Spectral Voltage conversion

edorr

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Can voltage on a Spectral preamp be converted from 220 to 110v? There is a used one for sale but it is 220V based on Europe. Also, what is the upgrade price. It is a 30SS.
 

ack

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Best to call the factory; when I inquired a dealer long ago, if a unit were in my possession for at least 6 months and was bought from him, and I were to move overseas and somehow needed my music, then maybe...
 

edorr

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Best to call the factory; when I inquired a dealer long ago, if a unit were in my possession for at least 6 months and was bought from him, and I were to move overseas and somehow needed my music, then maybe...

I asked Goodwin's. Since this is a 30SS that needs to be upgraded to Gen II anyway, they may be amenable to doing the voltage conversion (and a complete refurb) in the process....
 

ack

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You made the right call; going to Series 2 is a must:

http://spectralaudio.com/bulletins/0211.pdf

In the new layout, signal trace lengths can be substantially shorter and tighter. For the first time all four amplifier sections are now fully symmetrical and identical. An ideal layout makes possible the removal of all stabilizing capacitors from the circuit for increased bandwidth.
 

Elberoth

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Can voltage on a Spectral preamp be converted from 220 to 110v? There is a used one for sale but it is 220V based on Europe. Also, what is the upgrade price. It is a 30SS.

Yes, no problem at all. You need to reposition a jumper cable inside.
 
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edorr

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Yes, no problem at all. You need to reposition a jumper cable inside.

So Goodwin's inquired with Spectral and they say the units are different internally and it can't be done. I'll just stick with the party line and wait for a used USA based unit to show up. I need these guys to support me when I buy a 300rs.
 

Elberoth

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Thanks. Sounds like a DIY job - Have you done this?

No but I have images of the SS30 internals. As you can see, input voltage is beeing switched by this red jumper wire. Just ask someone who owns SS30 in the US to check what is the 115V US setting. On 220V models, it connects pins 1 and 3.

z2xo.jpg
 

edorr

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No but I have images of the SS30 internals. As you can see, input voltage is beeing switched by this red jumper wire. Just ask someone who owns SS30 in the US to check what is the 115V US setting. On 220V models, it connects pins 1 and 3.

Thanks. Still puzzled why SPectral would tell Goodwin there are differences internally between the 220v and 110v unit. In any event, I checked with the seller in Europe and he mentioned he can get the gen II upgrade done through dealer in Europe, which strikes me as suspicious, so I'll probably stay away from this unit.
 

Elberoth

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Manufacturers very rarely disclose the information the their gear has multivoltage transformers. It is one of the ways to prevent gray import sales.

If enything surprised me in this story, was the fact that someone in Europe wanted to sell the amp cheaper, that what you have to pay in the US. In Europe, Spectral is twice as expensive, so used items sould also cost considerably more.
 

scouter

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Manufacturers very rarely disclose the information the their gear has multivoltage transformers. It is one of the ways to prevent gray import sales.

If enything surprised me in this story, was the fact that someone in Europe wanted to sell the amp cheaper, that what you have to pay in the US. In Europe, Spectral is twice as expensive, so used items sould also cost considerably more.
Sounds like two important sayings I was taught:
1) Buy cheap, buy twice.
2) Don't trip over dollars to pick up pennies.
edorr,
good luck with your Spectral odyssey- its worth it IMHO. They try and make it simple- buy this preamp, this amp, this interconnect, this speaker cable- enjoy! You get to spend more time enjoying music than swapping all these things out.
 

ack

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Thanks. Still puzzled why SPectral would tell Goodwin there are differences internally between the 220v and 110v unit. In any event, I checked with the seller in Europe and he mentioned he can get the gen II upgrade done through dealer in Europe, which strikes me as suspicious, so I'll probably stay away from this unit.

I wanted to take this opportunity to show how ridiculous some claims about Spectral are, and how misinformation abounds. First of all, Terry Menacker and others have clearly stated Spectral uses custom power supplies and transformers for the target voltage. Now, take a look at my 30SS S2's pictures here http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?4125-Spectral-DMC-30SS-Series-2-pictures - notice the green dot and cable; now notice, it's also connecting pins 1 and 3. Don't see that? Here's a close-up I took for you:

IMG_8573-2.jpg
 

edorr

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May 10, 2010
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Sounds like two important sayings I was taught:
1) Buy cheap, buy twice.
2) Don't trip over dollars to pick up pennies.
edorr,
good luck with your Spectral odyssey- its worth it IMHO. They try and make it simple- buy this preamp, this amp, this interconnect, this speaker cable- enjoy! You get to spend more time enjoying music than swapping all these things out.

I'm going to pass on this one. Don't trust the guy one bit (he is in Greece - red flag right there :)) No worries, I've been buying on audiogon for well over a decade, and got screwed for $100 on a cable just once.
 

microstrip

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I wanted to take this opportunity to show how ridiculous some claims about Spectral are, and how misinformation abounds. First of all, Terry Menacker and others have clearly stated Spectral uses custom power supplies and transformers for the target voltage. Now, take a look at my 30SS S2's pictures here http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?4125-Spectral-DMC-30SS-Series-2-pictures - notice the green dot and cable; now notice, it's also connecting pins 1 and 3. Don't see that? Here's a close-up I took for you:

Changing equipment from 230/240V to 110/120V should oblige you to move more than one strap - when possible it involves removing one strap to break the serial connection of the two partial primary windings and than adding two extra ones to place them in parallel. If you do not have the diagrams or mistake yourself you risk connecting them in anti-parallel, something that can result in fireworks ... Most of the time there is second small transformer hidden somewhere just for the support of the stand-by and remote facilities, and people forget about it.
 

ack

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I am not sure what your point is here, micro - are you a Spectral expert now? Are you asserting as well as others that this preamp can have its voltage changed in the field with jumpers, routers of some kind, and perhaps smoke screens? And the thing about the hidden small transformer - are we still talking about the Spectral preamp, and did you get that information from the NSA or something? I heard the NSA are everywhere.
 

Elberoth

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I believe he talks about general rules. Dual primaries - which you can wire in series or in parallel, are the most common solution among equipment manufacturers.
 

microstrip

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I am not sure what your point is here, micro - are you a Spectral expert now? Are you asserting as well as others that this preamp can have its voltage changed in the field with jumpers, routers of some kind, and perhaps smoke screens? And the thing about the hidden small transformer - are we still talking about the Spectral preamp, and did you get that information from the NSA or something? I heard the NSA are everywhere.

If you are not sure of my point you should ask politely, not in a sarcastic way. As Elberoth pointed out I referred a general rule, implicitly suggesting you were correct as moving a single strap could NOT change the voltage in the way described by the seller. I have never opened a Spectral unit and surely I am not an expert in Spectral. Sorry that my elementary post was not evident for anyone not belonging to the NSA. ;)
 

Elberoth

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As Elberoth pointed out I referred a general rule, implicitly suggesting you were correct as moving a single strap could NOT change the voltage in the way described by the seller.

In some components moving a single strap IS enough. It all depends on the primaries design.

The presence of the jumper block suggests that 30SS was at least designed with multivoltege transformer in mind. The image of the 30SS wired for 115V ack posted, sugests that thay may have changed their mind and now indeed thay are putting single voltage transformers in. Theta used to do the same. Right now most of the manufacturers use multi voltage transformers as it is cheaper to keep inventory.
 

microstrip

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In some components moving a single strap IS enough. It all depends on the primaries design.

Yes, but it implies that in 110V it would be using only half of the primary - some people consider it a poor practice.
 
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