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Spectral DMC-90's as Mono Amps?

Anyone here have experience running a Spectral DMC-90, "bridged" (i.e., as a mono amp)? Can you describe the experience?

I own a DMA-90 (which I purchased new, ca. 1995) with which I continue to be extremely satisfied. I am in the hunt (still!) for speakers, and several models of speaker at the top of my list probably demand more horsepower than my single DMA-90 can muster. It occurred to me that, rather than purchase a new higher-horsepower amp (and sell my DMA-90), I could purchase a second DMA-90, same approximate vintage as my own, and run each DMA-90 "bridged", one DMA-90 per stereo speaker. (What do you think of this idea?)

Thanks in advance.

rx7audio
rx7audio
razmika
45 posts
 
I would not do that. You will compromise the sound of the amp.
rx7audio OP
24 posts
 
Razmika,

Can you elaborate? The amp has a specific switch on the back panel intended just for this purpose. You've actually listened to music played through such a system, and it sounds compromised?
tkmetz
91 posts
 
Hi RX,
I used bridged DMA90s for awhile and while they sounded good, I didn't think the improvement was worth the price of the second amp. And the noise level really increased in bridged mode. I tried a DMA150 which didn't play quite as loudly, but had a much smoother and musical upper mid and high frequency range. I ultimately ended up with a DMA180 II which was phenomenal.....it had plenty of power yet with wonderful finesse and musicality.....the best of both worlds. At the time, I was using a DMC20 pre and Avalon Arcus speakers. Going up the MIT cable line also produced significant improvements. The biggest changes were going from 350 spectral interconnects to 350ref single ended, and then the ultimate was going to 350 shotgun balanced cables. g
rx7audio OP
24 posts
 
Tkmetz, thanks for describing your experience. Maybe it is at this increased noise level Razmika was hinting. Certainly, this is something to seriously consider. This and the fact that I would be purchasing (and needing to maintain) a nearly 20-year-old electronic component. However, truth is, one of the features that attracted me to the DMA-90 was its sleekness. "Portly" amps—even portly Spectral amps—are not nearly as beautiful (to me) as my svelte DMA-90, never mind whether I could even afford one of the newer Spectrals! (I know, I know: I'm so shallow!)
rx7audio OP
24 posts
 
I telephoned Spectral a couple days ago and was transferred to "Mark" in the service department for a brief but informative conversation. I learned from him: (1) In general, if a Spectral amp seems to be working fine, there is absolutely no need to send it in for evaluation/service. (2) Even a 20-year-old Spectral amp is still quite young; they are designed and built to mil spec standards. And (3) the DMA-90, in particular, is an extremely robust amp, quite bullet-proof!

So, it seems my concerns about maintaining a--another--nearly 20-year-old Spectral DMA-90 would seem to be unfounded, which is terrific news!
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