2. amps-preamps
  3. 1026480619

Spectral DMC 12, 20 or 30 preamp?

My next upgrade is a spectral preamp. The DMC - 12 sounds very nice in my system (Thiel 1.6, Mcormack dna 0.5 or Golden tube se 40 (I swap these alot), arcam alpha 7 cd (will be upgrading soon, maybe to a rotel), MIT cable).

The DMC 20 used is more money, as is the 30. I'm wondering if anyone can expand on the sonic differences are between these? One of my priorities is bass - midbass, thiels have nothing in the low end, but the midbass is very nice on them. The less money I spend on this, the more is available to a power amp. Flip side is I'll be living with this for awhile, so the better I have, the happier I'll be.
robertd

Showing 1 response by robertd

robertd OP
76 posts
 
Bear,
Is the split passive RIAA a phono only concern?

Schubertmaniac,
I've listened to the DMC 12 vs the ARC LS3 and the Purest Sound systems in my system, and the DMC 12 is a big improvement, even with the Arcam front end. Bass has more impact and control, more detail comes through, dynamics are better, and the fatigue factor is reduced. Soundstage is bigger, too and the Overall balance is improved. That's the reason I want to go with the Spectral pre amp. Question is, does the additional cost for a 20 justify performance difference? According to Bear, I shouldn't really expect much change. By the way, what kind of digital front end would you recommend?

Thanks,

Robert
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