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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
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I'm sure I saw a pair somewhere then. And I said to myself wow! that's a 10th of the price of the Wavac 805 monoblocks.

http://www.wavac-audio.jp/pics/MD-805m.jpg

http://www.wavac-audio.jp/pics/md-805mk2.jpg

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

Did some search on this Cary 805 with an 805 output tube, and yes it was used at first like I thought, but I think due to hard to find NOS only supply of the 805 tube at the time, it got changed to the 211 because they were being made new, and then in 97 to the 845.

Quote:"The original Cary CAD-805 was named after its output tube: the 805. The amp had a 6SL7 input tube (which has remained constant through various design changes) and an EL34 driver tube. The 805 output tube was soon switched to a 211."Quote:

Cheers George
brf
1,715 posts
 
George, I am not disputing the fact that the Cary was original designed around the 805 tube, but it never went into retail production with the 805 tube. The first retail version was offered with the 211 tube. Perhaps you saw the prototype? In any event, it's a great amp.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
There's one pair in Australia with 805 tubes, maybe it was modded to take them? owned by Robert ? the guy who bought the Eichmann cable and bullet plugs rights from Eichmann then on sold it. Maybe it was the prototype who knows?

Cheers George

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
More info delving into the history of this fine? tube amp, I found this quote from Sam Tellig this time when he talked to Dennis Had of Cary.

"The original CAD-805 had four tubes—three in the signal path. Starting as the signal came in, a single 6SL7 dual-triode input tube provided voltage gain. This was coupled to the control grid of an EL34 pentode tube wired as a triode. The EL34 produced about 4W of audio power to drive the control grid of the 805 or 211 via an interstage transformer"

Chees George
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