SPECTRAL 100/DMC 20 preamp comments....

Hello Mythtrip, I am not much of a ss fan and my opinions on MIT I will keep to myself. In the mid 90s I owned the DMC-20 and the 180 amp. A friend sent me the top of the line MIT cables to sell for him. I think they were called terminator but I'm not sure. Another friend of mine who is also an Audiogon member (Jcbtubes) got together and set up the Spectral gear along with the MIT in his system. We used the Audiostatic 4 panel speaker system and turntable only.
This was the best I have ever heard in all the years I have been in audio. We couldn't stop laughing because we couldn't believe what we were hearing. I could go on and use all the audio buzz words but the best description that comes to mind is real. It was a real memory maker. I haven't heard anything like it since. Maybe Jcbtubes will jump in and give his opinions. I am not sure if this is a negative but Spectral is an expensive commitment. It is my opinion that MIT should be used with Spectral. When you said "I never thought the illusion of a live performance could be created" I felt the same as you. All I have said is coming from devoted tube snob. Go for it. I can't believe you would ever be sorry. Best of luck to you.

I once owned a dmc6 preamp; sold it to finance a home theatre system. I still suspect that were I to acquire a spectral preamp/amp (balanced models) that I would not much miss my audio note tube gear on a day to day basis. I would miss looking at the glowing tubes in the dark, however; maybe that is what makes the tubes sound so much better.

I will get an all spectral system one day.

Carl

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DMA100 is bettered by the DMA150, which has been superceded by the DMA150 series II (one half of the DMC360 monoblocks).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