I appreciate all the responses. They are helpful. Once I owned a pair of Cary 572SE amps and they were incredible. All the hype about tubes was really true! They ended up being a major hassle, though, because of the downfall of the Svetlana 572-3 triode. I went through about 12 defective tubes in 3 months (at about the same time, Dennis Had pulled the amp off the market). I moved to an upgraded McCormack solid state amp and life was easier, but I've never forgotten the seductive sound from those tube amps. The SLI-80 seemed like a relatively painless way to get back in, so I've been giving it a lot of thought. Now I'm thinking even more!
What is it about the Cary SLI-80?
I've been wondering for some time now why I see so many Cary SLI-80 int. amps for sale on Audiogon? I've considered getting one for myself because of all the positive things I've read about them, but am I missing something? Naturally, a seller isn't going to register disappointment with the amp. Am I just imagining things or is there something about this amp that leads owners to get rid of them more frequently than average? Or do I just notice them more when they are for sale, since I've been interested in them? I haven't ruled them out for me, yet. Just suspicious that they might not live up to the hype. Help me out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to harm anyone's reputation, just after some experienced feedback. I owned Cary monoblocks once and loved their sound. Thanks.