Spectron Musican II vs. Ampzilla 2000 monos

Sedona Sky Sound · « **Reply #20 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 05:27 am »

Hello bkwiram,
The price of the Ampzillas went up 10% on September 1, so the new price is $5500 per pair (which is still much cheaper than the comperable X350). The price that Bongiorno pays for his parts went up so he had to had to raise prices to cover it. A large majority of the Ampzillas are shipped to Asia (Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea) but there are quite a few floating around the US also (I have sold several pair myself).

My personal/professional opinion is that the Ampzillas are still the best sonic match for the RM40s that I personally have heard. The Pass X350 is another good mate and controls the speaker better than the X250. I have not heard the Spectron with the RM40s but have heard it 3 other systems (2 VonSchweikert and 1 Vandersteen) with less than fantastic results IMHO. Everyone likes different things so the most important thing is just finding what you like.

Julian
www.sedonaskysound.com

shokunin · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 05:55 am »

I was considering upgrading my Pass X250 to the AMpzilla 2000's. The deal killer came from my wife, as my amps MUST have remote 12v trigger turn on. she's already been patient with all the gear in the living room. The last thing she needs is to walk up and turn on 2 amps every time she wants to watch a movie or if my daughter is screaming for Barney, the Wiggles, or Spongebob on DVD. Leaving the amps on all the time is not an option.

The Pass amp has been wonderful and I think the Ampzilla does bass a little better. However I didn't have a chance to audition it in my room with my gear. I heard the Ampzilla's while listening to Brian's Rm40 FST in his LEDE room.

bkwiram · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Sep 2003, 06:27 am »

Julian,

Thanks for the reply. I had had some hints that the Ampzilla was selling better in Asia, but hadn't really thought about it. My prejudice has been that the Asian customer for American hifi tends to like super luxe-finish goods (Rowland etc.). But obviously JB makes the opposite of Rowland. So my prejudice is revealed to be at least partly wrong, as usual.

Can you explain to me why his stuff is selling well in the far East? What's the market niche over there that JB sells into?

One last question, a little more technical. From the photos on JB's website it looks like the A2K has few and small capacitors inside, at least relative to other comparable amps. Is this true, and if so, can you provide any 'color' on what this is about?

best,

Brandt

ps do you think JB will ever decide to offer any other faceplate options? I believe he could move more merchandise with just a little attention given to packaging (that is, by throwing a bone to the average audiophile's desire for luxe-finished goods when dropping $5k).

Sedona Sky Sound · « **Reply #23 on:** 5 Sep 2003, 04:08 am »

Hello Brandt,
I lived in Asia for a couple of years so have some idea, but turned to my wife (who is from Taiwan) to get a better perspective. Some thoughts are:

1) JB gets a lot of press in Japan. The Ampzillas were voted best amplifier by both Japan Stereo Times and Swing Journal.
2) The individuals that JB markets to like very distinctive products. There is no chance that anyone will mistake the Ampzillas for any other product.
3) Per my wife, the idea that the Ampzilla is small, heavy, overbuilt, and powerful appeals to a lot of Asians.
4) Strong, powerful, controlled bass is a very importantant attribute in Asia. I think this is due to all the homes being made of concrete and thus uncontrolled bass will "rumble" for a very long time.

JBs wife was Japanese so not sure how much she inspired the design/attributes.

As for changing the design to something more "American appealing", I don't see that happening anytime soon (see item 2 above). I remember someone mentioning that to JB in the past and the response was something like "over my dead body". JB is an extremely individualistic person (you will understand if you have seen any of his pictures from CES) and that carries over into his work. Having faceplates for both domestic and international sales would also increase costs.

I think the final point is that JB does what he does not to make money but because he enjoys it (and is very good at it). He has told me in the past that he has no desire to "crank out product". By keeping production small and controlled, he delivers a better product and is in much better financial shape than just about any of the audio manufacturer "big boys". As long as his health remains good, JB will continue to develop "revolutionary" products for all of us to enjoy.

As for the caps, I am really not sure. Luther Ward over at www.wardsweb.org might know since he has been following JBs design for a very long time.

Julian
www.sedonaskysound.com

bkwiram · « **Reply #24 on:** 5 Sep 2003, 06:25 am »

hey Julian,

Thanks for the info. I guess my question is - *why* does JB get the press in Japan rather than in the US? There's something going on that I'm not getting... after all, there are lots of people in the US who like iconoclasts and distinctive products.

As for the faceplates, I understand perfectly well the desire not to 'mass market' a high quality product. I guess I'm just a little sensitive to the feeling that if I bought his amps I'd have JB poking his 'I am different and better' finger in my eye every time I looked at them.

cheers,

Brandt

bkwiram · « **Reply #25 on:** 5 Sep 2003, 06:34 am »

What I'm trying to say is...there are other amps out there that control bass well, and aren't too huge, and are overbuilt, etc. But for some reason JB gets almost no press in the US, but lots in Asia. Maybe it really just is that his particular brand of flamboyance plays well in Asia for deep cultural reasons that are not easily analyzable.

BTW, I'm not at all hostile to the idea of JB and his brand of flamboyance - and I'm sure the amps are great - it's just that if I spent that much, I'd prefer something a little less visually combative. Distinctive, fine. Combative - hm.

best,

bk

bkwiram · « **Reply #26 on:** 5 Sep 2003, 06:34 am »

What I'm trying to say is...there are other amps out there that control bass well, and aren't too huge, and are overbuilt, etc. But for some reason JB gets almost no press in the US, but lots in Asia. Maybe it really just is that his particular brand of flamboyance plays well in Asia for deep cultural reasons that are not easily analyzable.

BTW, I'm not at all hostile to the idea of JB and his brand of flamboyance - and I'm sure the amps are great - it's just that if I spent that much, I'd prefer something a little less visually combative. Distinctive, fine. Combative - hm.

best,

bk

dubravko · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Sep 2003, 02:17 pm »

Quote from: bkwiram

Combative - hm.

bk,

A2000s are actually cute, since they are much smaller in flesh than photos suggest. I was equally turned off in the beginning, but now like them pretty much although their appearance seems unmatchable to virtually any imaginable decor.

And it's not just bass control, it's an excellent amp overall.