Spectron Musician III SE Mk.2? What Changed?

Geez, I truly did not want to start a hornets nest of criticism. Mostly I thought this would be just the forum for a discussion of the improvements to an already fantastic product. I felt that the Spectron site had made the point of making a difference and then not getting into the details. A discussion of features and benefits of a product's improvement on their website would only enhance their sales and reduce questions and distractions.

And my answer to to Audiphile1 is unequivocal--YES, I am still interested in Spectron and its products.

Look, Simon is a talented man and obviously is busy. The tone of his first response may be rooted in there somewhere. Spectron's products seem to be in a constant state of improvement and acceptance. I know reviews of their products and discussions about the products both here and at AA are mostly positive and impressive.

Anyway, Spectron and Simon have my admiration for seeing their product development through the eyes of science AND the ears of musicians. They offer upgrades to ttheir amps and thorough support of their products even when difficulties arise, like in the initial release of the Musician II. And I may add that Spectron is not a large company with a PR department. Just a small group of dedicated people, mostly engineers, I think. Uniformly the Spectron product in most any iteration is regarded as a colossal bargain.

They make impressive products. The points Simon makes in his second answer is absolutely on target. Well sorted out sound IS what we are after in the final analysis. And responsive service back up is definitely high on the list.

What kind of amplifier am I looking for, Simon? Just the kind you describe in your second answer. I don't really care how it looks. I care how it sounds. I care if it is efficient in its use of power. I really care if it backed up with service and if the company has made provisions to be around a while. I care that a company cares enough about its product to continually improve it. You all do this in spades, and I care about Spectron. I own one.

Kabir, You would be missing out on a good amp over a quick response on a forum. I love my amp, a Spectron. Try listening to one before dismissing the company.

That wasn't really so difficult, in the end, was it? Improvements in I/O stages, upgraded parts, better output wire, re-engineered power switching, and a new custom cap in the filter. And of course the weak dollar and higher commodities, all leading to a price increase.

Yes, I have had my Musician III back from Spectron now for over a week, maybe going on two. I went from Musician III to M III SE Mk2.

Differences are:
Bass is more controlled than before. I know this doesn't seem possible but as the amp is burning in I am finding the bass to be more extended, and articulate.

Speaking of articulate, voices, speaking and singing, are more clear by a magnitude. Easier to understand, even background singers and massed choral singers are not just understandable but clearly so.

I use a horn based speaker system to cover the mids to low treble. I never really gave the horns much thought. They were always clean and present, but now they are, like the bass, more controlled and faster sounding. Cymbals are shimmering in decay in a better way. Pianos are reverberating in a better, more focused way. Also the integration between my horns and ribbon super tweeter is better integrated. It is as if the horns have speed up to near the same speed as the ribbons. It is a pleasure.

Also, there are some physical differences. The two huge capacitors are replaced by banks of smaller, quicker ones. The output wiring is JPS Aluminata, and the binding posts are Cardas Patented ones. Now I use a bare wire connection and still these binding posts are better--better grip and easier to use. I also think they may sound better, but there is no way of distinguishing this with all the interior changes to the output section. Also, the fuses are different. Using upscale ceramic fuses have always made a change for the better, and I am sure in this case, too.

The SE Mk2 is in every way a better amp than the stock Musician III. I am damn happy I spent the money.

Dazzdax--I agree. Though I did substantially improve a Marantz SA-8001 SACD player with mods from RAM. By and large though, The unit should be the engineering statement from the company as is. If they felt it needed improvement, it should be included.

But YMMV, and to each their own.