I had my rc's as small as an ant in distance with a dx3s and rx, there is lag at that distance but never have I lost signal. I have heard of signal loss with spektrum but have never experienced it.
Sounds like you were close to it too, kind of a bummer.
The traxxas 2.4 that came with my Slash 4x4 had really good distance capabilities as well. Might serve as a less expensive alternative.