speaker cables for Wilson Sophia

From a technical standpoint Richard's comments strike me as plausible. Which is not to say that using non-MIT cables will invariably blow up the amplifier, but it seems conceivable to me that under some circumstances either a full-blown oscillation or adverse sonic effects could result.

An amplifier that has extremely wide bandwidth and that uses feedback and that is driving a heavily capacitive load can easily turn into an oscillator. The Spectral's certainly have extremely wide bandwidth, although I don't know how much feedback they use. Keep in mind that the load capacitance is not necessarily just that of the cables, but might be the speakers themselves, if the speakers happen to have capacitive phase angles at frequencies that may be problematic to amplifier stability. That would especially be a concern with electrostatic speakers. The networks in the recommended cables presumably isolate the amplifier from speaker capacitance to some degree.

This paper pertains to op amps, but the basic principles it presents are relevant to any amplifier that uses feedback and is faced with a capacitive load. Note the reference to "problems such as peaking in frequency response, and overshoot or ringing in step response" that can occur even if the point of instability is not reached, but is approached.

Also see this paper at the Spectral site, which also strikes me as plausible, at least for the most part (the exception being the references to time alignment, about which I am a skeptic in the context of cables).

Regards,
-- Al

Hessec - The $1500 check I wrote to Spectral 2 years ago to rebuild a DMA 180 that oscillated and fried was hilarious.

I don't have a Spectral amp, but apparently blew out my McCormak DNA-1 with some Goertz cables. The amp is currently in for repairs, unfortunately. So, I would advise caution.

Yes boys and girls, never use a "standard bandwidth" speaker cable with an "ultrahigh bandwidth" amplifier. Always have your "articulation poles" set to the maximum possible and "impedance switches" matched!!

Take a step back and listen to this garbage.... Then admit that we've all been had.......

Nothing I read on almargs(thank you for bringing technical information) documents aludes to the possibility of damage to an amp if not using brand specific cables. Sounds to me like spectral and MIT created a cable together with merits, real or perceived, mutually beneficial. If you want to argue that you like the sound of MIT more than xyz, fine. To threaten damage to users without backing up your claims with science is just as poor advice as me telling you to use MY favorite cable with an amp and speaker I have never heard.

Enjoy your sophias!

Unreal. Ok, lets start here...I'm not a scientist therefore do not present science to "back up" my posts nor do I feel it necessary. The requirement of using MIT cables with Spectral amplifiers comes from the designer/manufacturer, Prof Kieth Johnson, who happens to be not only one of the absolute brightest minds in the industry over the past few decades but also one of the most respected. Your challenge of his integrity strikes me as pretty odd and even more uninformed.

Back to my point, I was trying to offer Peter some input regarding his query and your suggestion that he should ignore the designer's operational direction could very well result in toasting his big dollar gear...very uncool.