Haven’t any experience with Carver gear, but have had some CJ preamps. Having said that, you could spend a lot more money, but I’m not sure you’ll get better bang-for-the buck than with Dali. I have Zensor 7’s and Zensor 1’s, and I still find myself chuckling at how much “music” I get out of these “budget” speakers. Others may scoff, but I frankly don’t give a firm brown stool what they have to say. My ears know what they know. (Your ears may vary)
Best of luck
Best of luck