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Carver, THE standard of excellence IMO

I have read many discussions on these forums and others about many people having difficulty getting hold of or information from the manufacturers or dealers about problems with their gear.  Some wait weeks,months or forever for a response.Yesterday (Sunday) I thought I was having a small problem with my Carver Crimson 350 amps and I did some tests described in the manual to check the KT120 tubes.  I was getting some strange meter readings and couldn't understand why.  So I went to the Carver site and wrote a detailed email at that site, expecting to hear back sometime this week.  At the time I did not know it went straight to the president and co-owner Frank Malilz, but it does. Frank marked it "very important" and forwarded to Bob Carver who at 9:15 pm (my time) sent me a detailed answer that solved my problems.  Are you kidding me!!!! straight to the pres and then to the designer (we all know who is a legend) and back to me within 6 hrs ON A SUNDAY!  To paraphrase a truck commercial....Carver doesn't raise the bar, it sets it.

I know not everyone can afford a set of $9500 monos but I am sure the service would be the same on Carver's new 275s at less than $2800.  I have heard the 275s at Axpona and they are voiced extremely close to the 350s just not as much power.  For most set ups they would be magnificent.  Who else gives the amp AND tubes a TRANSFERABLE 5 yr warranty?  Both the 350 and 275 play for hrs and never get hot.  Handmade in the USA and signed by the legend himself.  If you are looking for a tube amp in this category that plays far far above it's price you owe it to yourself to check out the 275 (or the 350s if you can go that way financially, 10 yr warranty on everything, if you talk to Bob he would probably give you a 50 yr warranty on amp AND tubes, I am not kidding in the least.)  I have no interest in any way with Bob Carver Corp other than a love of it's products and service.  I've posted some here before so you know I'm not a shill. I just wanted to educate some on this forum about my experience, about a great product and outstanding service from the people who make that product.  I believe they really care about audio and their customers.
DrMark  (Doc from MI on some Carver sites)
drkingfish
m-db's avatar
m-db
939 posts
 
   Didn't know who made our Phase Linear 400s. For the nine years of being dropped and slammed around in their road case they never failed to power our front of house system and were sold in working order.

   Years later when shopping for higher powered two channel tube amplification I learned Bob Carver designed and produced those Phase Linear 400s not to mention The Carver Challenge. After reading Dick Olsher's introductory review of Bob Carver Tube Amplification Cherry 180s, its collaborative design goals and sensible casework Walt at Lahaina, HI. Underwood Hifi hooked me up nicely, Mahalo.

   Two years in I thought I had a problem with one. Mr. Malitz informed me they couldn't find a thing wrong. It turned out to be one of my DIY power cords shorting. After six years of problem free use I chose to replace the KT 88s with 120s.     

  Our little Hi-Fidelity industry is small and delicate. There are a very small number of despicable manufactures and retailers that need calling out by those who've had an actual negative experience worth taking the time to share. There will always be those whose actual experience is limited to self aggrandizement.   
drkingfish OP
79 posts
 
Rickyt2If I were you I would be asking for my money back..come on 25 yrs that's unacceptable, obviously a defective product

ace17
23 posts
 

I have 2 of the old Carver TFM amps that I bought new, and used for TWENTY FIVE YEARS, running them hard in a room w/no A/C.  Just now retired them ~ never had a bit of trouble w/them, and they did yeoman-like work driving [biamping] first some Def Tech BP20s, and then some Polk SDAs...they always sounded like they were pushing out a lot more power than their modest ratings.  Later, I got a Sunfire sub to use w/the setup, and when it blew the active driver, they replaced it for a flat $75 fee, and I never had another problem w/it.  Oh, and I was also using a Carver preamp [which I bought at the same time], that had the Holograhic technology, which, after hearing, I left turned on...you guessed it, for 25 years. 

Bob, are you out there?   Would you like to have your old amps back?  I will donate them, and you can put them in the Bob Carver museum which will assuredly be built to honor your HiFi achievements!  If I ever buy a tube amp, it will be one of yours.  Or maybe you will revive the SS line w/a new TFM design?

And how crazy is it that he had to buy his name back when he started this last company?

markainsworth's avatar
markainsworth
92 posts
 
I am an old guy.  I remember lusting after Carver's High Current designs.  I have owned one Carver piece.  It was a Sunfire 5 channel receiver (I forget the model number)  that replaced a New York Audio Labs setup. I enjoyed the Sunfire for a few years, but then the left channel stopped working.  I considered getting it repaired, but when I bought my Magnepan 1.7's I gave it away and purchased a used Parasound HCA2200, which is about 30 years old and is still silent.  I am thinking about getting the Parasound re-capped, but am intrigued by the new Carver tube amp.  I have a Aric Audio tube preamp which I feel improved the sound of my system markedly over the Marsh unit it replaced.

Does anybody have thoughts on powering the Magnepan's with a 275?
jhills
612 posts
 
@markainsworthDoes anybody have thoughts on powering the Magnepan's with a 275?


I'm powering my Maggie 1.7s with a 100W Rogue Cronus Mag II, integrated tube with the KT120 tubes and it does a beautiful job. I'm an old guy myself and my poor old ears and head no longer enjoy concert level volumes. l listen to jazz, contemporary, blues, light pop, classic rock, chamber and old country at something south of 80 db. 
Unless you listen to very loud rock or concert level full orchestration, I think the Carver 275 @ 75W pr. Chanel would work very well......Jim
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