Thumbs up to Cary Audio Service

I have and have had many Cary products over the years and when problems occur their support is always top shelf.

Great News. I have been trying to contact Cary by email to help me with my vintage WE300BSE monoblocks and SLP-98P preamplifier. So far without responses. These have been returned for servicing only twice over the last couple decades, one when the housekeeper damaged the bat-wing switches on one amp and the other time when a high-end CD player crashed and sent digital utrasonic nasties through the system and blew out a midrange driver. In recent days, I heard a rapid low-level ticking sound in one chennel (MidRange horn) and a few days later in the other speaker. The sound is low and masked by music, but I can hear it when I stand near the speakers. I have swapped the 6sn7 tubes on both amps and preamp. I use a Steelhead phono preamp rather than the SLP-98 phono preamp. I can not stop by Cary.  I live in St. Louis MO. Suggestions Please.

@heart_sounds , a few years ago I was having an issue with my Cary V-12. I tryed to call tech support on the phone, but they told me they no longer offer telephone tech support and to email them. I sent more than one email asking for troubleshooting hints and getting a reply was like pulling teeth. Finally they did reply and basically told me what their shop rates for work was and to ship them the amp. I actually wound up seeking assistance on another audio forum and a helpful and patient member there helped me troubleshoot it to a bad capacitor which I replaced myself.

Compared to the Dennis Had days of Cary Audio Design, the customer service I experienced from them was miserable. I’d say to continue emailing them as they may get bored and respond to you sooner or later.

I am sorry to learn this. It is what has been happeing to me so far.

Yes, I had a great nut infrequent relationship with Dennis Had. I will keep emailing but I will try to find an independent repair person who specializes in these types of amps. Fortunately, these amps and the preamp are silver point-to-point wired. I thought it might be relay causing the issue, given the ticking sound but it could easily be something else. Thanks for the kind response. I love the amps and preamp; They are like family and are perfect for my 105+ dB, 16 Ohm horns.

@heart_sounds , Kirk Owens was the absolute best! No matter how big or small my problem/question, he always had time to give me his attention. He inspired my loyalty to CAD.

Anyway, what you might do is to post your issue in the amps/preamps forum of this site, and maybe in the tech talk forum. My aptitude for electronics is limited, but there are some gurus on this site and they may be able to provide some help for you.

I betcha those 300 WE monoblocks sound great with the right speakers. A long time ago (before 9/11) I tryed out and bought a second hand SLP 90 at a Stereo place that was getting out of audio and getting more into HT. It was a win-win. They got rid of a preamp with a limited appeals for buyers in this area, and I got a great sounding preamp to replace the HT digital preamp I was using at the time. Then, a while after I bought that pre, they were having an open house event (beer, food, ect, I guess to try to clear out more stereo inventory and show off their newer stuff) and since I knew there was a pair of those little CAD 300 SE monoblocks that they had had for a long long time, I showed up to see if the owner would let me take them home for the weekend and let me play with them. I thought he would, seeing as how I had put $ in his pocket before, but he said no, he said he had someone coming to look at them.

I was a little surprised but not heart broken, as at the time I was getting great sound from a pair of ARC VTM 120s behind my new-to-me SLP90 . . . but I just wanted to hear what the SET experience was all about, and if they drove my speakers satisfactorily, I would have kept both pairs of monoblocks and used whichever depending upon which mood I was in. But I have a feeling that those little Carys would have had trouble with my 87 db B&W 805s, so probably no great loss.

But if I ever was going to start over, I think I’d look into SETs with high efficiency speakers. Occasionally I see a pair of Cary 805s come up on Cary’s preowned section and I think, "If I had a few thousand bucks I could justify spending . . ." but I recently bought a preowned SLP-05 so that kind of blew my spare $ situation for a while. . . .

Anyway, good luck to you on this, and as I typed, try posting your technical question on a different forum on this site, and maybe you will get some useful input.

Thank you for the kind response. The 8W channel monobocks would have been disappointing in use with a lower efficiency speaker. My friend and colleague had the 805s and they were luxurious. He had a very high-end system and used them with Sonus Faber speakers, if I recall. I remember discourses with Kirk Owens. Another top shelf guy. Unfortunate what has happened to Cary since the buy-out.

I found a local audio repair shop, Alpha Tech, and I will work with them. I am told that they are reliable and good. I will post this experience in the vintage forum, so others can ship equipment to them if they choose.

The SET sound is immersive and I will say that the difference between the WE 300B and others, such as JJ 300B, is immediately notable in the same amps. An alternative would be WE 2A3 for an equally luxuriant less bold sound.

I had a visitor from the west coast last week who also has a high-end stereo. He came to the house on his trip to visit my lab.  As soon as the first record started to play, he was blown away. And so it went all night. He left saying that the experience was changed his expectations for his stereo. I know I can make my system better and I have heard others that are different but equally good if not better.

The CEO of my Financial Advisory company said he did not like musio. I invited him to listen telling him he would change his mind. He did. I played albums that he heard his mom playing as a child, while he listened from the porch on warm summer days as a child.  When he left, he asked to be invited back and then sent a list of six records he would like to hear from beginning to end next time. I am trying to get my stereo tweaked before he comes.

I have been listening to music all my life and I guess I am spoiled. Except for sports that I follow and some business news, I favor music over TV.  My wife is the reverse; she likes movies over music.

So it goes.