SPECTRAL 100/DMC 20 preamp comments....

Give the DMC30 a shot. I think it's better than the DMC20. DMC20 allows you to have an internal phono input.

DMA100 is bettered by the DMA150, which has been superceded by the DMA150 series II (one half of the DMC360 monoblocks).

MIT cables are the only way to go with Spectral. A LOT of people crap all over these cables because of the networks, but they can't seem to realize that it's necessary since the output of the amps go from DC to 2GHz. They also fail to realize some of the junk that's INSIDE their individual components (thin wires, etc.) that they would never place as separate components in their rigs. It's all one system, from AC power to the speakers.

It's about the end result. Spectral with MIT is awesome. No fatigue whatsoever. All of the Reference Recordings LPs and CDs that people just drool over are recorded and mastered with just this setup.

Spectral, IMHO, is some of the finest, if not finest, SS gear available.

Can't go wrong with Spectral. Trust your ears.

Tom

P.S. currently listening to the DMC30SL,DMA150MkII, SME10, Amati's and loving it!

I A/B'd the 20 and 30SL extensivley. The 30SL is a better preamp than the 20: more resolution, better soundstage, quieter. The 30SL is better than the 30, which I previously owned. The 30 was the single box version of the 20. The 30SL is the new, improved preamp. The 30S or reference, I believe, lacks the surround sound pass-through feature and one or two other items to reduce it's cost and price. Not sure what those other items are.

This is from Spectral's website on the 30SL: "The result of this endeavor is simply the finest preamplifier ever offered by Spectral Audio in our long twenty-five year history."

How it differs from the 20 and 30:

FURTHER REFINEMENTS

"The SHHA (Spectral High-speed Hybrid Amplifier) line section technology is only part of the unique advances incorporated in DMC-30SL. New power supply topology and precision shunt regulators for all sections offer superior isolation and remarkable 8dB improvement in signal-to-noise over the excellent DMC-30. Power supply transformer capacity also doubles to accommodate massive shielding arrays for improved line isolation and field containment. Cost-no-object component technologies such as hand-trimmed bulk metal resistors and custom polystyrene film caps occupy sensitive signal locations such as gain setting and feedback. Improvements are not limited to performance advances alone. User convenience benefits also as the DMC-30SL incorporates surround sound input programming for home theatre integration. "