upgrades to Spectron Musician III Mk 2


I took the plunge and bought a Musician III Mk 2 with no additional upgrades used here on Agon last week. I should have it in my possession in the nest few days.

While I plan on listening to it for awhile in its present form, I wanted to ask you fellow Spectron owners what your thoughts were with regard to the V-cap and Bybee filter upgrades. I've read the info on Spectron's website re/each but want some owner's opinions, especially since I probably won't have the bucks to do both upgrades at the same time right now. Thanks.

Bill
billspecfoc

Showing 1 response by azwill

I started with Spectrons with Bybee and then later added the V-Caps. My impression is the V-Cap has taken longer to settle in than the stock cap amp. The initial amps seemed to improve over time, really seeming to shine after about 60 days. I cannot comment on how the amps would present without the Bybees, but my setup had a presence, especially on stringed instruments that was detailed but far from sterile and seemingly very realistic. I later sent them in for V-Caps, and I have had them back now for about 4 months. For at least half of this time they have been back, I have questioned whether it was a good idea. The sense of presence and visceral impact were not the same. They didn’t sound bad, but decay and perceived realism were not there as before. Much improvement has gone on in the last 3 weeks. The presentation is smoother than before and, I believe, a bit warmer, yet still highly detailed. Imaging and width have continued to improve. Decay is excellent. They now sound very good. I have read the V-Caps take a real long time to fully settle in, so I am really curious how the next 3-6 months will play out.

I also believe these amps benefit with clean input power and isolation.

Enjoy,
Will