Spectral

[dan31]

No dac, no phonostage. Just amps.

 

[Whbgarrett]

Has there been any further mention in Spectre circles of the much talked of DAC?

None of which I am aware. The DAC and Phono pre have been rumored for years, with no real evidence of an impending product introduction. If I had to bet, I would put money on the Phono pre being more likely, if only because the Spectral system based approach would have them reaching back in the chain through renderer and into the server to be able to control all parameters, which is a much larger undertaking. But I am speculating.

 

[Mdp632]

None of which I am aware. The DAC and Phono pre have been rumored for years, with no real evidence of an impending product introduction. If I had to bet, I would put money on the Phono pre being more likely, if only because the Spectral system based approach would have them reaching back in the chain through renderer and into the server to be able to control all parameters, which is a much larger undertaking. But I am speculating.

I have to agree. Again IMHO; these are two most wanted products for Spectral owners and probably dealers.

I think the "SV" technology is what will the foundation of these future products. Now that Spectral has implemented a full update to their pre-amps and the SV amps are very special indeed.

@Whbgarrett I think you are correct in that the phono stage will be first if any of them see the light of day. Simply, as you have stated and know Spectral is too much of perfectionist company IMHO to release a DAC with network streaming in which the distortion from a user's network will induce jitter thus reduce the performance of their DAC. They would have to control the whole chain.

Although Spectral did have a DAC many years ago but, pre dated computer file playback.

That's why the purest physical media format (CD and hopefully soon LP) is ideal for them.

I asked a Spectral dealer once why not just take the amazing Berk Ref 2 MQA DAC (at that time was the latest) and just remove the digital volume controls, add the SV output stage and call it day?

But, that's not the Spectral way I was told.

Perhaps I'll go to NYC for the event and see if I can ask some questions to Rick Fryer but, who knows.

@TMenacker has commented on this forum before. He was at Overture when they were Spectral dealers.

Perhaps he will see this post and chime in.