Anyone with Spectral Experience?

I heard one of the high end (over 5K) spectral amps powering a vandersteen 3aSig, and didn't like it. It was very detailed, but cold and antiseptic sounding to me. I had never heard the 3aSig sound bad until I heard that system.

I compared the high end Spectral 360 monoblocks to ARC CJ and Melos monoblocks as well as my old Theshold SA/1. I found them harsh and bright with Dunlavy SC-V's. I listen to a lot of classical music live and recorded and did not think that these units were either musical or accurate.

I have had the 12/90 preamp/amp combination and upgraded to the 20 and a second 90 bridged. Only when I went top of the line in MIT cables(shotgun EVO interconnect and 850 CVT speaker cables), dedicated power lines and full complement of MIT line conditioning did the system show its full potential. The Spectral gear is incredibly revealing and will be bright sounding with less than the best. Musical recordings will be "musical". Bright recordings will be bright. It will reproduce the recording very accurately. The speakers are very critical as well. I have Avalon Arcus and the combination is well matched. Of course the Avalons are made to mate with Spectral gear. I had Vandersteen 3 and they did not have the resolving power in the mids to complement my Spectral gear. I have yet to upgrade to the Spectral digital. I currently use a Theta Jade/GEN Va with single mode. By the way, the dedicated power lines and dedicated ground was by far the biggest improvement ever in my system. I am now hearing details on recordings that I never heard before. I'm talking about recordings that I have listened to for years and years. Hope this helps!! Tim

The best system I have ever heard to date is the spectral, MIT, Avalon combination. It had an eerie resolving ability. The depth that that system could get from the music was amazing. It could even throw an image behind me and to the left and be perfectly defined FROM A CD RECORDING!. I watched part of return of the jedi on laser disc and I was totaly in the forest the ambience surrounded me. birds chirped as if they were actually in tree's behind me and all around. then laser blasts came from behind and shot over me and to the front of me. I WAS IN THAT WORLD. This was just plain stereo folks. just 2 speakers. with music you here every nuance. YOU ARE THERE. Yeah sometimes it got bright but is was very recording dependent. I would never use spectral with vandersteens. There is no way that speaker could handle the resolving ability of spectral gear. You will never ever here the potential of their gear with any speaker that glosses over the sound like vandersteens do. That was only the $30,000 system but in a very customized room with expensive room treatment. If your solely into classical I could see it maybe not being right for some people because allot of people like their classical full, warm, and lush. Spectral gives you what's on the CD and adds nothing to it. BUT MATCH YOUR GEAR CAREFULLY. Also read the amazing review from stereophile on this system (1996). I heard this system in 1995 and have yet to here better. If you do it right your jaw will drop and never come back up!