Tripoint Spartan


For the past two months, I have written very little about the Spartan Power Conditioner. Truth be told, I really didn’t have much to write about. The Spartan came with the highest expectations, along with the loftiest adjectives. Alas, it seemed not to be. Until one day…

On 7/24/2010, exactly 59 days from delivery, I sat in astonishment. Strange, because the whole system literally transformed in a single day. It’s as if someone took the lid off my stereo. What I hear is gorgeous, sparkling, clear, unrestricted, and delicate music. I hang on to every note, as it takes over my respiration, heart rate, and my eyes begin to weep. Even the pauses sound beautiful. The stage has been transformed into a hall, with notes rising and collapsing into natural space. Music is open and extended, with detail, sweetness, shimmer, and sheen. I can feel the music vibrate my body. From top to bottom, the music is absolutely cohesive, infused with energy and freshness. There is now a direct connection with my emotions.

I hear no negative effects or trade-offs. It does not simply lower the noise floor, but redefines the whole experience. Every audio component is performing better, and there is a purity and refinement. I do not hear a stereo, but I do hear the music. The presentation is absolutely uncanny. Nothing seems out of place, although the beauty is somewhat surreal.

Miguel’s obsessiveness has paid-off, and he has created two of the most unique, special, innovative audio components. Was it worth it? Depends if you want to take an excellent system to a new level by adding the elusive ingredient of magic. This was not an easy piece to afford, and it took a great leap of faith. I look forward to the next few months of listening to music anew, and I wonder if things will get even better. At this point, as I find difficulty getting out of my seat while enraptured by music, I would do it all again.
rtn1
I have to echo the improvements brought to my system by Maestro outlets. I was very skeptical about them or any other outlets. As an electrical engineer, I do understand a little about those electrons but these outlets somehow make my system sound so much cleaner with larger sound stage and clarity. If there's a scientific documentation on how these outlets do it, I'd like to read them.
Sacman,

I am not aware of any scientific investigation or meaningful measurements of outlet quality from an audio perspective. My experience is that everything that transmits power or signal has a sonic signature. There are many means to modulate that impulse which are not well understood from the perspective of recreating a musical event.

Usually, discussion of scientific measurements in audio ends in a bloody brawl with extremism and hurt feelings. I can already hear the footsteps of short, pointy-eared creatures.
i have heard the Tripoint Spartan and the Troy...and we did get an opportunity to do a with/without on the Troy. Smokes, that puppy does work. just removing ONE of the silver grounding cables from one of the amps brought in a haze, tiny, tiny but noticeable.

The system was the AE reference system in Hong Kong...all Tidal Sunrays w the 2 6 foot tower subs, 3 sets of Tidal monos, the 4-stack Tidal pre and the full stack of Stahl-Tek digital.
There is no question that the Troy works. It is just too expensive, unfortunately or I would have one.
My opinion is that it is important to heed proper attention to all components. I feel that many people become speaker poor, and never quite get the sound they would like. It's the same concept of being house poor - big house but no furnishings.

Personally, I would rather distribute my budget to include at the very least, a Troy. The Spartan drove me crazy for the past year. Just within the last couple months did I weed-out every weak link to complete the circle. The Spartan/Orion is that demanding. The Troy makes everything sound better. The Spartan lets you hear all your components.

The cost of the raw materials is surprisingly expensive. Add to that an obsession to sourcing from the manufacturers whose raw goods have the best sonic attributes. Plus, these products are wholly unique and innovative pieces. Can't think of anything else that does what these do.

I feel very fortunate to have access to a lot of work so I can fund this hobby. I will readily admit that these pieces are excesses in terms of what most people are seeking, but for me it has always been about taking the system further than what I thought possible. As a music lover who is an enthusiastic about audio equipment, my goal has been about pushing the state-of-the-art to recreate a live event. The Troy and Spartan are vital parts of that goal.