How low of ohm can you safely go on Spectral DMA200

[msm_1]

Being a Apogee lover, and having several models. I was curious as to what a safe speaker load my pair of DMA200 ( Class A 200 watt ) would be able to drive, without risking damage ? I do have a pair in storage that are the dreaded 1 ohm version ( ran them with a pair of Classe DR-9's ) but others are 4 ohms so they should be safe.
Also thinking on using my Red Dawn cables instead of my MIT's, Im thinking it should be safe

 

[puroagave]

the spectral is fuse protected, the worse that can happen is a blown fuse. I think you'll be more than fine, I recently had a dma-150 and dma-80 driving CLS IIas which dip to 1 ohm and both amps ran them with nary a problem.

 

[TooCool4]

I have heard of people that have used non-universal Spectral amps with non-Spectral / MIT cable and it worked fine. I have also heard of other people having issues so basically you can take a chance but if it does go wrong you are looking at a big repair bill.

 

[1rsw]

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....

 

[mep]

Could it possibly be "arrogant and unwise" to design amplifiers that can only be used with a particular speaker cable or else they potentially become unstable and self-destruct? Spectral gear reminds me of buying an inkjet printer. The printers should be free because they kill you on the cost of replacement ink cartridges. Once upon a time before inkjet printer manufacturers caught on, it was actually cheaper to throw your printer away and buy a new one because the replacement ink cartridges cost more than the printer did initially. And then came "starter' ink jet cartridges with your new printer so you couldn't do that anymore, but I digress...

By high-end standards, Spectral gear is a real bargain until you factor in the cost of all the cables that you "must buy" in order not to melt down your Spectral gear. Spectral amps without the appropriate MIT cables are as unstable as old dynamite and nitro glycerine riding together on a dirt road in a car with no shock absorbers.

 

[puroagave]

. 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!!

a little supposition on your part? spectral amps are wide bandwidth by design to enhance phase and transient behavior (out to 3 MHz). the network boxes in MIT act as a filter to keep the amp from oscillating and self destructing. unfortunately the user will never know if they've reached the maximum sonic potential trying different wires because you're strictly verboten to do so.

I owned a dma 80 and 150 (studio version) and neither were limited to MIT..

 

[msm_1]

Thanks for the advice, and have not switched to my Red Dawn cables. Was surprised though when I checked the bag that my dealer sent. They had sent a pair of demo used Z-cords plus he gave me 2 sets of 6' Spectral MI-500 cables ( The older yellow ones....these must have a few years on them lol )

 

[edwardce]

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....

I could not have stated this better myself!! Those who do not understand this should buy something else. I believe one of the failures of High End Audio is the lack of a "system approach" by most practitioners, it is understood as the correct method in most fields.

 

[ack]

+100 - don't know why it's very hard to understand that engineering goes only up to a point, and the rest is about voicing

 

[1rsw]

mep...to answer your initial question...I certainly don't think so. Looks to me like their formula is working both in design and business. Pretty damn consistent for a long time too.

puroagave ... not sure I really got what you're saying there. MIT limit's the amps abilities but keeps them from frying? I suppose if one does not care for the Spectral system sound they should move on to one of the zillion other options rather than try and make them sound other than intended? Too simple for us audiophiles?! Prolly!! BTW, I was not referring to the Universal/Studio or whatever they are called that are built to operate safely with other systems....