Carver Raven 350 Amps

I have been using them at full.  Since the knob is impacting both volume and gain, I am not sure how much it impacts the ability to use the full capability of the amplifier.  You will, obviously, have to turn your source up further to get the same output.

You haven't been able to determine which of your sources (or if the preamp itself) is causing the noise?

erichgs,  can you guess what speakers i have  SALK SOUNDSCAPE  8, with upgrade on the xovers, mundoff , the amp I have now is AVA 600R FET

@smokenjo 

Every speaker I listened to while visiting Bob Carver, the Carver 350 blew away the 600R for soundstage.  On one of the speakers I thought the 600R had a better sound in the highs, but over all I preferred the sound from the Carver amp on every speaker I listened on (even the one I thought the 600R had better highs on.)

What finish do you have on your SoundScapes?

erichgs,

If I connect the output from my Direct Stream Dac directly to the Carver amps there is very little hiss.
But if I connect the Direct Stream output to the input of the BSG QOL or to my DEQX Premate preamp and then to the Carver amps I get the hiss. Either piece of equipment will cause the hiss. 

Bob Carver suggests reducing significantly (50% from full level) the Carver volume control and just turn up the level on the DEQX Preamp. To do this I would be playing the DEQX Preamp at its 85-95% top settings. I'm not sure I like that.

When my Atma-Sphere Amps are used instead of the Carvers there is complete silence.

I don't know what more to do. 

All of my equipment has true balanced connections and quality balanced interconnects are used. The Carver even though it has a XLR input it is still just a single ended connection. I think if the Carver amps had a true balanced input there would be no problem.

ozzy

@ozzy 

Have you tried the RCA inputs?  Maybe it is possible that your balance out to single ended in is causing a ground loop or some kind of feedback issue (not sure what Carver is doing with the unused pin.)  I can try the XLR inputs on mine and see what happens.  It is single ended and I have RCA everywhere else, so I didn't see the point in using it.

Erich