David Matz
Well-known member
Have been enjoying Brian's Atma-Sphere MA1 tube amps on my Soundlabs while he is visiting out of town clients. Although they sound great on his more efficient px panels, they don't have enough oomph for my taste to properly drive my A1's. They do produce the most gorgeous and immediate midrange I have ever heard. Talking about Ray Charles or Grank Sinatra or Ann Hampton Callaway in the room...So after listening to vocals non-stop for many hours, I was in the mood for something else. I put my Spires in the system.
Boy, was it a treat! My previous experience with Mac and Bat amps on Logans has been very lukewarm, as I really enjoy dynamics, and those amps just could not cut the mustard. Every one knows that tube amps produce a gorgeous midrange. The midrange of MA1 is extra special, with in the room immediacy I could never imagine on the Spire. I also guessed that high powered/ high priced tube amps can compete with solid state in terms of dynamics. But I was truly floored when the Atma sphere amp SMOKED my CJ 350 on dynamics. They also smoked the CJ on transparency, timbres, in inner detail, neutrality, and sheer presence. Imagine a SET amp with great bass and extended highs. The CJ has more controlled bass as one would expect. This thing is twice the price of the CJ, in fairness.
Although people probably have driven the CLX with better electronics, I can pretty fairly say that no one has probably has experienced the Spires quite like this.
Boy, was it a treat! My previous experience with Mac and Bat amps on Logans has been very lukewarm, as I really enjoy dynamics, and those amps just could not cut the mustard. Every one knows that tube amps produce a gorgeous midrange. The midrange of MA1 is extra special, with in the room immediacy I could never imagine on the Spire. I also guessed that high powered/ high priced tube amps can compete with solid state in terms of dynamics. But I was truly floored when the Atma sphere amp SMOKED my CJ 350 on dynamics. They also smoked the CJ on transparency, timbres, in inner detail, neutrality, and sheer presence. Imagine a SET amp with great bass and extended highs. The CJ has more controlled bass as one would expect. This thing is twice the price of the CJ, in fairness.
Although people probably have driven the CLX with better electronics, I can pretty fairly say that no one has probably has experienced the Spires quite like this.
