Describe your Spectral system

[ack]

Place holder thread for any Spectral system owners out there. Details on mine can be found at http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1249400348, my WBF album and also http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?298-Moderator-s-background

I would be interested in your thoughts of the line and also power conditioning solutions you use.

 

[mullard88]

I have been a Spectral user for more than 20 years. Sometime in the mid 1980s, I bought a Spectral DMC 10 (I forgot which series) and a DMA 50. The DMC 10 that I have now is a fully modified Crosby version. I no longer have the DMA 50. To round out my Spectral preamps, aside from the Crosby modified DMC 10, I have both the first and second generation full function DMC 20 preamps, the DMC 30SS line stage. As for the power amps, I have the original DMA 100, a pair of the DMA 80M, a pair of DMA 360 second generation, and a DMA 100S. For power conditioning, I use the full MIT package which consists of the Oracle AC1 power cord into an MIT power conditioning box then and Oracle AC2 from the power conditioning box to the AC outlet.

 

[ack]

Here's what another Spectral owner told me privately a few months ago about MIT power cables, and the reason I was looking for more info from anyone - draw your own conclusions:

"The 30SS would benefit from a higher end power cord that offers more extension, top and bottom, such as a MIT Oracle AC2. I am planning on demoing the Oracle AC2. If you have more than one z-stabilizer ( AC2 ) on a circuit it will over damping the signal and roll off the mid-top end and slightly compress the sound. I have each component on separate circuits. When I had the Spectral DMA-360 series one I demoed Oracle AC1 cables then Magnum AC2. I found running to AC2 cables rolled off the mid-top. Then I ran the amps on separate circuits and the sound opened up. Next was the Oracle AC1. I ran them together then on separate circuits. The amps sounded best on the same circuit."

Finally, I am preparing a mini review of my 360/S2's eventually, and would be interested in your thoughts...

 

[mullard88]

Before the MIT Oracle AC 2 power cords appeared, I used stock power cords to plug my source components and preamp into MIT Z isolator HC units. I also used the stock power cords to plug the power amps and subwoofers into the MIT Z stabilizer units. All the Z isolator HC and Z stabilizer units were plugged into the power outlet using the manufacturer supplied Z power cords.

The Oracle AC 2 power cord appeared in the time of the DMC 20. A friend lent me one Oracle AC 2 power cord to try. I used it to connect the DMC 20 directly into the power outlet, bypassing the Z isolator HC. I was immediately astonished at the amount of bass information that was suddenly there. Other noticeable impressions were the increase in energy level of the performances; and the increased sense of ambience of the performance venue and a spooky presence of the musicians. I was so impressed I bought a bunch of Oracle AC 1, AC 2, and AC 3 power cords.

After using the Oracle AC 2 as power cord plugging different components directly into the power outlets, my conclusions were:
1. If you only have one Oracle AC 2, use it on the preamp.
2. I did not notice the Oracle AC 2 having any effect on the turntable and phono stage.
3. They have a very positive effect on digital sources. I will definitely use Oracle AC 2 on my digital sources and preamp.
4. Their improvement on power amps are lesser in degree compared to digital sources and preamps.
5. For maximum effect, they should be used on the digital sources, preamp, and power amp.*

Next was to do component - Oracle AC 2 - Z isolator HC / Z stabilizer - Z cord - power outlet sequence. Everything sounded even clearer, even purer.

The next step I took was to utilize the component - Oracle AC 2 - Z isolator HC / Z stabilizer - Oracle AC 1 / AC 3 - power outlet sequence. The Oracle AC 3 did not do any harm but neither was there any improvement to the sound. The Oracle AC 1, however, produced additional improvements. They were not a matter of more bass, nor more energy but more dimensionality, a more defined sound stage, and an overall smoother sound. The smoothness was addicting, specially the smoothness in the transition of the music from note to note, these sounded really seamless.

Then I swapped the positions of the Oracle AC 1 and AC 2 power cords. The sequence became component - Oracle AC 1 - Z isolator HC / Z stabilizer - Oracle AC 2 - power outlet. There was further refinement and improvement overall. There is an eveness across the frequency range. There was also a sense of such bloom in the ambience that I was not just observing the musicians perfom in their venue but that I am part of the audience in the performance. The ambience bloom just reached out so far into the listening room that I felt I was physically present in the performance.

When I acquired my DMC 30SS, I started with the same power cord sequence. Sometime in the middle of last year, I came across the Sensory Power power cord. This power cord is much better that I now use it to plug the DMC 30SS and phono stage into the Z isolator HC. My current sequence for phono stage and DMC 30SS is component - Sensory Power power cord - Z isolator HC - Oracle AC 2 - power outlet. For everything else in the chain, my sequence is component - Oracle AC 1 - Z isolator HC / Z stabilizer - Oracle AC 2 - power outlet.

*I made a terrible mistake in typing conclusion number 2. I erroneously typed that the Oracle AC 2 did not have any effect on the turntable and phono stage. What I meant was the Oracle AC 2 had the least effect on the turntable and phono stage. What I also missed to type was that I did not sense noticeable improvements on the turntable and phono stage between using the Oracle AC 1 and Oracle AC 2. My apologies.

 

[ack]

Boy, do I feel I asked the right question! Thanks for sharing this detailed information. Next up - would you care to describe the sound of your system as is right now, and as it perhaps fares with others you have come across?

 

[mullard88]

Hi ack,

You're most welcome.

I last listened to my system about three months ago. Let me try to recall my impressions and the equipment in the chain. If not, I will give my system a listen when I have time and give you some impressions.

 

[mullard88]

Hi ack,

In rereading your post, I realized that you are interested in how my system sounds right now. I won't try to recall impressions but will give it a listen before posting some impressions.

 

[JackD201]

Hi M88,

When you get the spectrals and metaphors together I hope you invite me over neighbor. This is one of your combinations that I've yet to hear

 

[mullard88]

Hi JackD201,

It will be a pleasure. I have some family and business commitments to handle in the next two to three weeks. In the meantime, I will ask Super Mario to rotate the newest Spectral electronics and the Metaphors into the chain. Let's get together some time end of June or early July for a listen. You can also post your impressions so that ack can have a second perspective on my system's sound.

 

[mullard88]

Hi ack,

I see that you have Spectral - Maritn Logan back end. Twenty years ago, I had a pair of Martin Logan Sequel driven by a pair of Spectral DMA 50 bridged to mono. It's a good combination. Except for the bass, I was happy with the combination. I recall that the Sequel needed lots of room. My place had one big space for use as a living room and dining room. I had to move out the dining set, set up the Sequel at the dining table end of the room, and listen from the sofa set end of the room.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi ack,

I see that you have Spectral - Maritn Logan back end. Twenty years ago, I had a pair of Martin Logan Sequel driven by a pair of Spectral DMA 50 bridged to mono. It's a good combination. Except for the bass, I was happy with the combination. I recall that the Sequel needed lots of room. My place had one big space for use as a living room and dining room. I had to move out the dining set, set up the Sequel at the dining table end of the room, and listen from the sofa set end of the room.

What didn't you like about the bass? The amplifier or speaker or the combo?

 

[mullard88]

First the bass was all over the place. Second, it sounded like it was capable of only producing one note of bass. The wildness was tamed to a tolerable level after I installed a short fat tube trap behind the bass box of each speaker. However, all the bass notes still sounded alike.

 

[MylesBAstor]

First the bass was all over the place. Second, it sounded like it was capable of only producing one note of bass. The wildness was tamed to a tolerable level after I installed a short fat tube trap behind the bass box of each speaker. However, all the bass notes still sounded alike.

So it sounds like you're complaining more about the speaker's bass than the amp?

 

[mullard88]

Hi Myles,

I suspected it was the speaker but I did not have the chance to to try the amps on another speaker with similar frequency response as the Sequel. Before the Sequel, I used the pair of DMA 50 to drive the first generation of Wilson Audio Watt.

May i ask for your thoughts on what may have caused the bass I described?

 

[ack]

Sorry, I am not familiar with either those speakers or the amp. I have no issues with the bass with my system, and in fact, I do attenuate the bass panel with two Caddock resistors (4 and 6 ohms in parallel that gives me an effective 2.4 omhs resistance); on the other hand, the Odysseys like the Prodigies have two woofers per side, with variable out-of-phase alignment. The bass is very tight and pistonic.

 

[American Audiophile]

Vintage Spectral set up http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1281200478&view

 

[ack]

Glad to have you here. Would you believe if I told you that I commented on your system on a'gon and suggested that you post it here, only to have the moderators reject my post? What a joke. Would love to read about your impressions of the sound.

 

[American Audiophile]

Will post a couple of Spectral Reviews on your site today under the reviews section. Might be worth reading for the members here.