Cary sound?

Lorne: Still offering the $2,000 for a Beatles reunion on SNL? Now that it doesn't have to be split quite so many ways, I think we might be persuaded...

Luv, Ringo

P.S. - Who are these 'Carys' chaps?

I am using the Cary 572SE's which use the Svetlana SV-572. They claim 20wpc but sound much more powerful. I really enjoy the sound of them. I have had all sorts of amps from ARC, Kora, Aronov, BAT, etc.. I think these have a similar sound to the BAT VK60 but maybe a bit warmer with better bass. Finding a preamp that matches is the harder part. I tried the AES/Cary AES-3 which is 6SN7 based and it had a lot of air but lacked something in the low end. I then tried the Cary SLP-50 which had better bass but lacked the open sound of the AES-3. The AES-3 was highly tweaked. I am now using an Audio Research LS-3 which is solid state and it very sweet sounding. I may have found a match.

One thing to mention is that the SV-572 tube is becoming more scarce. I stockpiled a bunch of them and I think that New Sensor has the rest. The 572SE amps can be modified by Cary to accept the 300B for approx. $750 including a set of Electro Harmonix 300B's. Sorry for all the history. The bottom line is that the Cary's have a nice sound.

I have an SLI50 integrated and it is dead quiet first of all. Sound emanates from a black silence that is crystal clear and it possesses excellent dynamics both micro and macro. You hear all the detail with no harshness or spot-lighting. It has excellent extension on the top end and a solid bass. It does have a tube sound in that leading edges of notes are slightly rounded off. I will never sell this amp. It is a lifetime keeper for me. This unit is five years old and I have replaced the output tubes only and just replaced the power switch which failed (autopsy revealed burnt contacts) which is not an easy job plus a new selector switch (it was getting noisy). The parts and build quality appear excellent except the switches I replaced. They were inexpensive (8.75) and looked that way. However, they do have a nice feel when in use. I would purchase another Cary product if the right piece came along. I do use a competing brand (VAC) in my big system because they fit my requirements in that system. The VAC gear is more expensive. My SLI50 is the best value.