Soelpec Spectra XR Steering Wheel – Review

Soelpec Spectra XR Steering Wheel – Review

If you’ve been looking around the sim racing scene over the last few days and weeks, you’ll have come across the name Soelpec a few times. The relatively new manufacturer from Turkey has been offering a steering wheel and a matching dashboard for some time now. Today we take a look at the Formula Wheel called Spectra XR and put it to the test.

Ordering and shipping

Currently (as of March 2024), the Spectra XR can only be ordered via the Soelpec shop. The price here is €1499 excluding shipping, taxes and any customs duties. Buyers from the EU must expect total costs of just under €2000 due to shipping from Turkey. Soelpec offers worldwide shipping and specifies a delivery time of three to four weeks.

The product tested here was provided by the manufacturer. No influence was exerted on this review at any time.

Specs

A look at the data sheet provided by Soelpec immediately reveals the relatively large diameter of 302 millimetres for a Formula steering wheel. The Spectra XR Steering Wheel is also equipped with a 5-inch VoCore display matching this. Apart from the silicone grips, the manufacturer relies on aluminium and carbon for the materials used. Overall, this results in a steering wheel that is very light for its size, but still has a very high level of rigidity.

• 302mm Wheel Diameter
• 5 Inch Touchscreen Display
• 17x Push Buttons With 700gf Tactile Switches 
• 2x 7-way Switches
• 3x Center ELMA Encoders With Push Buttons
• 2x Dual-action ELMA Thumb Encoders With 8 Inputs
• Fully Customizable RGB Illumination
• 23 Additional Configurable LEDs Around the Display
• 1350gr Total Weight Without the Rear Hub
• 50A Overmold Silicone Grips
• 6061 Anodized Aluminum Structure
• Carbon Fiber Center Plate
• PMMA Button Caps and LED Diffusers
• Textured PVC Film Stickers
• Ball Bearing Magnetic Shifters With Black N52 Magnets
• Ball Bearing Dual-Clutches With Hall Sensors
• Dedicated Bite-point Adjustment Button

Scope of delivery

Soelpec doesn’t skimp on the scope of delivery. In addition to the pre-assembled hub and stickers, the steering wheel comes with two USB cables (internal / external) as well as tools and screws for installation.

• Spectra XR Steering Wheel
• 42mm Color-Coordinated Rear Hub
• 4-pin Spiral Cable with Lumberg Connector
• Internal USB cable for Quick Release Connection
• Extra Polyester Film Sticker Sheet for Button Caps and Encoders
• Additional Magnets for Adjusting the Shifter Force
• 6x M5*12mm Captive Screws for Mounting
• 4mm and 1.3mm Allen Key and Tweezers
• Sticker Sheet
• Quick Start Guide

Features

The Spectra XR is characterised above all by the synergy between software (Simhub integration) and hardware. Both elements interlock seamlessly like hardly any other steering wheel. On the hardware side, Soelpec has integrated the following features:

Function keys

A large number of buttons and encoders await us on both the front and rear. While there are three buttons on the rear (the top two as optional Brake Magic and Throttle Hold buttons as well as a button for steering wheel-specific settings), there is a whole range of functions on the front of the steering wheel:

• 14 buttons: Soelpec uses buttons with a trigger force of 700 grams (700gf tactile switches), each of which is individually illuminated. As a special gimmick, two of the buttons are seamlessly integrated into the edge of the display and fitted with a transparent cap. They are used to cycle through the displays and, in combination with other buttons/encoders, to set parameters on the steering wheel itself. For example, the button labelled with a microphone can be converted into an emulated on/off button, which can be particularly practical for push-to-talk users.
• 2 x 7-way switches: By far the most important input option for many Simracers are the two 7-way switches on the front (turn left, turn right, up, down, left, right, press), which are also known as funky switches. Equipped with a cap made of milled aluminium, they offer the possibility of very convenient menu navigation, for example.
• 3 x centre ELMA encoders with pushbuttons: There are three high-quality ELMA encoders in the centre, which are also equipped with a push function. Aluminium caps are also used here, making operation very convenient. In addition to the normal assignment for ABS and other functions, the encoders in combination with the corresponding button for settings can also be used to change settings on the steering wheel, such as the clutch bite point.
• 2 x dual-action ELMA thumb encoders: In the thumb area, there is another ELMA encoder with push function on each side. This is used here as standard to switch between two modes. For example, the TC+/TC- and ABS+/ABS- functions can be assigned to one of the encoders at the same time, allowing you to switch between them in fractions of a second by pressing the encoder. The backlighting of the two buttons next to the display and the dashboard itself acknowledge the changeover accordingly and display the current mode in colour.

Display

The familiar VoCore screen is used as the display, this time in the version with a size of 5 inches and a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. The centrepiece of the steering wheel concept is the custom dashboard from Soelpec, which is shown on the display (30 FPS).

LEDs

Soelpec uses 23 RGB LEDs in the Spectra XR (4 on the left, 15 on the top, 4 on the right), which are distributed around the display and can be fully controlled via Simhub. In combination with the illuminated buttons, Soelpec offers many preset functions from the classic RPM indicator to spotter and flag effects.

Shifter and dual clutch

There is an aluminium block on the back of the steering wheel that houses the two paddle shifters and the dual clutch. The shifting feel of the paddles is very crisp thanks to the built-in magnets and shifting gears with the carbon paddles is really fun. If you want to adjust the activation force, you can use the additional magnets supplied. However, as the standard force (in the medium range) was found to be just right in the test, this was not necessary.

The built-in double clutch is equipped with Hall sensors and gets its resistance from an interesting mechanism with an attached spring, which only becomes visible when the hub on the back of the wheel is removed. Four different modes can be selected via the wheel’s software:

• STATIC: The slave paddle only reaches to the bite point, while the master paddle reaches 100% clutch level.
• DYNAMIC LOW: Either paddle by itself only reaches the bite point. Press both paddles together to reach 100% clutch level.
• DYNAMIC HIGH: Either paddle by itself reaches 100% clutch. Press both paddles and release one to return to the bite point level.
• THROTTLE & BRAKE: In this mode, paddles can be used as brake and throttle inputs. Other active wheel functions can also be observed on the right side of the display.

The desired bite point can also be set directly on the steering wheel to optimise the starting process. Like the paddle shifters, the dual clutch performs very well and impresses with both its workmanship and the feel when actuated. It is very smooth and yet offers sufficient resistance for precise starting.

Hub

To mount the steering wheel, a mount milled from a single piece is attached to the back, which is screwed to the steering wheel with three screws. Theoretically, these can be loosened with the tool supplied, but if in doubt, it is better to have a suitable Allen key with a T-handle to hand to make life a little easier. On the hub itself there are six threads in the classic 70mm bolt circle. Practically all QRs can be screwed in place using the special screws supplied.

Grips

Soelpec uses 50A overmould silicone grips for the handles. These are very soft (50A stands for the corresponding degree of hardness) and have a relatively complex shape compared to other wheels. As a result, they fit well in the hand and offer sufficient grip both with and without gloves. No significant signs of wear were detected during the test period. In terms of thickness, the grips are in the mid-range and should therefore be suitable for almost all hand sizes.

USB-Cable

There is a small special feature with the data and power supply. This can either be provided via a 4-pin USB spiral cable with Lumberg connector or via an internal USB cable. The standard USB cable is generously dimensioned, has a very high-quality finish and ensures a secure connection with the proven Lumberg connector.

Alternatively, an internal USB cable can be connected to the back of the steering wheel and routed through the inside of the QR to the outside. This allows the steering wheel to be connected directly to an Invicta QR from Asetek, for example, and used without the need for an external cable. This option should be particularly welcome for hobbyists and offer a number of possibilities.

Stickers

Hardly any steering wheel today can do without a sticker sheet and the Spectra XR also comes with one (Extra Polyester Film Sticker Sheet for Button Caps and Encoders). Although this is of very high quality and offers a large selection of possible labelling options, interchangeable button caps are a much more convenient, albeit more complex, solution.

Software

It is the software that makes the Spectra XR a real high-end steering wheel. It goes hand in hand with the hardware of the steering wheel, allows for countless adjustments and is probably better thought out than that of any other manufacturer. The basic framework is formed by the currently undisputed number one software on the simracing market, Simhub, which is supplemented by a plugin from Soelpec. An overview of all the features and setting options would certainly go beyond the scope of this review, so here are some of the many highlights:

• Custom dashboard with eight different colour variants and customisable content.
• Colour-adapted RGB LED profiles for the button LEDs with vehicle-specific settings for individual vehicles (only implemented for iRacing to date).
• Dashboard content adapts automatically. For example, when switching between thumb encoder modes.
• Animations when pressing encoders and buttons.
• Ten different presets can be saved.

For an even more detailed overview, it is also worth taking a look at the Spectra XR’s very good and detailed manual: Manual

Driving impressions

The short version: The Spectra XR Steering Wheel is a lot of fun, feels good in the hand, offers more than enough features and didn’t have a single failure or incorrect input during the entire test period.

The somewhat more detailed driving impression is divided into three chapters. In the first few metres, the steering wheel is more than impressive and does an excellent job. GT3s and GT2s in Assetto Corsa Competizione are no problem, nor are formula cars in iRacing and F1 23. However, after the first few fun laps, a feeling of being overwhelmed slowly creeps in. Of course, you will have skimmed through the manual and roughly familiarised yourself with the countless hardware and software features, but this steering wheel is a bit of a challenge in this regard. But even this phase doesn’t last too long. Because if you give the steering wheel some time and attention, after a few hours at the latest you realise more and more how well Soelpec has done its job here. In iRacing in particular, the software looks very sophisticated and simply gives the already very well-functioning steering wheel a special touch.

But even apart from the software, the Spectra XR is a lot of fun thanks to the high-quality materials (aluminium housing and carbon front plate) in combination with the silicone grips.

Conclusion

The Spectra XR Steering Wheel from Soelpec is definitely worth a recommendation (and therefore also worth the relatively high price). High-quality components paired with equally high-quality materials and excellent software integration result in a steering wheel that can definitely play in the top league. However, the extensive software also makes it a steering wheel that you have to get to grips with if you want to utilise its full potential. Thanks to its relatively large diameter of just over 30 centimetres, it is suitable for both GT and formula cars and can be easily operated with or without gloves thanks to the good silicone grips. The 5-inch display, which is adapted to the size of the steering wheel, the illuminated buttons as well as 23 additional LEDs, the built-in double clutch and the magnetic shift paddles are features that round off the overall package of the Spectra XR positively and make it an excellent recommendation for sim racers with a corresponding budget.