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"upgrade" from Cary SLI 80 F1 edition

I've got before very good advice from this forum, so I'll post another question now:
I've got for the past 6 month or so a Cary SLI 80 F1 edition, and I've done some tube rolling , but so far I still think there is something "missing". The sound-stage is quite small and the details are sort of missing sometimes.

I guess I am ready to look for something else, so what else can I get for around 2k that sounds "better" than what I have now. I am looking only at integrated tube amps, but maybe I can be convinced to go separates:)

Thanks a lot for your time and suggestions!
vdg
kaspn3
6 posts
 
Call Steve Deckard at Decware Audio. I was in your position a few years ago. Cary Audio is very commercial. Decware has great products.
kettle7830
31 posts
 
I agree with Trelja, try EL 34 power tubes. The Electro Harmonics EL34 is a great tube in that amp with a good top end, great mids, and really opens up the soundstage. You lose a bit of the bass slam, but make up for it with a wonderful full midrange and great highs. After that you can fine tune the 6sn7 and 6922 positions.
aqdoan
2 posts
 
sli 80 is slow, overly romantic and lacks dynamics as well with kt 88 and el 34. try the Chinese KT66 and rebias between 50 and 60 ma. you'll be imazed how open up the sli 80 will be.
rbc
18 posts
 
I have a sli-80 and send it to a technician in Toronto for upgrade. He upgraded a few cap to mundorf and the sound opens up.
john_tracy
341 posts
 
As a former SLI-80 owner, IMO you can play around with tube rolling and cap changes until you're blue in the face and still not get around the underlying issues of the basic circuit topology and design execution. I have an old Eico HF-89 that I rebuild and modded (now sitting on a shelf) that ran circles around the Cary. The Cary had NOS Genelex KT-88s, vintage Sylvania 6SN7WGTAs, Amperex "pinched waist" 6922s and Mullard 5AS4 retifiers at the time. It's harder than you think to turn a "sow's ear" into a "silk purse".
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