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Spectron MIII mk II owner's question.

Spectron MIII mk II owners are you in the process of looking at other amps to replace your Spectrons ?
Do you feel that your search is over, a bit from over or far from over ?

My answer is after working with several name brands amps, Spectrons are the last amps that I will ever own.
End of the line for me.
My ownership is about 3 years and since then I never became interested in something else.

Apart from the musical presentation this amp is physically easy to move around and really does not occupy space, low heat output and I never switch them off.

I like to find out how much are other satisfied.
Thank you.
128x128terryakhan
bostonbean
241 posts
 
The only downside I can think of is they take a long time to break-in, a good 600-1000 hours of playing time. In my experience they can sound downright awful between 150-300 hours. I have a suspicion that any crticisms of Spectron comes from them not being sufficiently broke-in.

In preparation for new speakers I have on order I have upgraded to the mono Spectrons. For what you get in audio playback the Spectrons are a super bargain.

On a side note I would love to hear Mark Levinson's new flagship mono switching amps.
andr
109 posts
 
For anyone with any experience with the Spectron, can you name a unit that absolutely, unequivocally beats it, no matter the rest of the system. Now that's a tough question, one that draws for a spontaneous answer but also one of conviction.

terryakhan's avatar
terryakhan OP
87 posts
 
Andr does have a good point 'what are Spectron's downsides'
I do not have an answer for this and really would like hear from other owners to find out what I have missed.
My 2 channel employs 4 pcs of MIII MKII containing the V-Caps and Bybees and I do not see or feel any downside that I can think of.
Perhaps, if I were only operating only one amp, something may show up that I dislike.
dob
577 posts
 
" what are Spectron's downsides." Only one I can SERIOUSLY think of: its not Joule-Electra OTL with its "magical", "magical" and "magical" presentation. Unfortunatelly, OTL amps cannot drive my B&W802 so its a moot point for me. Also, I don;t like the heat and rather high maintenance of OTL amps.
andr
109 posts
 
Dob, you are on a go, keep it going. Can you be more specific ? What does the Joule-Electra do that the Spectron can't ? Soundstage, depth, warmth, in front, laidback, decay,graineness of voices.... ? Lean and dry or lush and rich ? Emphasize the highs, concentrates on midbass and lower ? How does Patricia Barber sound on this thing that is different than the Joule ?

There is so much info available on the sonic signatures of Krell, Conrad Johnson, Levinson, Pass Labs, Rowland, MacIntosh and other big names that it is possible to imagine what they sound just by reading the info.

But Spectron, apart from it's very powerful impact, almost nothing, zip, nada...almost a conspiracy of silence. Does anybody have one that's broken in ?
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