I paid a significant amount of money to have a DMA 180 rebuilt, the damage obviously caused from not using MIT cables. Only saving grace was it was someone else's doing so I did not have to feel the pain of this as my own doing
My point? There is a reason Spectral makes this a part of their "system" and the consequences can be unsettling to say the least. Do guys do it and not fry their amps? Yep, many do...many do not. Why anyone would take that risk with such sensitive and expensive equipment is beyond me. To be honest and frank...it's arrogant and unwise.
Another thought about this issue.... there is a challenge every audiophile faces when designing their rig. What friggin cables are going to work best! In most cases it's a crap shoot and it can be a tedious process. Auditioning this set, that set...playing the same track over and over and over for weeks on end. We find the perfect pair and a week later the last set sounds better. A bittersweet cycle that can be never ending. In the case of Spectral, the gear has been designed to sound it's best with a specific brand and design of cable. The answer is plainly presented to us when we are introduced to Spectral. What a gift! What is funny to me is I read so many guys who find that to be a downside of Spectral. Seriously? Cables and amps made to go together is a downside?! Hell, this has added years to my life!!
Lastly, one of the things that drew me to Spectral in the beginning were the minds behind it. I believe them to be some of the very brightest in the industry and I have great faith in their design capabilities. Certainly it seemed like a logical thing to implement the system as they intended, unless of course you have higher abilities than they in which case by all means design your own.
Sorry if this sounds harsh. I just get frustrated when advice that may seriously damage your gear and wallet is tossed around here. I sincerely hope I was helpful and mean no disrespect....