Cary SLI-80HS modifications

@pehare @decooney  Thank you for your very thoughtful input! I really appreciate that.  There’s only one tech in my local area who even works on audio equipment. I’ll need to do some searching.  And unfortunately the new SLI-80HS is only available WITH the solid state rectification. So there is no choice about that.

Decisions, decisions.  Cary currently has a nice sale ongoing.  Maybe I’ll get the new HS model and try to find a good tech for the old one. Then keep the one that I think sounds best.

The only thing nice about getting old is you don’t need to save as much money!

@somebike Thanks for your input about the upgrades! That’s very reassuring. The SLI-100 sounds better is interesting.  Could it be your room acoustics or the speakers match it better?  Hmm…  I’ve only considered the SLI-80HS because I can only raise my current SLI-80 volume to about 10 0’clock position or it’s just too loud. Perhaps the KT150s sound better than the KT88s.  I really like the Gold Lion KT88 in my SLI-80. 

@pehare The SS rectifier sound comment is also very reassuring because that was my biggest concern in this purchase.  Thanks!  

Also, I have a theory regarding the rectifier tube reliability problem.  I think it’s due to changing listening mode (UL - Triode) while at power.  I always thought that had to be hard on the rectifier tubes so I never did it.  After 8 problem-free years I started changing the mode while at power for convenience. It only took about 3 or 4 mode changes at power until I blew a rectifier tube and a fuse.  This happened twice. I stopped doing the mode changes at power and the problem stopped.  The tube blows didn’t happen at the exact same time I made the mode change. The tubes blew within a week or so afterwards.  Maybe just a two-time coincidence but I stopped doing it and the amp has been problem-free for almost 2 years.

@somebike   I’ve owned a SLI-80 for almost 10 years so I do appreciate the sound of triode mode.  For many years I almost exclusively listened using triode mode.  But in the last year I’ve really learned to appreciate UL mode.  UL is more extended on both highs and lows. Bass is tighter. The soundstage is wider on UL but triode mode has a much deeper soundstage.  Triode mode is usually meatier between the speakers.  Also, I’ve read that people appreciate triode mode when listening to female vocalists. I’m no expert there but it makes sense. 

@decooney Excellent input, thanks!  I’m definitely with you on that.  It’s the new SLI-80HS or just keep my old one.  The old unit is sounding really nice these days.  

@doyle3433 @pehare  Did you check the bias before your first listen or did you trust that Cary set the bias correctly prior to sending your new amp to you?
 

 I’m taking delivery of mine tomorrow and I’d like to listen for a week before fussing with the bias.  Yes I know it’s easy, I’ve done it a dozen times, but it still seems to take me 45 minutes and I’m going to do it in a week anyway to ensure it’s stable.  Damn I’m impatient!

The bias on my current SLI-80 was incredibly stable. Unless replacing power tubes, I’d check it once a year and it would be within a mA or 2 of the initial setting (75 mA for KT-88s).

I’m up to 56 listening hours on the new SLI-80HS so still in the burn-in window. It sounds quite nice with the stock tubes.  The power tubes are PSVane KT-88s.  The other tubes I’ll likely replace them first when I get to it.  They look like E-H 6922s and Chinese (JJ?) 6SN7s. Much of the printing is rubbed off.
As others said above, it has a tighter sound, less syrupy, less tube bloom but still definitely a tube amplifier.   I like it!

The only thing I didn’t like was the damn location placement stickers on the tubes.  They must have had some real newbies buying the amps. That’s great but I would have thought labeling just the boxes would have been sufficient. The stickers and stickem were a b***h to remove from the tubes.

Cary customer support was excellent as always in identifying screws I needed to fill the cage screw holes (I didn’t get a cage). 

@pehare Bummer!    I recently moved both my new amp and my old SLI-80 and the new one seems quite a bit heavier but I haven’t weighed them (obviously!).

@pehare 6-32 threads ¼ inch length.  They get theirs from DB Roberts. I found 18-8 SS black oxide pan head Phillips drive screws on Amazon. Inexpensive and fast.  They look more like button head screws to me.  They look fine in the amp’s cage screw holes.  Those tiny screws are only very slightly magnetic so I couldn’t use a magnetic screwdriver and my fat fingers had a very difficult time with them.  I managed to get two in and gave up on the other two.  My wife came to my rescue and she had them installed in 90 seconds!

@pehare   They used Phillips drive flat head screws on my unit’s side panels.