Spectral Amps + MIT Cables: A Marketing Coup? A Question to Mr. Robert Harley

 I have to say, anyone who has followed Spectral through the years knows that they are essentially incompetent at marketing - and proud of that incompetence, too. The rationale behind moving the output inductor from the amp to the speaker end of the cable is simply to help take the cable out of the equation - to incorporate the cable into the amplification system. It's an unusual and extreme approach, but their entire technical approach is quite unusual and extreme, and very focused on optimizing the entire electronics chain as a system.
 
The published frequency response specs, as Spectral themselves say, are not especially interesting in and of themselves, but more as a by-product of circuit designs with extremely fast recovery under transient conditions.
 
BTW, Spectral amps can be ordered as "universal" models,  with more conventional input and output protection that allows use with any cable designs, at the expense of what Spectral considers the best sound quality.

• Login or register to post comments

I say it's a lot of bull****!

• Login or register to post comments

 do spectrals work with other speaker cables with networks, most notably with transparents?

• Login or register to post comments

" do spectrals work with other speaker cables with networks, most notably with transparents?"
 
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!  Again, refer to the TAS/HP review on the Spectral website.

• Login or register to post comments

i find this whole spectral thing very intriguing amir. 
I am familiar with transparent cables, the only other option with a spectral amp as I understand though not a direct replacement for mit, and can easily attest to the superiority of the custom-calibrated, impedance-matched cabling systems with network boxes. If you ask me, they should be the next thing in audio as they make perfect sense from a synergy point of view
Now, if spectral wants to sell their amps complete with mit cabling and you have a sound in a class by itself, as some call it, then I have no problem with their approach because I already understand the advantages of custom calibration from my transparent mm2.
But you definitely have a point. I think history will remember spectral with their odd marketing strategies rather than their good sound. 

• Login or register to post comments

There's absolutely no question in my mind that Spectral would never do anything for marketing reasons. Of all the high-end audio manufacturers I've known over the past 20 years, none is as committed to pure sound quality as Spectral. The demand for their gear far exceeds their ability to manufacture. Moreover, Spectral Founder Rick Fryer's statement in my interview with him and Keith Johnson (Issue 190) that "We've had a tremendous luxury in not worrying about short-term profitablity" is an understatement.
 
Spend some time with an all-Spectral system and you'll understand their approach. There's no substitute for first-hand listening.

• Login or register to post comments

"MMM, I'm afraid my built-in equipment is not long enoough for achieving THAT feat!!
Maybe if I buy some Sunday Viagra from your store... :-)
 
Again, thank you for elevating the cultural environment around here!
 
I'm sure everybody is enriched by your judgemental views and your being right about what other gurus say!
 
Keep on!  You're getting your attention!!
 
A"
 
North, north America, upper US!

• Login or register to post comments

Thanks AMIR

• Login or register to post comments

for your prior post

• Login or register to post comments

US law makes it illegal to tie the use of a product to a specific alternate product; it's a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act.
 
See /www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/2302.html:
 
15 USC 2302(c):
 
c) Prohibition on conditions for written or implied warranty; waiver by Commission
 
No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if—
 

• (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
•  
•  
• (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
•  

The Commission shall identify in the Federal Register, and permit public comment on, all applications for waiver of the prohibition of this subsection, and shall publish in the Federal Register its disposition of any such application, including the reasons therefor.

• Login or register to post comments

"BillK (not verified) -- Thu, 05/14/2009 - 14:41
US law makes it illegal to tie the use of a product to a specific alternate product; it's a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act.
 
See /www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/2302.html:
 
15 USC 2302(c):
 
c) Prohibition on conditions for written or implied warranty; waiver by Commission
 
No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if—
 

• (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
•  
•  
• (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
•  

The Commission shall identify in the Federal Register, and permit public comment on, all applications for waiver of the prohibition of this subsection, and shall publish in the Federal Register its disposition of any such application, including the reasons therefor.

• reply"

Post of the week!

• Login or register to post comments

Dear Mr. Kessner,
Are you involved in the Audio Business and if so how?
 
Mark,
I do believe in a systematic approach to audio and in that regard have no issue with Spectral becasue if you don't want the cables then don't buy the gear. I think that there are too many "fruit salad" systems that people make and never have a satisfactory result let alone a great one.
My issue when we were a dealer is being told what speakers are "acceptable" to them sonically.  I was in a market area where I could not have one of their choices and the other one could only provide me with maybe one pair a year, this is not a choice for a business. Show a 100k system that you can not duplicate for a client. I believe there are certainly more than two speakers that are good!!!!!!
The "soup nazi" memoranda for Spectral dealers did not fit me or my store. 
So Mark "NO SOUP FOR YOU"either!

• Login or register to post comments

 Dear Amir,
Just curious I like to know who I am talking to so I can try to understand the perspective.
Thanks,
Elliot

• Login or register to post comments

"Dear Mark (SundayNiagara),
 
First, BillK's post can be considered offensive to you, as it puts you in the role of "a product" being used…:-) Also, your rushing to promote that as "Post of the week!" only shows your eagerness to accept that role…:-) But never mind that.
 
Second, I'm not slow at apologizing, even at possibly imagined offences -- please see my recent post under http://www.avguide.com/forums/replacement-asl-hurricanes-question-mr-rob....
 
Third, things would have seen QUITE different if you had said "Rick Fryer's insistence on using MIT cables is bull****!" -- I can easily relate to that, no offence taken, and even consider this a "positive" contribution in its own way.  If, personally I don't like abusive language, it's my problem, not yours, and I definitely wouldn't comment about such a post.  However, what you DID write was "I say it's a lot of bull****!", which seems to apply to the entire preceding posts. This, I believe, is an entirely different issue. There was no way on earth for ME to guess you had meant that "Rick Fryer's insistence", not "all what YOU are saying", was "bull". Therefore, I naturally found that post quite offensive and uncalled for.
 
Misunderstandings happen, and once I understand what you meant, I do not feel committed to holding any grudge against you. I won't try to educate you and demand that you "grow a pair and apologize". I'll leave that to your discretion.
 
Best regards,"
 
Whaddaya think folks, does this constitue an apology, notwithstanding the concescending attitude?

• Login or register to post comments

Spectral's insistence on using MIT cables is like Microsoft blocking other browsers and forcing one to only use Internet Explorer.

• Login or register to post comments

Amir, I am not sure that you are correct with your assumption regarding Spectral and warranty items.
THey can certainly suggest and reccomend whatever they choose however if the goods are sold without a disclamer that is signed by the buyer in advance I doubt that this warranty issuewould stand up in a any court. I am not a lawyer , but do play one on TV, and I don't think that any audio product would pass that test. It can not be in small print or done in passing verbally either IMHO.
I do not find any issue with them designing the products the way they do. They are different in impedance and bandwidth than most components and for them it may be their "secret" ingredient so if this is needed to get the product to proform then the cable may be an integral part of the chain. If this is in fact correct and the units "will not" work without it then it is their obligation to have a warning label on the gear, the box and stamped on the dealers foreheads before one buys it.
 

• Login or register to post comments

Dear Amir,
 I am clear and to be frank I don't think this whole thing is a big deal because if you don't like the car why worry about the tires.
I truely wish more people looked at audio as a system approach like Meridian, Spectral and some others so that the end users would get a quality and consistent end result. I feel that two many audiophiles want to think they know a whole lot more than they do and the result of the miss-matching is very expensive mediocrity.
I am not saying that doing yourslef can't work but it is hard. If one buys amp and preamp from one company you can be sure they work properly together and if you like the sound then you are way ahead of the game. We know that Spectral works with Spectral, and ARC works with ARC, and Krell works with Krell etc.etc. this is a "GOOD" thing! Cables which are filters all react with the gear they are hooked up with and some guidance when doing this is good however most companies avoid the frey so as not to cause poilitcal issues. Spectral likes to get its point accross and that is good but how they do it leaves a lot to be desired. Expertise is wonderful arrogance is not.

• Login or register to post comments

Dear Elliot,

I wish things were as simple as you picture them... :-(

First, if only I could tell whether I like the car before worrying about the tires... :-)

I live in a small country where there are few hi-end shops and fewer that keep top-of-line models in display/stock.  There is no Spectral distributor here, so I can't audition their equipment.  MAYBE, if/when I go abroad, I might find a Spectral dealer with DMA-250/360 and see if I like the car.  (Actually, with the current economy, I could not audition the B&W 800Ds even in Japan, only the 802Ds, and I had to practically GAMBLE about almost 100% addition in price as to whether to buy the 802Ds or jump to the 800Ds.)

Second, hi-end cables are hardly like tires, at least as regards the costs of buying new ones and the loss (and overhead/effort) of selling the old ones...

Third, I hardly consider myself one of those who "think they know a whole lot more than they do".  I have few sources of knowledge, little more than local dealers' advice and published reviews.  This is the first time I ever ventured asking an audio critic (RH) directly.

Fourth, I have often "looked at audio as a system approach".  In the old days it was all Yamaha, then Krell, later all Bel Canto and now all the system is EMM Labs, except for power amp(s), which EMM Labs have not issued yet.
 
Fifth, please also note that one rarely replaces multiple components at one go, most often it's one component at a time.  Except for first-time buyers, one doesn't get an entire system by the same manufacturer at once.

I consulted the local dealer I work with (from whom I bought all my equipment except the B&Ws, which have another, exclusive distributor).  The guy is all very experienced, knowledgeable and reliable (not a common phenomenon), and has known me and my taste for years.  He was the one to suggest Spectral, of whom he is not a dealer, and does not usually have business with.  He heard my system, listened to what I liked about it and what less, and suggested the DMA-360, which he knows very well (as well as the 250).  He says they are very fast, with superb bass control, very wide soundstage, and their mids/highs can compete successfully the Hurricanes, which are great in that area.

I even considered buying Classe CA-M400 power amps, even if they may not have a high-endish reputation, but at least I know they are used, along EMM Labs players and preamp and B&W loudspeakers (e.g., my 800Ds), in classical music recording studios.  At least I would have a recording-studio-level system, to which classical recordings are tuned.  However, the local Classe distributor charges $20,00o for amps that cost $12,000 in the U.S., whereas my dealer above can obtain the $18,000 Spectrals at the same price as in the U.S., so I thought it would be a better idea to shoot for the Spectrals.

Now I'm trying to find out all I can about the Spectrals, how they could match the EMM Labs Switchman 3 (as Spectral do not make multichannel equipment, so that I cannot have an entire Spectral system), and whether I can use my current, great sounding $3,500 Purist Audio Design Venustas parallel bi-wired speaker cables, instead of selling them at (great) loss and buying MIT cables instead, who knows at what price.

In short, I wish things were as simple as you pictured them... :-)

Best regards,
Amir
 

• Login or register to post comments