Spectral DMA 300 RS/SV

[Hiempie]

Hello,

Are there members with Spectral DMA 300 without using MIT LS cable?

After using my DMA 260 several years without MIT cable, and not blowing up my Poweramp I want to improve to a next level. But lots off people are warning me don't do it, you need to use Mit cable! But I don't want to use it anymore the quality of this cable is in my opinion noth worth the money/price they ask. I improved the cable quality by using 30 times cheaper cable so for me no MIT cable anymore. I sold all my Oracle cables I could buy a new car for it

Are there more members using no Mit cable with Spectral? specialy with Reference Standard poweramp?
If so I want to go to a next level.
If not I need to leave Spectral and go to Audionet / Soulution / Jeff Rowland / ???

Please let me know your expirience/advise,

Greetz Hiempie

 

[Hiempie]

Glad to play now for the second day with my new 300 RS love it great improvement. I played about 6 years with 260-1 and made big steps by using new LS cable it solved many resonance problems in the low range. I was always thinking is was a accoustic problem. But the Triple C copper LS cable solved all my resonace problems.

The DMA 300RS sounds great wider image more detailed bass an better mids. Happy man I believe after a month playing with this amp I can realy discribe what this amp realy does.

Greetz Hiempie

 

[Adimon]

Glad to play now for the second day with my new 300 RS love it great improvement. I played about 6 years with 260-1 and made big steps by using new LS cable it solved many resonance problems in the low range. I was always thinking is was a accoustic problem. But the Triple C copper LS cable solved all my resonace problems.

The DMA 300RS sounds great wider image more detailed bass an better mids. Happy man I believe after a month playing with this amp I can realy discribe what this amp realy does.

Greetz Hiempie

Which cable did you use?
Still use the Magnum MA with the 260.
Spectral as Mit price increase is far to high .
(Europe)

 

[Hiempie]

Hi Adimon,

In the past I owned Mit Oracle MA-X2 and MA-X both interlink and with LS Oracle Matrix 120 SHD rev.1 but after experience with a good friend also owner off much cheaper MIT Cable we discovered there was actually no difference I also used the latest Heritage line from my Spectral dealer but I couldn't hear any diffence inmy system. So I took my old cheap In Akustik LS 1102 cable and again we did't hear any difference. Then I made the comparisson between the verry cheap Linn black line RCA connector about 100 euro a set (I got if for free with my Akurate DS it was left for years in the box ) and my Oracle cable at least 100 times the price of the Linn cable and again we were asthonished we did't hear any difference and on both stereo sets, on my Spectral Amps and the other Pass Labs for us a total deception. Audio dealers and more audio lovers don't believe it or say there must be something wrong with your amps ha ha.
I also tried verry cheap but good copper LS cable from Kemp Akustik about 250 euro for 2,5 meter It sounds a little bit better then the 1102 about 700 euro 3 meter.

I sold all my MIT cables and I agree with you, Spectral price is in Europe over the top so I won't buy new equipment the price is crazy high.

Now I play with Triple C copper LS cable from a local cable company called PURE CABLE and I paid 1299 for 3 meter single wired. But man this is what I was looking for I wrote about it above. The naked cable is from Nanotec-systems a cable maker in Japan the best quality calble I ever heard. Furutech is also using the same cable but for Furutech again high prices but I must admit it is beautiful made

I never want to use MIT cable anymore for the money I saved I could buy the 300 RS and man now I hear difference.

Here in Holland I discovered yesterday a dealer is selling Spectral combined with Cristal cable DMA 300SV and DMC 30SV-2
They must believe nothing strange will happen with the amps like occilating and so on. https://www.audioxperience.com/proj...ral-dma-300sv-dcs-rossini-en-vivid-giya-g4-s2
In my system nothing happened last two years.

I would say just try out and believe what your ears hear.

Greetz Hiempie

 

[marty]

The OP brought back many memories. I bought my first Spectral product, their preamp, back in 1979. I have since owned many Spectral products since then with various levels of satisfaction and enjoyment. It was easy to go down the MIT cable upgrade path due to my own susceptibility to both marketing and SQ, but in the end, my Spectral experience ended badly. In particular, for many years I was a leading advocate of the supposed dogma that you must use MIT cables with Spectral gear. I've written extensively on this in the past and won't bother to list the thread here, but you can do the research if you wish to find the relevant threads. In short, Spectral themselves have gone back and forth on their insistence that one must use networked MIT/Spectral cables with their electronics. Total nonsense. The need for this arose due to development of amps that had megahertz bandwidths and if the signal going to them was not filtered by the networks, some of their amps had a tendency to oscillate and blow-up. (This was not true for their earlier models such as the DMA 50 and 90- a wonderful amp!)

I have long preferred to use tube preamps with Spectral amps. My last such set-up used a VTL 7.5 III and since this preamp had a bandwidth of about 200KHz, it seemed a poor argument for me that it could output significant high frequency content to cause my Spectral 400 monoblocs to oscillate, hence I chose NOT to use MIT cabling but rather interconnects (and speaker cables) that I found sonically far preferable (Masterbuilt). In general I found the MIT rabbit hole seductive but in the end, not musically pleasing or natural throughout the MIT product range. I find no fault in the system approach that Spectral advocates in which the pre/power and cabling are all part of an intentional "total system" design. But to make a long story short, it's just not for me.

My limit and final exasperation with Spectral/ MIT was finally reached when I wanted to purchase their new DMA 500 monoblocs, but Goodwin's in MA said point blank that I could not buy them unless I agreed to buy a Spectral preamp as well. Hard to believe but that's the way it was. No thanks and thus, my Spectral MIT days were suddenly over. Spectral makes fine products if you like the total Spectral/MIT sound, but it's just not for me and hasn't been for some time.

 

[Hiempie]

Hi Marty,
I recognise your reaction you also replyed on other Spectral threads.

Here in Europe the 500 AR or SV is not for sale maybee they don't want to these old guys from Spectral I don't know. But I believe the price would be sky high the 400SV is about 70.000 dollar in that range they need to fight agains lot's of Swiss or German made amplifiers also US made compettitors are possible.

I believe Europe is much to far away for Spectral CEO Rick Fryar visits once a year the Dutch distibutor and probably they don't know dealers don't believe what they write for years in the product info about MIT.
My first amp was the DMA 150-2 and after five years I bought the 260-1 and last week the 300RS.
The tekst in the manual is for all three amps exactly the same only the type name is different .
But I must say the sound is top!

about 45 years ago my first amp was Leak then Luxman two first integrated then preamp and amp, I owned them each about five years, then two Krell integrated amps for me a big improvement als now I own the third Spectral amp also three Spectral Preamp. I visited lots of audio shows but it is difficult to choose a new product.
Buying a car is easyer you can make a trip and then decide. After Krell I didn't buy new products anymore after five years an amp has lost at least 60% of the worth. I include a price list in euro and including VAT.

It a shame what these US Spectral dealers do! Here in Holland I never heard such stories and I believe Dutch people would do the same like you did. Never heard about masterbuild but there are so many cable producers I just saw there is a distibutor here in Holland.

I am happy without MIT and with Spectral what kind of amps and speakers do you use at this time?

Greetz Hiempie

 

[marty]

Greetz
Masterbuilt is a boutique cable designer that is sort of an obsessional favorite of many on this forum. They have an exclusive relationship now with Von Schweikert Audio. Not sure if VSA owns MB (Masterbuilt, not Mercedes Benz ) or if they are their exclusive distributor), but MB cables are enjoyed by many here for good reason. Excellent stuff.

My system is detailed on my "bio" page under "about", although the list isn't quite accurate. I've had horrible reliability problems with my Soulution 701 amps so that's a work in progress....

Good luck with your Spectral journey. It's one that many have taken and with good results. As I said, they make fine gear. But there's so much great gear out there! (which is why the saying goes, "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice").

It's just unfortunate that Spectral makes their "train" very hard to ride, which pretty much forced me to get off at the last station! Actually, I should modify that. I didn't get off the train. They threw me off!
Marty

 

[ack]

Ouch on the Soulution.

PS: Never go crazy on MIT cabling and Spectral; there is a point of diminishing returns. And they never went back and forth on MIT cabling since they first required it, just the preamp requirement. The amps are not filtered (in or out), and they need some sort of stability control, as all solid state do, so find what works for you. If you look at older-design pictures (like the DMA-90, -100S), they had the typical in/out stability filters - yanked sine then

 

[ack]

Here's an example of an output choke of yore that has been removed for some 25 years now. Look at the lower-left corner



also seen here in the upper-right corner http://www.spectralaudio.com/dma-100s_interior_large.html

 

[mullard88]

hi Hiempie,

I have a DMA 100S driving Von Schweikert E3 Mk II speakers in my bedroom system. It is all cabled by Masterbuilt Performance line power cord, interconnect and speaker cable. I have not encountered any problems with this combination.

 

[roundhead]

I concur. Tried to get into Spectral but with no UK dealer the prices in Europe are more than twice the USA prices. You could buy twice the equipment. Nothing wrong with Spectral. It’s European dealer greed. Shame. In the end it will eventually kill off Spectral’s presence outside of the US.

 

[Hiempie]

hoi Hiempie,

Ik heb een DMA 100S die Von Schweikert E3 Mk II-luidsprekers in mijn slaapkamersysteem aanstuurt. Het is allemaal bekabeld door Masterbuilt Performance line-netsnoer, interconnect en luidsprekerkabel. Ik ben met deze combinatie geen problemen tegengekomen.

Hello Mullard88,

Great to read again I am not allone changing MIT to other cablebuilders I believe Spectral sounds better whitout MIT. Years ago I tried and compared it again and again I made the step to play whithout any MIT or Spectral cable, it was the best I did in years whitout any regret. In Dutch we say it now plays the stars from heaven .
Thanks for sharing your expieence, I believe there are there must be more audio freeks who did it.

Greetz Hiempie

 

[chungjh]

Greetz
Masterbuilt is a boutique cable designer that is sort of an obsessional favorite of many on this forum. They have an exclusive relationship now with Von Schweikert Audio. Not sure if VSA owns MB (Masterbuilt, not Mercedes Benz ) or if they are their exclusive distributor), but MB cables are enjoyed by many here for good reason. Excellent stuff.

My system is detailed on my "bio" page under "about", although the list isn't quite accurate. I've had horrible reliability problems with my Soulution 701 amps so that's a work in progress....

Good luck with your Spectral journey. It's one that many have taken and with good results. As I said, they make fine gear. But there's so much great gear out there! (which is why the saying goes, "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice").

It's just unfortunate that Spectral makes their "train" very hard to ride, which pretty much forced me to get off at the last station! Actually, I should modify that. I didn't get off the train. They threw me off!
Marty

My friend wants to replace his 30 yr old DMA-200. Is it really true that in order to buy a new Spectral amp you have to buy a new Spectral preamp too? Or was that just for DMA-500?

 

[marty]

My friend wants to replace his 30 yr old DMA-200. Is it really true that in order to buy a new Spectral amp you have to buy a new Spectral preamp too? Or was that just for DMA-500?

I think it depends on exactly which Spectral amp you are considering, There were many low powered Spectral amps that didn't mandate Spectral preamps (i.e. DMA50, DMA90) and some others that had a "universal" input (a feature to limit bandwidth expressly for the purpose of being able to use any preamp). However, the best advice would probably come from Spectral directly or a Spectral dealer although I would not be surprised if they told you every Spectral amp requires a Spectral pre-amp (which is just not true). I would PM ack who is probably more knowledgeable on this topic.

 

[chungjh]

I think it depends on exactly which Spectral amp you are considering, There were many low powered Spectral amps that didn't mandate Spectral preamps (i.e. DMA50, DMA90) and some others that had a "universal" input (a feature to limit bandwidth expressly for the purpose of being able to use any preamp). However, the best advice would probably come from Spectral directly or a Spectral dealer although I would not be surprised if they told you every Spectral amp requires a Spectral pre-amp (which is just not true). I would PM ack who is probably more knowledgeable on this topic.

I am considering DMA-250 that has been sold and bought several times; so I don't know its condition. It is supposed to be universal. Do you know roughly how much Spectral charges to refurbish it?

 

[dan31]

Not sure what a total refurbishment will cost. I can say it will not be cheap. The time it will take to evaluate the amp, perform service and retest will take several hours and Spectral will retest every parameter of the amp before completing. I believe you will need to work through an authorized dealer.

 

[The Knife]

From now and then there are Spectral´s in the European 2nd hand market with prices that are more attractive.

Spectral DMA 200S vs DMA 260.
Any opinion on sonic differences of these two machines?

Kind regards

 

[Hiempie]

The 200S was introduced about 13 years ago and the 260 one year later. The 260 was about 50% higher priced.
Sound is good last year I improved from 260 to 300RS but you have to pay more then double. Yes the sound is much better.
Price of new products are crazy high here in Holland

Kind regards

 

[dan31]

The 200S was introduced about 13 years ago and the 260 one year later. The 260 was about 50% higher priced.
Sound is good last year I improved from 260 to 300RS but you have to pay more then double. Yes the sound is much better.
Price of new products are crazy high here in Holland

Kind regards

Hello Hiempie,

Are you still using the Spectral amp and Spectral preamp with no MIT cables and no problems? Do you leave your preamp or amp powered on for long periods of time, several days?

 

[Hiempie]

Hello Hiempie,

Are you still using the Spectral amp and Spectral preamp with no MIT cables and no problems? Do you leave your preamp or amp powered on for long periods of time, several days?

Hi Dan,

Yes I don't want MIT anymore in my system, I now use Triple C copper cables (Nanotec-system.jp) about 25 times cheaper and the sound is better and very important for me no booming bas anymore but rich bas and better controlled. Before I used MIT Oracle MA-X2 interlink and Oracle Matrix SHD120 speaker cable. I sold them and bought from the money I saved new cables, speakers and DMA 300RS because price of MIT is skyhigh here in Holland

Company below sells the most Spectral in Holland (distributor More Music told me) and they also sell it with other cables if you want

Spectral DMC-30SV2, Spectral DMA-300SV, dCS Rossini en Vivid Giya G4 S2

Om een systeem zoals deze aan onze portfolio te mogen toevoegen is natuurlijk voor ons met recht een kers op de taart! Zoals eerder geschreven bij een van onze andere projecten, een systeem zoals deze is tot stand gekomen na jaren van luisteren, genieten en de welhaast natuurlijke drang naar een...

www.audioxperience.com

I always leave power on the preamp not several weeks but for years (only shut down for cleaning) and always shut down after use the amp.

Kind regards