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Cary 805 vs v12

I really enjoy my janszen speakers and have powered them with six PAC el34 triodes for almost a year. I tried a mcintosh mc275 for a time, but found I prefer the el34 to the kt tube family. I was considering finding a used v12 with the ultralinear switch to get more out of my system. But, then I thought, " hmm...I wonder what the 805ae would sound like?"

Anyone care to compare the 805ae to the six pacs to the v12? I lean towards warm and full bodied sound and do not care for the hyper detailed krell sound.

System:
Emotive Sira pre
Sony hapz1es
Svs stereo subs
Six PAC mono blocks
Janszen za2.1
sgtbrad
sgtbrad OP
7 posts
 
Oops. Somehow I posted before my browser refreshed and I didn't get to see the last two posts. Thank you again for the replies. And thank you for the direct comparison. "Dull and lifeless" is definitely not what I am looking for. It would be my exact description of the mc275 in my system. It's funny how system synergy comes into play. I hate to hear it though. I was secretly hoping to hear how stunning the 805s were so that I could justify a trial. As it stands I will probably sit tight and look for a v12 to try.
brf
1,715 posts
 
The Cary 805 is capable of providing stunning results IF paired with the correct speaker. The 805 is a single ended directly heated triode amplifier, therefore, don't ask it to do something that it was not optimally designed for. You don't buy a sports car to haul wood.
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,381 posts
 
Brad, the last few posts give good advice. It's all about the speaker match and your Sensitivity: 87dB /1W/1m
Impedance: 6 ohms nominal
doesn't sound like a good match for the 805s. In general, 211s, 845s, etc. will go better with >90db and >8ohm loads.

The most common way to "go ballsier" is with pentode beasts using your EL34, 6550s etc. Many including me are partial to triode magic, so be sure to demo before buying any pentode amps based on reviews, etc.

It's always a trade off of priorities and personal preferences! cheers,
Spencer
rleff
1,065 posts
 
Are you only interested in the Cary line up or would you try a VAC,VTL, or perhaps Manley?
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

I believe when first released the Cary 805 monos had a real 805 directly heated triode single ended transmission output tube (which have the white top cap for the anode), which had more power than the 845 or 211, and it was taller.

Cheers George
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