Why does Spectral have such a cult following

I have the same experience. I love the speed and the big stage it can give. There is a big but........Wenn I hear classical music on Spectral I think are you F....kidding me. A violin sounds so much different in sound compared to the sound in real. Then for me it is game over. That is one part, now comes another part. These days I have a superior sharp individual focus of instruments and voices like in real. I never had this same feeling with any Spectral demo I audioned. Yess it has some qualities which are impressive which I already mentioned. But in my world for the absolute sound it is incomplete! Many demo's are with MIT. So what does it do with te stage. Yesss it is big and deep but instruments and voices played often too big in proportion. And I miss the intimate sound I want and love. Instruments and voices are very small in proportion in real.

I hear what you're saying, and I have to agree. There used to be a high end store in Philly called Chestnut Hill Audio, and they were all believers. I listened a few times on their preferred Vandersteen speakers (this was about 15 years ago) and was left unimpressed, although I thought that it sounded smooth.
I think that part of the mystique is that it isn't very common, and especially when it first came out, the look of it was very beautiful (from the front) and different. Also, with the involvement of the respected Keith O. Johnson, and it's 0 to infinity bandwidth, it just seemed very different; almost like the amplifier of the future. As it turns out after all these years, I think that it is just another very high quality brand, well engineered and built with it's own sonic flavor and positive attributes that is just right for some audiophiles.

The way they handle the promotion of their products is unique. They don't seem to seek out reviews. Not only that, they seem to give some reviewers a hard time.

Everything has to be special. Must use their preamp with the amp, and only MIT cables.

Special terms, 2C3D.

Paired with only very expensive, "special" speakers, Wilson, Avalon.

Simply put, they create this pain in the a**, ultra high end, we know best image, and some people respond to it. Its like a cult. Just to be fair, I have heard their equipment many times, and while not for me, I thought it was OK. I'm not trying to suggest they don't make good products, just why they have a cult like following.

Roxy54 and Zd542,
You said it well, we all have our taste. I don't like the sound of their
components but I understand that others could find it ideal. For certain
there are those who wouldn't like what thoroughly satisfies me. A horse for
a course.

What they do well, they do very well: fast and clean.
Not my cup of tea.