"Spectron philosophy/practice"
Dear Mdrummer01: thank you for your kind words. We found even cheaper source for very high quality fuses:
AudioAcmelabs.com - ceramic, silver, cryo - at $12 each. Its good info for owners of older amplifiers. For new amplifiers we will install these fuses at no cost to our users.
Here is a few more things which will dramatically improve performance of Spectron amplifiers.
1) Acoustic Revive QR-8 Quartz Resonator "...Place these little adhesive backed smoky quartz disks on any surface that may have vibration/resonance issues to reduce vibration borne problems. Other devices may reduce resonance, but they often add their own at the same time..."
http://www.tweekgeek.com/_e/loc/product/QR-8/Acoustic_Revive_QR_8_Quartz_Resonator.htm
2) The Acme Audio Ebony Wood AC Connector: - "...will utterly shock you with what it does to the sound characteristics of your existing power cords. Try one on either end of your source's power cord to experience a smother, warmer, more liquid midrange and enhanced dynamics..."
http://www.tweekgeek.com/_e/Acme_Audio_Tweaks/product/AcmeEbonyClamp/Acme_Audio_Ebony_AC_Connector_Clamp.htm
When I use word "dramatic" - this is exactly what I mean. The effect is disproportional to their price -at least in my own system and few others.
I made agreement with Michael Garner from http://www.tweekgeek.com/ Call him at (303) 653-6341, and tell him that you are Spectron customer - he will provide you about 20% discount on this product.
Please be aware that Spectron or I personally have no financial interest in any of our recommendation.
We do have interest, obviously, in your recommendation of our products and services to your friends.
Thank you again
Simon |
I have just acquired the new Spectron, with the full upgrades Simon offers on new units and just passed the 200 hour mark - but I believe there is still some settling down to occur. Us audiogeeks are always seduced by our new toys, so I will try to be absolutely objective.
I bought the Spectron to replace Sonic Frontier Power 3's that had been heavily modified and upgraded across the board. I would put my Power 3's up against anything out there, tube or SS. My rationale to change was purely to get a truthful sonic signature without the excessive heat in the summer, recognizing that I was not going to get a tube sound.
So far, I am not "blown away" but I am impressed and not regretting my move. The Spectron definitely has more detail, less veil than any of the tubed equipment I have had - including single ended triodes etc. The Spectron is also more faithfull to a live sound than a SS amp, and I have had a few good ones in this system as well. At this point, I can't see any reason to think about another amp, other than a matching Spectron to bi-amp. I did get the Bybee upgrade and oil caps.
The Spectron is a good match with my ARC Ref3; it runs ridiculously cool, no noise, total control top to bottom, but it is not lush, it does not color the signal and it is remarkably effortless driving my Apogees, very quiet driving my Raven/Focal hand-built MTM's. If I had to sum up so far, it has poise, clarity, definition and gives a confidence that it delivers the most musical response from whatever you feed into it. Just be aware that it will highlight any deficiencies in your system or your room acoustics.
Bravo Spectron! |
Thank you Radicalstuff, excellent info. Please do keep us posted as the sound develops further. I wonder how many hours of break in are required for Spectron to yield its very very best performance? Some other switching amps that I have had the opportunity to test and that -- unlike Spectron -- utilize ICE modules for power conversion, likely take over 1000 hours to break in completely. . . so, be patient and keep posting your listening notes here. |
I think the Bybee Super Effect Units need at least 200hrs to open up too.
The V-caps need some 500hrs I've heard. |
Radicalsteve,
Which Apogees are you powering with Spectron? This is written by a curious Scintilla user. Bob |
Baranyi,I am using the Stages - easier to drive than your Scintilla's! |
Hello,
I think two weeks of playing is good enough for the initial review, FYI:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?ramps&1208544976&read&3&4&
When I will get 1000 hours or so, I will add some - the same as I did with stereo amp, an year ago when I did comparison with VTL Siegfried mono pair.
Meanwhile, I can only join Isanchez in his statement that the pleasure from monoblocks more then doubled on my B&W802D!
... my head is dizzy a bit !!!!
All The Best,
Rafael |
I saw that Wayne Donnelly @ enjoythemusic.com said it took
him 6 months of use
before he knew the Spectron Musician 3 amp was fully ready
to declare it a Best of 2006 award.
This was a stock '06 M3.
Review recap under their amp archieve "best of '06" |
RKMCV, I am not surprised about very long break in time on Spectron. . . seems switching amps require inordinate amounts of time to yield their very best. . . anyone who has not had the patience of nursing any of these these devices to their ultimate performance point is denying themselves a very wonderful experience. |
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How does the Spectron compare to the Sander Sound Amp? They both are designed to drive difficult loads down to a short. Has anyone compared the two? |
Okay, I will post this now knowing full well that I have only about 100 hours on the upgrade. Also, that my amp spent years as a regular Musician III. I can't give you a comparison of the SE to SE Mk2. Skipped that stage, sorry.
However, I thought, as did Simon when I talked with him today, that my initial out of the box till now, 10 day, impression would be useful. Evidently I have the first SE Mk2 upgrade delivered.
I have two amps, a PS Audio HCA-2 with heavy upgrades from RAM and the Musician III. There was never any doubt as to which amp sounded better. The Spectron had the power, the headroom, and the control to make any comparison useless. the HCA-2 is a great amp--for the price. Really, it has a fine sound, is very sensitive to input power, and IC's, PC's and the like. At its best, it is clear and a trend setter towards Class D hitting the big leagues.
The Spectron, the second it plugged into my system, was an eye opener. It had power in spades, and made bass control and tonality an instant difference. I listened to it for a while as a III, before the upgrades. It was obviously a great amp as is. It had more of everything. I won't get into the differences between the PS Audio and Spectron. They are amps playing in different leagues.
My speaker system is on the sensitive side. I use JBL L-200t3's supplemented with LCY super tweeters and ACI Force Subs. 93db sensitivity is the usually quoted spec for these rare speakers. They are consumer versions of the 4425 studio monitor. I have owned them since new and loved them the whole time. Everytime I try new speakers, on a trail basis, I just like the JBL's better.
The reason I bring the speakers up is twofold. One, obviously I don't need 600 watts of power to get these things moving. Two, they have always shown me differences in the equipment I have been moving in and out of my system for years.
I have one word to describe the difference between the Spectron Musician II and the SE Mk2 upgrade--Finesse. Not subtle, not just on certain sources and software. Finesse across the broad spectrum of what one might hear in any decent recording, any source. The upgraded amp makes music sound more resonant, more real, more clear, more more.
Spectron has had the power issue down for years now. They have always made hard to drive speakers, like B&W 800 series, or Gallo Reference 3's, Von Schweikert's. Hard to drive speakers need the iron fist of power to sound their best. Finesse on the other hand has been the provence of flea powered amps, 300 B's come to mind, SETS of all kinds, and the like with sensitive speakers.
Well, the Spectron Musician III SE Mk2 is both iron fisted and tuned for finesse. It is, frankly, a unique combination of control and ease. You might consider this the advantage of headroom. One might see the difference between the M III and the SE Mk2 as hockey's Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretsky. Both great players, one just has more finesse. The hockey reference is a bit obscure, I know. Let me try again.
Charles Barkley/Michael Jordon. Roger Maris/Willie Mays. John Adams/Thomas Jefferson. I hope you get the idea here. The Mk2 is just more balanced in a magic way, not just a better performer but a stellar talent.
We can get into the nitty gritty of using JPS wire for output, of better power supply and storage, of binding post changes, and I still don't have a really clear idea of what all IS a Mk2, but I know it already sounds better than the regular M III. Voices are clearer, cellos more resonant, massed strings more defined by type and placement. And the darn thing isn't even close to breaking in enough to get to the more subtle stuff.
Anyway, being first in line makes things not as polished as being twentieth. The unit was delivered without an upgrade to the rail fuses--they will be replaced, but with a HiFi tuning power in fuse. The confusion over the content of what a Mk2 really is. I started a real dust up over asking a simple question about what a Mk 2 is in another thread, but I didn't intend to. I was just anticipating my new unit coming in.
Now that it is here, I am happy I spent the money, entirely satisfied with the unit, and I will report again when the M III SE Mk2 gets settled into its own pace, at about 1000 hours. I'll write a review. |
And for anyone interested in learning a little more about what's new on the Mus 3 Mk.2, Audiogon has just posted the relevant press release from Spectron:
http://cgim.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/pr.pl?spectron&1211997406&v
Guido |
Oofer,
Great post. I have the MK2 in my upgrade queue, after I get the Stereovox LSP-600C speaker cables in a couple of weeks. These amps react very well with the best equipment out there.
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I want to add a bit to my post upthread. Before I started upgrading my equipment several years ago, I owned a Crown Macro Reference amp. 700 watts or more. Industrial strength amp in every way. I can refer you to an article by Sam Telig about the amp:
http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1292crown/
My point is that I am familiar with high power amps, and I built my heathy portion of Heaathkit's and Eico's and Dynaco amps and integrateds back in the day, 1960's mostly. So I know what lower powered tubes can do. A friend has a set of 300B jewels we listen to alot. Higher power amps, whether solid state or tube, find finesse and ease difficult. Some systems are hefty, some quick, some tuneful and full of PRAT.
My system always sounded best to me with higher power. I had a Parasound A21 for a while and it was pretty damn good, too. But it lacked an airiness with treble transients that I like. The PS Audio HCA-2 was quick as can be but lacked the strong control my woofers needed. I never really gave my horn a thought about control issues until I got involved with the SE Mk2.
Maybe I am wacked, but every register, whether below my crossover of 1200KHz or above seems more disciplined. The Spectron has achieved something in my system that I just have not experienced before. Accuracy of decay, deep tonality, AND this elusive finesse thing. Transitions are smooth. Quiets are in fact quiet. Transients clear regardless of intensity. This is the unique thing to me, and not unimportant to people who treasure music. It comes through the maze of wires, resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes and connectors clean and strong.
Yep, Wayne Gretzky is still the best analogy I can come up with, obscure or not. This amp is "The Great One." |
Great! Good start towards answering that proverbial question,
"Whats different for the New Spectron Musician 3 SE Mk2?"
JPS wiring, very interesting.
Rod |
I came across this interesting capacitor shootout:
http://www.tempoelectric.com/caps.htm
V-cap was named 'best in class'. With the popularity of V-caps, it seems that it will be a popular upgrade for Spectron amps.
When I send my amps for the MK II upgrade, the V-caps option will be at the top of my list.
What are your thoughts on the V-cap upgrade?
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There is a cap shoot-out on audiocircle ,too,
but I don't know how to link.
On the (audio central) section of (audio/video), under (my capacitor comparisons:mundorf)etc.
Also look up in the v-cap website for their reviews and there is a good Chinese shoot-out.
Check with Simon on his thoughts with your amp topography
and Bybee plus / minus the v-caps and his custom cap in the Mk2.
Go for the best sound for you. Simon knows better then I regarding the nuances of the upgrades (as always UMMV)
I am too soon to give a sound review on my amp yet, as a life situation has postponed some plans.
Not to worry, still to come!
Rod |
I find all this cap discourse quite fascinating. Some say V-caps are the greatest thing. some say the opposite. I think it may come down to component matching and personal preference.
One case that highlights this is Srajan Ebaen's Supratek Cabernet Dual preamp. He had the caps changed to V-caps just to have them resersed back to the old caps a few months later. At the other end, there are some Supratek users that simply swear by the V-caps.
I'll certainly check with Simon when I go for the MK II upgrade.
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In the defense with regards to 6moons and others;
I understand the V-cap is a 600 hr break in and some may jump to conclusions. |
I understand the V-cap is a 600 hr break in and some may jump to conclusions. I agree, I have read similar break in time for V-caps. I think they stated at the Tempo Electric shootout that the V-caps had the longest recommended break in time (400hrs) among the caps in the shoot out. |
"How does the Spectron compare to the Sander Sound Amp"
These are very different designs. Spectron is class D and Sanders, as he explain his bias, is class B - may be A/AB but for 3 watts only
Spectron peak power 3400 watts, Sanders 2000 watts;
Duration: Spectron 500msec, Sanders: "momentarely";
Peak voltage, Spectron 120v, Sanders - 90 volts .
Weakness in design: Sanders uses usual negative feedback which produces odd orders harmonics and Spectron's negative feedback is 10 times faster - so practically no odd harmonics, particularly at the peaks when sound can reach ear piercing levels
Sound - I listen to Sanders but it could be not in optimal system so I will not comments here
Al; The Best
Rafael |
