifiers vs Spectron ?


Before I bought Spectron stereo amp for my Watt/Puppy 8 I used McIntosh 2202, excellent tube amp and one of the best I ever owned. However, Spectron was better or even much better in all respects, most interesting - harmonic richness of midrange closely approximated the real music. The key is that this amp need very long time to fully break-in.

Today, I have read the latest Spectron's review (see http://spectronaudio.com/reviews.htm) where reviewer preferred Spectrons over state-of-the-art $50k VTL Siegfrieds!!! Amazingly, he wrote "The Musician III Mk II monoblocks have a crystalline purity in the reproduction of every voice and instrument that sounds more to me like the essence of live, unamplified music -- which I attend, on average, more than once a week year-round -- than any other amplifiers -- at any cost, based on any technology-- that I have ever heard."

I must agree with him (plus with Spectron you have no output tube maintenance, no heat, no huge weight) and I wonder if others have similar experience.

Mike.
michael_moskowich

Showing 2 responses by bryceeboy

F- the Spectron guards. It is what it is. The Spectrons are amazing amplifiers and do some things amazingly well. In the end I preferred the BAT 600 Monos. To me and my ears the Spectrons had a very slight "digital" sound to everything. The BATs were more like a tube amp if you will. Images were better fleshed out and everything sounded more palatable. I also preferred the soundstage of the BATs. It gave me a nice layering and depth that wasn't there with the Spectron. I think the Spectrons are fun and eye opening at first but for me over the long haul I would prefer something different. Yes I am one of the old tube guys that were talked about earlier. I can see what musicians would like about the Spectrons as they are very accurate. To each his own. Enjoy!
Hi Rafael,

My audition was with the MKIII with the V-cap option. The BATs also have all the upgrades. I also preferred Ralph's Atma-Sphere MA-2's over the Spectrons. Again I can't describe it other than to say, to me the BAT's and the Atma-Spheres sound more like real music then the Spectrons. More organic maybe while the Spectron while sweet enough are more sterile sounding. Again personal preferences. Thanks.