A rare audio store experience

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I have my doubts that Steve will ever go back to SS :)

I always wanted to try Spectral pre with tube amp (seems like best of both worlds right?)---but reading around, doesn't seem ANYONE does this. Too much Spectral to my mind gives a kind of white sound that is too perfect (if that makes sense). Does all the hifi things with ease, but doesn't paint the overall picture.

Just my opinion only and I have not heard Spectral at Music Lovers in years....

well I am not returning to SS but as far as too much Spectral giving a white sound that is too perfect...no that doesn't make sense Keith. It was a kickass great system and worth a listen Keith
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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I've never tapped my toe on a Spectral system as i'm always listening to the minutiae. does that make more sense Steve?

btw, that Audio Research didn't work out in the end for me--just not a good match with my super efficient speakers. i am now running a BADA direct and actually enjoying it quite a bit.
 

mauidan

Member Sponsor
Aug 2, 2010
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I've never tapped my toe on a Spectral system as i'm always listening to the minutiae. does that make more sense Steve?

btw, that Audio Research didn't work out in the end for me--just not a good match with my super efficient speakers. i am now running a BADA direct and actually enjoying it quite a bit.

What's the BADA directly connected to?

I don't see the BADA listed here:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1278354517
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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Devert- I will update my system once I figure out the optimal components. Right now I'm running the BADA direct to McIntosh 601 monoblocks.

I also have a VAC Phi 200 coming in to check out and will run it direct as well.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
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BTW, I talked to Music Lovers today - the amps they used in the demo were 1.5 years old, the same 360 Series II's we all love and adore. The rest were new pieces.
 

mullard88

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Jun 5, 2010
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Hi Mobiusman,

I have on several occasions also feel an all Spectral system to be on the dry side. I have discovered that adding another Spectral line stage or preamp into the chain cures this dryness.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Hi Mobiusman,

I have on several occasions also feel an all Spectral system to be on the dry side. I have discovered that adding another Spectral line stage or preamp into the chain cures this dryness.

?? Dry + dry + dry = not dry?
 

mullard88

Well-Known Member
Jun 5, 2010
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Hi mep,

Your logic makes sense but I believe the results I got. Perhaps the little humidity in each stage adds up. I just thoght I'd share my solution.
 

joeinid

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Mar 14, 2011
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The most easily identifiable pieces were Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, which was just jaw dropping in its spaciousness. We also listened to time from Pink Flood, which while sounding great was, according to Steve, less spacious than on his system albeit his system cost many times more than the Spectral system we were listening to. We also listened to some unknown solo kettle drum pieces that were just amazing because of the ability to hear the different resonances of the kettle and the skin.

While I pride myself in my memory, I must say that I remember little about the specific music we listened to because I could notget over the laser type imaging and how it differed with each cut, clearly demonstrating the specific engineering techniques used for each piece.

While not heard at the store, but rather on Steves superb system as an unplugged version of Boz Scaggs of Low Down that was also simply breath-taking.

I will say that there is only one solid state monoblock out there that might rival the DMA 360 series whatever and that is the Bryston 28 SST2. I would love to hear that comparison.

Hi Russ,

Have you ever had a chance to compare the Brystons against Spectral. Reading all these Spectral posts and realizing others are pairing Spectral with TAD CR-1's (as well as other speakers) has me a little intrigued. I've never heard Spectral gear but have briefly listened to a Bryston 4BSST2 on a different system and liked the amp. I tend to prefer my gear on the warmer side of neutral and wonder if anyone has compared Bryston/Spectral. I love my Dartzeel 108 and Burmester 911mk3's but am curious about other gear - Spectral and Bryston included. Thanks!

Joe
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Hi

I love the Burmester 911 MKIII and consider one of the best amp on the market today. Better than most I have heard anyway... A very subjective statement but a few notes through the 911 tells you it is very special ...:) I would however say that the Bryston 28B is one of these amps that would give most audiophiles pause.. Immensely powerful, superior sound and sane price. I am not a fan of Bryston in general but the 28B monos are in another league, that of superior amplifiers like the Burmesters, Gryphon, Spectral, Soulution, any name you want to drop here ... These days it seems that to be mentioned in the running for best gear you need to have an amp approaching or over $100K .. Well the Bryston and its 1000 w/ch is at less than $20K and will trump many of these mega dollars amps in most if not all areas that matter to audiophiles plus the darn thing is warrantied for 20 years!!
Is it superior to the 911? I don't truly think so but it will drive ANY speakers with an ease that other amps cannot muster and it's not a matter of average SPL or loudness, this amp is as absent in term of intrinsic sound as any... If you're looking for an amp that adds its (colored) sound to the reproduction look elsewhere, the proverbial wire with (lot of) gain sound as anything and it is not only a matter of average SPL , loudness ... it is more ... I love this amp.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
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Thanks Frantz!


I appreciate your opinion very much. There are a few systems I want to hear/own at some point and the Brystons and Spectrals are on the list as well.

Joe
 

TMenacker

Well-Known Member
Feb 11, 2012
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Yesterday during a thoroughly enjoyable visit with our fearless leader oneobgyn a.k.a. Steve Williams, I had one of those audio store experiences, that sadly occur all to rarely these days, at least for me.

First of all, it is hard to find an audio store that one can get excited about visiting. Either it does not exist locally, the proprietor is a new form of obnoxious, equipment is is so outrageously expensive that it is not even dreamable and/or great equipment, but lousy set-up. Another issue is that while the visit might be fun, it is frequently sandwiched into an otherwise hectic day.

Well, let me take you through my June 10 and share in my joy. I woke at Casa Williams, was greeted by Steve and his lovely wife Cathy. Then Steve made me an incredible cappuccino with his no doubt best in category cappuccino machine (ask him about it! We then jumped into his amazing Mercedes SL 55 AMG, an everyday Ferrari roadster and blasted to Berkeley, top down, to Music Lover's audio store, where we had called ahead for a demo of the newest Spectral equipment, playing through some Wilson Sasha's.

A little context is necessary here so that you will understand just how impressive this audio demo was. Steve has Wilson Alexandria X-2's Series 2 powered by Lamm ML-3's with twin Gothams, which produces the best sound I have ever heard from a Wilson or a Lamm set-up. We had also heard a megabuck Rockport analog system, immaculately set-up 36 hours earlier.

I consider myself a fairly accomplished listener, having had my share of superb equipment, many friends with equal or better systems, a veteran of 40+ CES's and other audio shows and a very rare pinnacle audio experience, actually hearing, at length, the fabled John Iverson Force Field speakers/transducers.

Back to the purpose of this post the equipment and sound. Naturally both Steve and I were excited, especially Steve who had heard and been wowed by the Spectral DMA 260, whose topology is the basis of the newly available bigger sib the Spectral DMA 360 Series 2, several months earlier. I have owned 3 Spectral pieces and loved them, but always felt that a full Spectral system was bit too dry, so always put some tubes somewhere in the system for that warmth. Steve is a tube guy and thus a bit skeptical about microwave solid state technology as amplification.

Other than Steve's system, I am not a huge Wilson fan, especially considering the price. While I have heard Sasha's on about 10 occasions and felt that they are probably the best value in the Wilson line, they generate no urges within my audio lobes.

Now for the system--latest Reference equipment from Spectral, the DMC 30 SL preamp, a brand new CD player that is not even on the web site, but allegedly the pinnacle of Keith Johnson's digital efforts, AND the newly released, and I believe the only pair of new DMA 360 Series monoblocks, only 3 days old and thus not broken in. They were connected to Wilson Sasha's via MIT's top of the line single ended connectors, leaving the XLR outputs and inputs for the less informed.

Within one bar, both Steve and I had to scrape our skeptical jaws off of the floor. The imaging was so dramatic, pristine and believable. We listened to some special recordings of kettle drums where I swear I could see the molecules of bronze dancing with each wack of the drum skin. What amazed me the most was listening to Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, a piece I know, but I could not identify it because I was so immersed in the sound and experience that I could not put the total together.

In reality, I do not know what contributed to what in the audio chain, but in this case even the weakest link was incredible. The people at Music Lover's true gentlemen and Steve a wonderful companion.

Oh yeah, this experience occurred on one of the best days of my life, being reunited with both of my daughters, meeting their significant others and getting together for my younger daughters graduation from the Stanford Business School.

An excellent day indeed.

Just for the record as they say, all Spectral components are FULLY burned in and calibrated before the leave the factory. And they are carefully listened to by Spectral founder Rick Fryer. Burn-in and final calibration takes over 400 hours. When you receive a Spectral component it is ready to go!

Terry Menacker,

Overture Audioi
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
NY
Just for the record as they say, all Spectral components are FULLY burned in and calibrated before the leave the factory. And they are carefully listened to by Spectral founder Rick Fryer. Burn-in and final calibration takes over 400 hours. When you receive a Spectral component it is ready to go!

Terry Menacker,

Overture Audio

Wow! Talk about service and making sure everything is ready to go. Thanks Terry for the clarification.

Joe
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
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Wow! Talk about service and making sure everything is ready to go. Thanks Terry for the clarification.

Joe

Let's not over glorify things... My preamp arrived with the display dimming function not working and it was a simple trimmer adjustment. And when I complained about it I
ended up breaking my relationship with my sales guy. Apparently he didn't think it was that important.. Failures in service all along the chain.
 
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