Carey SLP-98


Stumbled on some reviews of the SLP-98.  In its day it got some good press.

Has it held up over the years?  Seems with the factory direct model it can be purchased with all of the "upgrades" for a still reasonable price.

Wonder if anyone has had listening experience.

Thanks

M

mdrone

Showing 2 responses by decooney

Heads up: The older version F1 editions originally inspired by uncle Kevy at UpscaleAudio back then sound quite different (veiled over, soupy) compared to a much newer SLP-98 from the past few years. A friend resold his older 98 F1 version and bought a current 98 version with some changes, with the better Mundorf caps. Heard them side-by-side paired up with different amps and his Harbeth 40.1 speakers. The newer 98 is different sounding, can be notably more transparent too. A designer who came on after Dennis left tweaked it a little more, as I understand it, and we spoke about it directly before I bought mine. 

Along with the right caps, simply changing the 6SN7s in the later version 98  can give it five different sounds if you must try various 6SN7s. I run the newer version myself and each vintage or newer overseas 6SN7 changes the sound one way or the other depending on what you like. Sound can change notably with different interconnects on the newer 98 preamp, i've tried several, various designs with my 98.   Its worth demoing and trying more than a few before buying ICs there too, as another recommendation for consideration.

 

 

@ozzy62 Interesting. My buddy had the AI Modulus 3a too, me the newer Cary SLP-98, and compared the two over time. While he changed out the stock sovtek 6922s in his AI, me 6SN7s, and another friend with Mundorf caps the newer 98, each of us found transparency without giving up tone and texture. Both were more "resolving" in upgraded form though. Better tubes and better caps changed it.