spectron amps are phenomenal. Clean, distortion free (they redefined my sense of distortion ) and powerful as all get out. I replaced my old counterpoint SA-100 with the spectron, fed into Sonus Faber Electa Amators (these little jewels will probably left to someone in my will, I'd never sell 'em)... since the SA-100 isn't all that powerful, but darned sweet, I assumed that the Spectron would be blastingly loud with the volume turned down in the low range. Wasn't the case. At first I thought it hadn't turned on... nothing at all.... then I realized how quiet and dynamic the thing is... sound emerged out of nowhere...music sounded big and real coming out of a deep background.... not cranked or hyped, but big and dynamic.Put on John Hiatt's "Bring The Family".. got up and danced around...and I'm way too old to behave like this... tweekosis struck as it inevitably does... replaced the stock iec cord with a Tice TPT treated solid core, and put a Combak harmonix RF-57 tuning button on the male end of the Tice cord, right behind the part that slides into the Spectron, and put another tuning button on the male end of the power cord. Didn't know what to expect... holy dang spam !... some alchemy took place between the Tice and the high speed switching circuitry of the Spectron... Tice stuff seems to do its' magic best in fast digital situations, so it makes sense... woweee... they'll ban me from this board if I explain the feelings this combination elicited, but they were, ahhh, physical... Shoot, I paid less than three grand for this thing and it's better than some hardware I've heard at five times as much...

Powerful, fast

Hard, unnatural sounding compared to some amps

I'd have to say that my impressions were the exact opposite from Xavier's, below. I find the Bel Canto to be much more natural sounding, in tone and presentation. (I've done a thorough A/B comparison of the two in my system; listening to cymbals was very telling: cymbals sound like they're made from stainless steel with the Spectron while the Bel Canto presents them in true brass; the sticks in Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance" sound like wood with the EVo, not like the D-1's fiberglass; etc, etc.) The Spectron D-1 introduced me to digital amps but I feel the Bel Canto far surpasses it. I wonder if the Bel Canto Xavier was auditioning was fully burned in. I've always had a difficult time accepting the "phenomenon" of burn in, but the Bel Canto didn't start to sound really good until I had several hundred hours on it. Also, the Bel Canto EVo 200.2 really shines when run in bridged mono mode; it is really a mono amp with stereo capability.

Anyway, I don't want this to read like a review of the Bel Canto. What really prompted me to post a follow up was the reliability problem I've had with the Spectron. Not too long after I got it, one channel blew. A while back it refused to power on. I won't send it back at this point. I'm tired of it breaking down. (C'mon, it's a solid state device--it shouldn't crap out like this!) It's going into the trash bin. Also, why get it fixed when I'd rather just replace it with a Bel Canto? For the price of the Musician II, I can get an EVo 200.4 to replace the defunct Spectron and bridge it to produce 480 watts per channel.

[Ratings based on $2500 USD retail price of the D-1]

Similar Products Used:

Bel Canto EVo 200.2

Clearest, most uncluttered, pristine sound I've heard from an audio amplifier.

Exploded after a few weeks...

I'm writing about the Spectron Musician 2, which is the latest iteration of the Spectron home stereo amplifier. It is similar to the other Spectron home units reviewed, except it has 500 watts per channel into 8 ohms, rather than 250.

I have to agree with other reviewers that the sound of this amplifier is superb, better than anything else I have heard.

On the other hand, I've had an experience with this amplifier that has brought into question its reliability, and made me decide not to purchase, at least not for now.

Basically, I had the amplifier on audition for about 3 weeks and was just about ready to purchase when I turned on the amplifier and heard an explosion like the sound of a shotgun going off! After this, the right channel no longer worked.

I sent the amplifier back to Spectron because I do not trust a product that fails so dramtically, and after such a short time. I've also heard other comments about switching amplifiers, that when they do fail, they fail in the same way as this amp. So, I'm concerned that this might not be that uncommon a problem.

I'm going on an extended trip for the next 4-5 months so will not be able to get feed-back from Spectron until September or October of 2000 as to what caused the explosion, or what the prognosis is for the future of this amplifier. Depending upon what I find out in the fall, I may or may not re-order.

Similar Products Used:

Mark Levinson, Classe, Naim.

Transparency, bass control, stereo imaging,lack of transistor hash, sweet treble, never tiring.

None I can hear.

I was considering selling most of my equipment and buying a TACT amplifier. On hearing it I was impressed with its control, detail and transparency but it did not seem satisfy my musical palette. It felt was just a little too “etched” and “Hi-Fi” and was lacking in authority but perhaps there really was something to discover in this new digital technology so I searched further.
I then came across the Spectron Musician.I took a huge chance and ordered one on the basis of all the great reviews it was getting.
It took about a week of break-in before the sound opened up but when it did it was wonderful.
The first thing you notice about this amplifier is the complete absence of the high frequency hash which makes transistor amplifiers sound so wearing. At first you think you have lost detail because the grunge is gone but when you start to listen you will see that it is all there and more. When you turn up the volume the only thing that happens is that sound pressure levels increase. Distortion seems to be totally absent at sub speaker killing levels. This gives a real crank it up factor if you like your music loud.
The bass is very well controlled, deep and extended. I heard bass notes I did not know were there.
Voices are very natural even on CD’s recorded with a lot of treble energy.
Treble is crystal clear and very detailed. It’s never hard or bright.
Stereo imaging is spot on and it is easy to hear where all performers and instruments are coming from in the soundstage.
Instruments sound very realistic and natural with plenty of separation between them.
I think it is the first time that I have really enjoyed high end Hi-Fi. There has always been plenty of detail in my systems but always at the expense of musicality. That has changed now with the well named “Musican”. This amplifier is nice because you get the bass control of the best transistor amps with the mid range and treble delicacy of the best tube amps - just like they said in the other reviews. It is highly detailed yet never fatiguing. Overall a superb buy and worked well with the little passive pre-amp (also a great buy) and the Silver Audio cables (superb). I doubt if there are many out there that can match it. All I need now is a pair of Gallo’s or Dunlavys – I can’t wait!

Equipment:
Roksan ROK 1 CD transport
Pink Triangle Dacapo DAC, 24/20 filter & DC PSU
Audio Synthesis Passion passive pre-amplifier (Vishay resistor version)
Spectron Musician power amplifier
Ruark Equinox loudspeakers
Silver Audio Appassionata interconnects and Symphony 32 speaker cables.

Similar Products Used:

NAD, Mission, Exposure, Audiolab pre/mono's,

superfast runs cool excellent tone

hard to obtain you may have to wait awhile

the best amplifier except for ultra performance+power tube
otherwise this is the one. especially bass definition makes competitors sound dull and heavy. treble is open and sweet. no dirt, grit, grunge, woolly sound, golden glow, nothing. pure signal.Maybe subtle greyness at worst, Shakti stone over the transformer is essential. Put it on the case 2 thirds of the way towards the front on the top. Really clears up and opens up. Spectron+stone=unbeatable.

Similar Products Used:

krells over the years- VAC tubes

airy,fast,power

nothing

I AM SAME MIND THAT JANIS FROM NETHERLANDS THAT SPECTRON IS VERY GOOD AMP. I USE NOW KRELL 350 MONOBLOCKS WITH DUNLAVY 6 SPEAKERS,SPECTRON WORK FINE WITH VERY ACCURATE AND NEUTRAL DUNLAVYS, I THINK THAT REASON JOHN USE SPECTRON BECAUSE BOTH ARE SO NEUTRAL,(KRELL IS VERY GOOD TOO BUT MUCH EXPENSIVE), VERY GOOD AMP AND CHEAP.BEST BUY

Similar Products Used:

krell,thereshold,audio research,gamut

Bass authority, clarity, soundstaging, transparency.

None yet

For the money, even for a lot more money, this amp is hard to beat. I am not a fan of solid state electronics, but the 300watt Spectron has made a believer out of me. Very musical and sweet, yet very powerful and dynamic, a most unusual combination at this price point. It doesn't have the hardness and glare of ss, plus it has the smoothness of tubes but more treble clarity and better bass than any new/used tube amp I've heard at this price point. Did I say lots of bass? With my Resolution Audio CD, my Dunleavy's and my Rogue pre, this is one sweet system.

I do not use power conditioning, but I have not experienced any of the difficulties of other posters. My Spectron has been trouble free.

Similar Products Used:

Conrad-Johnson, BAT, NAD, Pass, Adcom