I’ve owned a Spectral DMA-90 for 18 years. It is the best amplifier that I’ve had in my system. I don’t know of any amps under $2k that can compete with its musicality. Hope I never have to be without it, but few things last forever! It has a very clean, accurate sound. Bad CDs will sound harsh and muddy. But, good recordings will soar! Very detailed separation of instruments and vocals that sound like they are right there in front of you. You will need good recordings, good CD and/or turntable, and good interconnects and speakers to hear just how good this amplifier can be.

No longer available and the current Spectral offerings are much more expensive. Too bad for us normal humans that don’t have 4-5 thousand dollars to spend on an amplifier!

Incredible SS amplifier that was a predecessor to my long-time listening and use of tube amplifiers. Prior to acquiring the dma90, I was using a pair of 40wpc SET triodes, vertically bi-amped and loved their warmth, seductive midrange, and palpability. Then by chance, I was given the opportunity to hear the spectral and was very skeptical, given my love of vacuum tubes. I was immediately struck by the lack of background noise, yielding the a black space from which the music emerged. Individual instruments suddenly became alive and existing in a focal space that did not shift and were localized in a space that clearly defined their relationship to other instruments in a hollographic, 3 dimensional space. one could easily discern, for example, that the sax player was several feet behind the vocalist, to the left. mind you, this had been represented by the tube amp that I had been using, but was presented without the "veil" oft spoken of by audiophiles and serious listeners alike. And that
blackness from which the music emerged seemed to be a benefit offered by a MUCH lower noise floor, among other factors. Superior imaging/sounstaging was the tip of the iceberg. The music came through, seemingly unadulterated by the amplifier. Transients were rendered with a speed and clarity unmatched by any amplifier that I had ever heard. The lower octaves presented with absolute authority and settling as they would in a live venue. Suddenly, for example, the bass drum in orchestral works were heard as individual musical events, and I could literally hear the skin of the drum settling as the transient died out in waves that could almost be touched if you could reach out and do so from the listener position. And none of these attributes existed at the expense of the music. The sound was not so analytical that one could not be transported to the event; caught up in the dreaded critical listening syndrome. I was able to stop THINKING about the music and simply sit back and WATCH the event unfold, while being swept up in the emotional involvement of whatever I happened to be listening to, whether it was a lyrical romantic era violin concerto, such as Sibelius, or being caught up in the raw emotion of an Iron and Wine piece. In short, I cannot sing the praises this amplifier adequately. If you have the opportunity, check Spectral out. They are clearly at the leading edge of the state of the art. Since purchasing this amplifier, I have heard none that match the Spectral for its sheer ability to render music truthfully, and with the emotion that we are all trying to access in the act of listening to music. Cheers and happy listening!

Soundstage, timberal accuracy, accurate reproduction of recorded material (Keith Johnson knows what he is doing!)

none that I''ve found

I can''t say enough to praise this amp! What a great product. I upgraded from a B&K 1430 (125 Watts/channel), and the difference was immediate and amazing: more bass, bigger soundstage, more "air" and "space" between instruments and vocalists. This, like all Spectral amps, is very fast and dynamic. Excellent product even though it has been discontinued. You can find a used one for half the original price - what a deal! My system: Rotel CD 971 AudioQuest Diamondback interconnects Classe preamp CP-35 MIT 330 interconnects Spectral DMA-90 Wireworld Solstice III cables B&W CDM1 SE speakers

Similar Products Used:

B&K, Rotel, Denon

Originally my McCormack DNA-1 was in need of repair, so I talked my local dealer into letting me borrow a used DMA-90 while the McCormack was being serviced. I had heard great things about Spectral, but I must admit that I was skeptical. I allowed the DMA-90 warm up for about an hour before I started to audition a few select CD's. Instantly, I was amazed. The Spectral has a transparency that is simply amazing. The detail blew me away as I had heard MANY things that had previously hidden by my McCormack. The Spectral is simply amazing and when I decided to buy it, it had to be one of the easiest decisions that I've ever made. What a great amp! I can't say enough to give this product justice! Now I understand why the wait list for Spectral products span weeks if not months!