Spectral

[roundhead]

Called Spectral from the UK and after a wait was told they don’t have a UK dealer and couldn’t help. Is there a reason Spectral don’t sell to the UK or for that matter only sell to only a handful of countries worldwide? They didn’t seem motivated to come with any alternative suggestions for a keen customer. Am I mistaken or this a company that’s not interested in more sales/clients?

 

[ack]

In years past, there were a number of people who posted why they thought Spectral pulled out of the UK market; not sure what the real story is. You may want to call More Music in the Netherlands perhaps for some more detail.

 

[roundhead]

They replied by email and said they only sell within the Netherlands but didn’t elaborate or offer any alternatives.

 

[roundhead]

Gone back to CDs from Roon. Roon has been down for last month since iOS Catalina and am pretty fed up with the delay. This can only happen again. I’ve missed CDs if I’m honest and given that I mostly listen to classical, the tagging and ripping became a big bore. Enjoy the ritual of using CDs. Time to invest in a good CD player or transport. Guess it won’t be a Spectral.

 

[marty]

Nobody really understands why Spectral does much of what they do. They certainly make excellent products of very high value compared to many of the uber-priced gear made by other companies. But their approach to everything, from product design to marketing, is treated as a closely guarded secret. Obviously Rick Fryer wants it that way even though their actions confound many of us. For example he has very few US dealers (3?) and that seems to satisfy them. But again, their system approach is very idiosyncratic if not downright weird and one wonders what the future of the company will be when Fryer and Keith Johnson ride off into the sunset.

 

[Whbgarrett]

Indeed, Spectral are blackest of boxes in the audio game. That said, I am sitting here listening to the DCC release of Court and Spark through a 4000SV > 30SV > 500 ARs > Magico M Pros, and it sounds sublime. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

 

[roundhead]

It’s actually quite difficult to find a properly engineered CD player based on solid and exemplary electrical measurements. Measurements aren’t everything but the foundation of an excellent audio product should be the finest laboratory measurements before the later tweaking/sounding occurs IMHO. Weiss, CH Precision and DCS are the next avenues to explore if Spectral can’t sell and service to the UK at present.

 

[Elliot G.]

Nobody really understands why Spectral does much of what they do. They certainly make excellent products of very high value compared to many of the uber-priced gear made by other companies. But their approach to everything, from product design to marketing, is treated as a closely guarded secret. Obviously Rick Fryer wants it that way even though their actions confound many of us. For example he has very few US dealers (3?) and that seems to satisfy them. But again, their system approach is very idiosyncratic if not downright weird and one wonders what the future of the company will be when Fryer and Keith Johnson ride off into the sunset.

as an EX Spectral dealer I have a lot of past experience with Mr. Fryer and to say the least they are NOT consumer or dealer friendly. I think that is wildly obvious in today's marketplace

 

[ack]

they are NOT consumer or dealer friendly

+1 on the dealer side from what I hear; dealers even have to cover shipping to their stores, is that true?

 

[Elliot G.]

+1 on the dealer side from what I hear; dealers even have to cover shipping to their stores, is that true?

I'mlike Forest Gump that's all I have to say about this

 

[roundhead]

So they are ambivalent about sales, their dealers, their customers, new and potential customers, poor on customer service and have a website that looks like it was last revamped in the late 1990s...very intriguing. Is Spectral a mere hobby on the sidelines for the founders then?

 

[Whbgarrett]

No, but at the same time they seem more focused on satisfying their own standards in product product performance than they do optimization of the financial performance of the business. Quaint, I know. Don’t get me wrong, I am not an apologist. Indeed, as someone currently looking for an outboard DAC with which to play files, I would love it if they would bring a DAC to market based on the SV circuit, and I am certain it would sell well, yet they seem content to let the opportunity go unexploited.

 

[roundhead]

I wasn’t demanding that they build me a new product that they didn’t feel comfortable making. I enquired about an existing product.

Lots of companies are exemplary in their products and execution and can still show interest in their customers and the community/market that they operate in. I don’t think these qualities have to be mutually exclusive.

If there’s no way, there’s no way and that’s that. Having done some forum reading, the ‘unique Spectral way’ is coming across as pretentious, cold and rigid rather than stormy genius.

 

[Whbgarrett]

I do not disagree with anything you just wrote. I also love the sound of their current electronics enough to put up with their idiosyncratic approach to business, but recognize that many may find it an insurmountable barrier to buying their products.

 

[dan31]

No doubt Spectral are unique. I believe products in the UK require 230v (240v prior to 2003?) power supply. The EU is 220v power supply. So the EU dealer will not supply the UK. Probably a crap ton of EU consumer protections as well. It’s a bummer for the UK. I think Chord and DCS are great choices.

 

[bonzo75]

I wasn’t demanding that they build me a new product that they didn’t feel comfortable making. I enquired about an existing product.

Lots of companies are exemplary in their products and execution and can still show interest in their customers and the community/market that they operate in. I don’t think these qualities have to be mutually exclusive.

If there’s no way, there’s no way and that’s that. Having done some forum reading, the ‘unique Spectral way’ is coming across as pretentious, cold and rigid rather than stormy genius.

There are many other good amplifiers there is zero point in being tied in to such behavior, one type of cabling, same pre and power, and no upgrade policy.

This is a good marketing strategy though. There was a Chinese restaurant here that purposefully treated customers badly and people went there just for the amusement

Or just buy used spectral 10 and spectral 90

 

[TooCool4]

Spectral Audio are a funny company and the dealer in the UK was RT Services, maybe you can contact RT Services for help?

With regard to why they left the UK, maybe we are too small of a market for them.

Also yes I don’t think they want anymore customers, they have enough to deal with. I can kind of see if a company get’s too big, quality can go down with Spectral they want the highest quality so I guess they are happy with the size they are.

I love Spectral and I am willing to put up with their funny ways, so when it’s time to upgrade I will be dealing with dealers from Hong Kong as Spectral has a big presence in Hong Kong and guess what? Hong Kong is the same as UK as it was a British colony and only got independence from UK in 1997. The last time i was in Hong Kong which was about 5 – 6 years ago they still drive on the same side of the road as we do plus they use 240V and same mains system / plugs as we do, so Hong Kong is our best bet for Spectral if you live in the UK.
Lucky for me the company i work for has an office in Hong Kong.

 

[ack]

lucky you indeed!

 

[TooCool4]

lucky you indeed!

No. You are the lucky one, at least you are in a market they support and you don't have to jump through any hoops to get what you want

 

[ack]

No. You are the lucky one, at least you are in a market they support and you don't have to jump through any hoops to get what you want

I have to agree with that; I am only 20 minutes away from the dealer; and I admire you for traveling halfway around the world to get this stuff!