Spectral SDR 4000 SL

[LL21]

Well...in the end this also is a matter of taste. I think "musicality" is a very subjective term, as is the superiority of analogue over digital. I heard the Spectral and the dCS stack. The owner of the best high-end shop in the Netherlands, who is a dealer of both brands and a record producer, was also blown away by the dCS stack. It was the closest to "recreating the recording venue acoustics". It was like listening to the master tape. But again...I would be VERY happy with both machines
And I must admit that I have not heard the EMM or Playback Design.

Hi...interesting. Which DCS stack? Vivaldi or Scarlatti? Any 'notes' about the differences between the two? Thanks!

 

[dcc]

Top range of EMM and Playback Design make better impression than DCS… Sorry.
And Spectral listening was fabulous. much better versus an Audrender + DCS Dac on the same spectral gear + Audiophysic

It would be worth mentioning that you are comparing the dCS Debussy/Aurender against the Spectral (I also attended the Noir et Blanc show). Basically a combo of about half the price of the Spectral. To be fair, you need to compare the Spectral against players/combo in the same price range and there are some tough contenders out there...

By the way, I was not that impressed by this room... Personal tastes I guess but I found it way too brilliant... I would blame the speakers as I have heard the Spectral in Noir et Blanc's show room with the Rockport Aquila and the TAD Evolution One. This was definitely a different league.

Though the Spectral is a great player, the absence of digital inputs makes a difficult commercial proposition as in its price range, all its contenders are offering this feature. When I was on the search for a new player, I scrapped it from my short list because of this.

 

[nirodha]

Hi...interesting. Which DCS stack? Vivaldi or Scarlatti? Any 'notes' about the differences between the two? Thanks!

The Vivaldi. It opens up the view (the "sense of being there") even more than the Scarlatti. No smearing and more truth of sound (supplying all the upper harmonics which define an instrument). Hope this helps. I can never afford this but have heard it 3 times. Amazing stuff. If you have a chance to hear this, take it and enjoy!

 

[LL21]

The Vivaldi. It opens up the view (the "sense of being there") even more than the Scarlatti. No smearing and more truth of sound (supplying all the upper harmonics which define an instrument). Hope this helps. I can never afford this but have heard it 3 times. Amazing stuff. If you have a chance to hear this, take it and enjoy!

Nice one! I have heard Scarlatti when i was being tempted on a second hand trade-in opportunity with my Zanden DAC. Scarlatti won my head not my heart, nor my wallet. Stunning effortless resolution, and in the right system i could sense serious magic. Preferred my Zanden in the end but a personal preference. I sense that Vivaldi is more nuanced than Scarlatti? that is my sense based on comments from those who've heard.

 

[lolo77]

It would be worth mentioning that you are comparing the dCS Debussy/Aurender against the Spectral (I also attended the Noir et Blanc show). Basically a combo of about half the price of the Spectral. To be fair, you need to compare the Spectral against players/combo in the same price range and there are some tough contenders out there...

You're right but same thing with DCS (same price than only a transport like Vivaldi - add the Dac, CLock…)
To be honnest I never heard Vivaldi range and of course I could believe it goes well.


By the way, I was not that impressed by this room... Personal tastes I guess but I found it way too brilliant... I would blame the speakers as I have heard the Spectral in Noir et Blanc's show room with the Rockport Aquila and the TAD Evolution One. This was definitely a different league.
Sure but much more than 10 K€/ virgo25+
AudiopHysic are really good speakers but unknowed from most of audiophiles. Their placement in the room wasn't very logic…??? Nevertheless We were several guys to find this listening very good. I own a pair of Caldera (25K€) and you could be surprise with this brand. I like also Rockport sound and TAD of course (but I prefer the big DSM1)

Though the Spectral is a great player, the absence of digital input makes a difficult commercial proposition as in its price range, all its contenders are offering this feature. When I was on the search for a new player, I scrapped it from my short list because of this.
I understand this point, no client would like today a new player without digital inputs except if they own alreday a top DAC.It's a marketing prbleme for the brand.

For me Top players or associations Transport/dac/clock become really too expensive for me and I found all this prices not realistic with the selected components, box and research cost…
Much more with music server well done. The best that I've heard is the Audionec server (best listening in Munchen since 2 years). it includes a PC basis with SSD, JRiver soft, MSB DAC in one product.

Sorry my english is not fluent as most of french.
I'm retailer and integrator around PAris and I have difficulties to justifiy such so different levels of rate.
if clients really want this king of products no problem. certain have fun to buy Aston Martin… So I respect that there is a small market for that…
But for the common audiophile it begins difficult
My best quality/price players are Playback System 03 and Esoteric K03…

 

[edorr]

The SL is untouchable by the dCS, MSB and Berkeley I have heard. You'd be very lucky to get one; I think your jaw will drop. I am actually waiting for their DAC instead.

Any indication this is under development?

 

[ack]

Any indication this is under development?

Yes, and they demoed a prototype years ago at a CES, though it was a still demo. It may be due after the phono.

 

[edorr]

Yes, and they demoed a prototype years ago at a CES, though it was a still demo. It may be due after the phono.

Any indication on price. Do you know if it will have a volume control?

 

[nirodha]

Any indication on price. Do you know if it will have a volume control?

Oeh....a volume control..that would be nice! Hope Ack knows

 

[ack]

The new dCS stack is unbeatable...sorry...but I would gladly trade in my old dCS Elgar Plus / Verdi for the Spectral haha. That is also no contest.

I can confirm that I have only listened to the Scarlatti against the 4000SL, not the new Vivaldi, and likely never will (the store had it in for evaluation for just a few days this past weekend and will return the stack apparently today - my guess is they won't keep it in the store due to price and lack of interest at that price level).

 

[roundhead]

After 8 years, am I guessing that Spectral aren’t going ahead with a DAC or a file-player?

 

[dan31]

After 8 years, am I guessing that Spectral aren’t going ahead with a DAC or a file-player?

Correct. They are happy with the CD source.

 

[ack]

I heard the other day from the dealer that a DAC is "far out" - responses like these are what's confusing consumers, do not aid in purchasing decisions, and generate rumors. This is a lesson that Spectral will never learn.

 

[roundhead]

“Far out”. Is that “far out” as in something a Californian surfer would say, or does a dealer mean a DAC is far away perhaps years and years away? The two leads of Spectral are in their 70s. What will happen to this company, their vision and the servicing?

 

[Lagonda]

Spectral and Keith Johnson where ahead of their times in the 90's, lately they have just been letting everyone else catch up !

 

[ack]

I don't know what will happen to the company when the principals are no longer involved, but there is a strong team to potentially carry it into the future, and I hope Johnson's brilliance and methodology have been radiated internally. With such strong demand for the few products they make, it would be shocking not to have a plan for the future of the business. And yes, "far out" means the typical "well into the future."

 

[dan31]

I think Fryer and Johnson will keep Spectral going. This is a fun project for them. They do this because they like the work. This is also why they are not driven by market influences for a product of the month.

 

[Jon Q]

I think Fryer and Johnson will keep Spectral going. This is a fun project for them. They do this because they like the work. This is also why they are not driven by market influences for a product of the month.

100% agree

 

[roundhead]

I’ve been looking into Spectral for the last couple of years but there is no UK dealer and the dealers in Europe charge almost double which is incomprehensible/greedy and out of the league of most mortals. The only chance is to fly to the US by the units would be US voltage not European voltage. I wonder if I buy directly from the factory...

I can only see a fax number but I don’t have a fax machine and no one I know uses fax machines. Do they have an email address?

 

[dan31]

You cannot buy from the factory. Spectral will instruct you to your nearest dealer.