Is Bob Carver Still in Business?


I have tried to contact the Bob Carver company on some advice on tubes used with the Black Raven 350 amp via phone, email, and through his latest listed distributor Jim Clark.

No one answers the phone, returns emails etc.

ozzy

 

128x128ozzy

Hello Mr zufan,

Thank you for your business, Sir.

Its always a pleasure sharing Bobs amplifiers with people and getting great feedback on the dynamic, musical and enjoyable performance they bring, compared to a wide variety of other products.

Its always good to hear this, knowing the customer is under no obligation to keep the amplifier and pays no-restocking fee if they don’t love it. Its the most honest way we know to sell hi-fi in todays market. Customer satisfaction is the goal.

The amps look great! Thanks for sharing.

Jim

 

 

Hiya @jimclarkstereo I took the amp challenge last month, bought 1, then another to go mono. Making my Blade2 sing & dance & clap in glee! Pics on my system page.

Ignore the studio apartment trolls with esteem issues; they’re still protesting MQA.

 

jimclarkstereo

Obviously you have never listened to our product. Maybe you should buy the Topping that is #2 on ASRs list? Reports are that is sounds pretty poor but ranks really high. Yes copy and paste is the easiest way to respond with the truth. Sorry if you have an issue.

Ahhh, the snobbist approach to high end audio sales. Those of us who have been in audio a while have seen this before. Good luck to you and Bob! You're going to need it.

jerryg123's avatar

jerryg123

2,760 posts

 

I am asking not implying anything, didn’t they have some quality issues with their contract builder of their amplifiers. I thought they were sourcing  a new builder?

Hello Sir,

We have one builder that does a great job running a line in California. Bob has a dedicated production facility in Illinois as well. 

Thank you,

Jim

Ag insider logo xs@2x

cleeds

4,690 posts

 

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Hey @jimclarkstereo this is the same cut-and-paste silliness that you posted a few days ago here.

Do you think spamming this group will help your sales?

 

Obviously you have never listened to our product. Maybe you should buy the Topping that is #2 on ASRs list? Reports are that is sounds pretty poor but ranks really high. Yes copy and paste is the easiest way to respond with the truth. Sorry if you have an issue.

Anyone with a real question can call me direct. 815 985 3557. I don't have time to respond to every post on every forum.  We are focusing on happy customers and doing fine. Controversy is nothing new. Enjoy!

Glad to hear Bob's back to designing.

Looking forward to his new creations.

Hi Guys,

Jim Clark here. I work for Bob Carver. There is no-one from the past working here or involved in any way. The team is Bob, myself and a group of aerospace engineers, turning Bob's designs into high performance hardware.

After the closure of a former company that built and sold Bob's designs under license. Bob came out of retirement to focus on the customer and the legacy. I'm helping him. We have a great team of aerospace engineers that we will be introducing along with Bob's latest designs.

I apologize for the lack of communication. We started from the ground up since Feb., when Bob started putting pencil to paper and the team started computer simulations and testing of Bob's brilliant ideas. 

I can be reached easily at 815-985-3557, if I'm on another line, leave your # and I'll call right back or E-mail jim@bobcarvercorp.com. Emails are checked 3 times per day. The new store at bobcarvercorp.com is open an being updated weekly.

Bob is doing great, designing circuits and enjoying his days. 

Customer take our risk-free offer and compare Bob's amps in their systems, against a wide variety of amplifiers. We make sales with the designs musical performance playing a wide variety of loudspeakers. Similar to the head to head showroom competitions of decades ago, just the 2023 version. 

Thank you,

Jim

 

 

 

I am asking not implying anything, didn’t they have some quality issues with their contract builder of their amplifiers. I thought they were sourcing  a new builder?

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Hey @jimclarkstereo this is the same cut-and-paste silliness that you posted a few days ago here.

Do you think spamming this group will help your sales?

Hello,

My name is Jim Clark. Bob Carver started a company of his own early this year and ask me to run it for him. I accepted and went to work. We turned the place upside down and started over fresh.

There is no-one remaining here, that is associated with a past. Its Bob Carver, myself and a team of aerospace engineers, building some great products.

Bob is enjoying his time designing circuits and spending time with his wonderful wife.

Bob’s recent tube amps have came under scrutiny for being too lightweight and having smaller output transformers relative to the power rating. This is nothing new. You older fellows remember the controversy surrounding the 9 lb. 200WPC M-400 back 35-40 years ago. Much is the same as today.

Bob designs for music, running the widely varying impedance curve of actual loudspeakers, with high voltage tube amplifiers that raise voltage in response to the actual loudspeaker load impedance. Near resonant frequencies, a speaker impedance can rise to 30 ohms or more. The load is dynamic. Bob measurers the interactions between the amplifiers and various types of speaker loads, while making music.

Designing amplifiers to reproduce sine waves into a static resistive load as commonly tested (aka drainage) is not the same application. This adds cost and weight. Many heavy, expensive amplifiers that reproduce sine waves well, while running static resistive loads, suffer terribly when reproducing music and dynamic loads.

Bob, being a physicist, designs for the actual application of designing a musical amplifier. These high voltage, high headroom designs are some of the most musical you will find. The average tube amp uses 450v of B+ voltage, while Bobs designs run at 685v B+, more than 50% higher.

In Bobs words, "they make a nice wide voltage swing with lots of headroom."

"The high voltage supply cost less to produce and sounds better driving speakers."

"The smaller transformers sound great with this high voltage design."

Don’t take our word for it, have a 30 day risk -free trial in your system with no re-stocking fee. Hearing is believing.

Bobs lightweight, high voltage, high headroom designs, outsold other brands in more than 500 dealers across the USA for many years, during actual listening test, head to head with other more expensive, heavier amplifiers. Today, you can have the demo in your home for 30 days and you be the judge. That’s the real test of a musical audio products value to the customer.

Bob is back and we are doing well. Customers are taking the Carver Amplifier Challenge and enjoying the musical performance. We continue to earn our place in customers systems. No hype. Head to head competition.

The customers aways win in these challenges . They are the priority.

I apologize for any lack of communication during this transition.

I can be reached at 815-985-3557

jim@bobcarvercorp.com

The new store is open at bobcarvercorp.com

Thank you,

Jim 

 

Bob Carver Amplifier Design Philosophy — What Sounds Good?

 

Since the early days, after earning my physics degrees, my approach to audio design has created controversy.

 

My unconventional approach has brought both criticism, accolades and world-wide recognition for achieving musical excellence from my wonderful fans. World-wide recognition for offering a more affordable product, compared to most other brands of comparable products. It’s a great pursuit. Myriad technological advances have emerged from someone doing things differently.

 

My amplifiers have often been smaller, lighter, and less costly than others —while remaining powerful, musical, and accurate. These designs and their musical performance are quite successful. I do indeed make comparisons between my design practices and those of other designers. This is done not to foster a “Carver against the world” attitude but rather to highlight significant creative differences. Most other designers have chosen a heavily-trodden path; I simply take a fresh route.

 

What makes an amplifier sound good?

 

Dynamic power, low distortion, and wide frequency response. My tube amplifiers have high voltage (B+); the power supplies are able to “bounce” and increase voltage, closely tracking the musical load with very little distortion. This is an important key to musical performance that cannot be revealed by hooking an amp up to a resistor.

 

Do you design amplifiers using load resistors or speakers?

 

Both. On my bench I start out with resistors, then I use different speakers with a scope and voltmeter connected, while playing music and measuring the amp and speakers reacting together. The back EMF that is present makes speakers slightly easier to drive. Power response, by design, tapers below 80Hz, yet frequency response goes below 20Hz.

 

My designs will drive difficult loudspeaker loads, playing music far better than the specifications listed, without clipping, and with lots of headroom available.

 

These long held design targets have served Carver well. The designs have delivered excellent performing, highly musical products that more people could afford, without sacrificing the powerful and musical performance desired when powering loudspeakers.

 

 

Stay tuned for more of my very latest designs and the on-line store coming soon.

 
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Looking at the Bob Carver website it now states that the 350-watt mono blocks are listed as "special order".

Wonder why, and what that means?

ozzy

Bob Carver sold the company and the name. I am not sure of his participation in the company.

@zufan...thanks again.  I sure don't understand how this works.  I think I'll email Jim and ask.

After 45 years in the business,  I thought I knew almost everything about audio, but this has me confused.

Thanks for the info!

@mofimadness I don't know the specific answer to your q. Guessing it's the latter. 

Jim told me this setup creates output closer to 90w than solo stereo 25w. My reply: giddyup. 

@zufan...Thanks for the pic!  Does this "really" bridge the two channels together for more output or just tie the two channels together?

 

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@mofimadness true, I just now added pic of how to mono these. Pic is from them, it's not my rig (I use Fidelium). But same config of course. 

@kota1 Same here. Just bought a primaluna pre though, about a week ago, & it's def doing the job. But an all carver rig doth have appeal. 

@zufan +1. the pics look awesome, congrats.

I am thinking of getting the RPM V12 tube preamp when it comes out. I don't use passive speakers and this might be the last pre Bob makes. I own a Sunfire Processor, a Carver amp and like his gear. I'll see what happens when it is released.

I thought the 25 was stereo only?  I couldn't find any specs on the unit other than for 2 channel output. 

Today is day 22 of my Black Magic. HOWEVER it’s day 2 of my second unit. Dug the solo so much decided to go mono. I knew it needed help here & there.

So it’s early, haven’t wound them up yet. The main difference with monos is oddly I listen at slighter lower volume than usual. Not higher, lower. Weird, no? But it sounds so rich at lower volume I haven’t turned it up once in 2 days.

Imma gonna do a separate proper thread on these soon.

The 25 is indeed driving the blade 2 nicely. I'm spinning ditties, mostly vinyl jazz, 8+ hrs/day. The bass is there, which is impressive. 8 woofers in all it's driving. 

upshift: my rig is on the system page. 

 

Thanks for the update @zufan 

Could I ask what preamp and speakers are you using?

upshift

Today is day 3 of my new Black Magic 25. Def in biz. The wee amp is singing loud & proud. Punchy. So far so good. 

Ozzy,

Jim does participate on TheCarversite forum. And so do I.

Could try there also.

I did get a response from Jim Clark, he said the 6AL5 is the correct tube to use in that location. Someone needs to correct the Bob Carver website.

Or am I the only one who noticed the discrepancy? 

ozzy

So, here is what I just sent to Jim Clark.

"So, my question has been on the 350 mono blocks. In one part of the ad the DC restorer tube is listed as 6AL5 and in another section as a 6AT7 tube in the same position. I need to replace mine so, I am not sure which to use. Are they substitutes?

There has been no answer from the Carver website, phone numbers, or by you for several weeks until now when I responded to your recent ad on AudioMart."

Not a lot of confidence.

ozzy

I have seen the ad, that’s why I think it is so strange not to be able contact anyone. I just sent an email in response to the ad on AudioMart to Jim Clark. Let's see if he responds to that.

A couple of years back Bob Carver actually stayed at my home while we listened to his "Line Source" speakers. He looked a little feeble, but his mind and humor were still ok. I hope he is alright.

Alas, since the pandemic it does seem that connecting with companies in general is difficult.

ozzy

Thanks for the help.

As I understand, Frank Malitz is no longer with Carver. I have tried several numbers listed on the internet for Jim with no response. Not sure if the number skids suggested is one of them, but I'll give it a shot.

Wonder why though, none of the contact info on the Bob Carver website is useful?

ozzy

alternatively, if you call carver’s listed phone number in the owner’s manual for his amp(s), frank malitz will usually answer

Try calling Jim at his store. He's still open for business. Actually for another half hour. 7P.M.  : (815) 323-0898