Difference: Cary SLI80 Signature vs non-signature?

Hi Transl,

Which I/C cables did you use before and now?

Thanks.

Thank you Kevin!

The EL-34 tubes now sound marvelous when I changed the I/C cables.

Jdec - The hexfreds have a completely different job. The rectification stage in an amp's power supply helps to regulate the voltage going into the amp. The Hexfreds are upgraded diodes (which every amp has). These diodes essentially keep the signal flowing in the right direction (sorry I'm not an engineer but that's the jist of it). The cool thing about the hexfreds is they do their job faster with less recovery time, which translates into increased clarity during complex musical passages.

Transl - The SLI-80 can use a wide variety of power tubes including EL34s and 6L6GCs. I don't have personal experience rolling those tubes (I just don't have as much time to play as I used to!) but we have a few customers using EL34s with great results. An EL34 won't have quite the same kind of bass authority you'd get from a 6550 or KT88, but the midrange will be prettier. There's always a little trade-off when switching power tube types, and you just have to determine if the loss is justified by what you gain.

Hello Kevin,

I am a SLI-80 user and I like it a lot. Do you have any experience in using EL-34 tubes with it? I sold the SLI-50 amplifier and sometimes I miss that liquid EL-34 sound. Gregg from Cary suggested I can use EL-34 tubes with the SLI-80. I have 4 quads of xf-2 and xf-3 coded Mullard EL-34 tubes and I don't want to sell them. Using EL-34 tubes with the SLI-80 amplifier renders less bass as compared with the SLI-50 unit, and I suspect that EL-34 tubes are sort of out of place here.

I will appreciate any inputs.

The last post from Upscale Audio regarding the Hexfreds in the SLI-80 is confusing to me. Isn't the SLI-80 supposed to have tube rectification? or there can be a combination of diodes and tubes for rectification in the power supply?

Here is the layout:

SLI-80 started it

SLI-80 Sig is a standard model and they added remote control,triode/ultralinear switching while you play, all-tube headphone jack (right off the speaker taps and rocks), a 4/8 ohm switch for the speakers.

We sold for quite a while a version with Jensen Oil/Copper caps. A very popular upgrade.

I use this amp in my office and that launched the F1 version. We thought about all the upgrades we had Cary do for customers over the years, took the ones that made the real difference (hence F1....Formula 1...you only put in the stuff that makes it go fast)

So we do all of the above including Jensen Oil/Copper caps and add:

Hexfreds to the power supply for faster recovery when you are rockin' or the music gets complex.

Kimber Kable to the CD in

Grayhill selector switch....important, right in the signal path, and mondo-cool.

WBT speaker terminals.

Choice of regular or direct coupled preamp section.

Custom finishes and gold or silver leaf silkscreening.

Lastly, there is a version that has no triode/UL switch. All triode baby, and zero negative feedback. A lot of people are curious about the concept of single ended operation operation. But most of those amp have 3-15 watts of power...with a few exceptions. This will give you 40 watts and run most speakers.

Can someone describe sonic differences between F1 and prior versions?
Thanks,
Art

my pleasure richard, fyi...you can look at owners manuals for past & present products on Carys' website under 'customer service' then 'owners manuals'. apparently there have been 3 versions of the sli-80 as per this info. enjoy, it's a great little amp for the right speakers.

Oh great, that is the information I need. Thank you so much for your help. Pehare!!!

...also non-sig. did not have a remote or preamp output jack.

what Cary sells now & has for some time is the signature version. the non-signature version did not have 4/8 ohm switches, triode/ultralinear switches or headphone output & also had a chrome deck. this info is from an old thread on audioasylum I read years ago. you may want to email or call Cary to confirm.

Anyone know?

I know F1 version is the best of three, but it is out of my budget. Mike, can you give me some detail of the non-signature and signature?

IF you really want to get the sli-80 call Upscale Audio and get the F1 version, they are the only dealer that can sell it. I have owned 3 sli-80 and this is by far the best. Talk to Kevin or Jared they will help you out.
I have had 3 of them because everytime I sold one and went to something else I ended up wanting the Cary back...they are that good.
Hope that helps.
Mike