Why do you never near anything about Spectral

I have heard some Spectral systems and have mixed feelings. I once heard the DMA-360's with a Spectral front end playing over Dunalvy 5 speakers at Goodwin's in the Boston area. I was pretty amazed. The resolution and dynamics coming from these amps was extrodinary and significantly better than the DMA180. It was not lifeless...in fact it was very life-like (I think the Dunlavy's had a lot to do with that...much better than the Avalons which were evaluated that day. I can see equating lifeless with Avalon's) Ever since then, I have committed to trying to recapture that level of resolution and presence from my future system iterations.

On the other hand, I heard an all spectral system using the DMA180 amp over Wilson WP-6 speakers. I was totally unimpressed. Very thin, strident, bright..uninvolving and unatural. I don't know if it was the amp, room, or speakers...?

I think it is a stretch to assume that all tubes sound warm, fuzzy euphonic just like it is wrong to assume that all solid state is sterile. In fact, I think the best examples of each are beginning to converge and system combinations must be considered.

For example, I found that my CAT JL-2 tube amp, combined with Viurtual Dynamics cables, comes pretty damn close to the resolution and dynamics I heard from the Spectral 360's but beats the combo I heard in terms of providing a very natural body, timbre and life, without sounding euphonic or fuzzy.

Ultimately, one needs to look at the right combo's. I think the Avalon speaker may not be the best match for the Spectral. However, need to be careful that you consider a more balanced front end when using spectral amps and pre so as to "tune" the sound.

I think an ultimate system would be to utilize a high resolution tube preamp with Spectral 360 amp

When I speak of tubes I speak of transformer coupled tube amps, OTLs are much different beast. I have heard OTLs only twice, the most memorable one somewhere on US 206 or 209 in Northern Jersey an audio store had the NYAL OTL-1s with an NYAL preamp driving a pair of Tangent speakers with VPI turntable playing Coltrane, now that was magic!

I have owned a lot of the gear discussed in this thread, including a Spectral preamp and amp for many years. I loved the stuff. This combination was absolutely clear, timbrally lovely, with great frequency extension, and a dynamic nuance that I've not heard very often from solid state. They were my favorite combination with the Martin-Logan CLSes and Kinergetics subwoofers that I used them with for well over a decade. They were not as well suited for the Wilson WP7s that replaced the ML/Kinergetics combo. After extensive listening at home, in private listening rooms, stores and shows I have found that I respond much more favorably to Wilsons with tubes than without them. This is not an indictment of Spectral by any means! In the right application they can be positively stellar. My cousin has a Spectral based system that he is running with M-L Requests and a REL subwoofer that is truly to die for. I've heard Spectral components sound amazing with Quads, Frieds and Vandersteens, among others. Chalk it all up to personal taste, and the diversity of perspectives that different components provide.

Hi Everybody, to my understanding business has not changed in thousand of years. The companies that buy advertising and supply reveiwer with free preks. Will get the gift of kind words. I have been chaseing the dream of best system since my Marantz 4400.(It died driving my 801S3) I have all McIntosh, MIT, & B&W speakers. I am so happy. I found the dream. That was 15 years ago. I have been upgrading over the years. The new Diamond speakers are The best detailed, I know of. Good luck to all. Just my thoughts. Don

Spectral from what I understand doesn't give stuff away...which limits the mags interest...when I helped manage a hifi company in the 70s....it was difficult to retreive stuff...even if they decided not to write about things....and doing nice things...at CES shows...dinners, etc....and later on ads...got you reviews....with the typical statement...."the best of the type for the type...great improvement over the type....blah blah blah...
John

PS: I liked my spectral stuff on the snells...now use Wilson..Sophia 2 with Ayre pre and soon to be mono amps...