2. amps-preamps
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Carver 275 Crimson tube amp --- any feedback appreciated

I have a Platinum modified McCormack DNA .05 and a Pass Labs First Watt F5 with which I drive my Spatial Audio Hologram M4 Triode Master speakers.  I have sworn off tube amps in the past, but I am intrigued with this new amp from Bob Carver.  Wally Underwood as well as Jimclarkstereo in Illinois are now selling them for about $2500.  I have never doubted Bob Carver's audio engineering genius.  I would be keen to get a 75 wpc tube amp and the price seems very reasonable compared to similarly-powered tube amps.    

I would be interested to hear what you lads think of this new amp.  Thanks for any input you can provide.  
whitestix
angelgz2
43 posts
 
@steakster 
I know this is an old post but it’s interesting you mentioned tube amps works best with speakers with flat impedance curve. I was told that electrostatics like Martin Logan are best paired with a tube. However these speakers have very volatile impedence and could often drop very low, as I heard. Is there any truth to this? Thanks! I’m trying to decide whether to get my MLs a tube amp, but don’t wanna spending the money if it’s meaningless. 
Post removed 
whitestix OP
719 posts
 
Angel,
Steakster has good advice.  I think you have it backward:  e-stats are power hungry and normally benefit from powerful ss amps.  The new ML's with internally powered subs are a different kettle of fish, but normally powerful amps like the Sanders amp are best employed with them.  
angelgz2
43 posts
 
@steakster thank you for the detailed feedback! You may just have saved me $4,500 going for that Mcintosh 275. 

@whitestix yes I would think so, but despite this logic, I’ve heard from many places, including the ML owners forum that some people swear by tubes with ML. In fact, some older models, it actually says in the manual that they are best driven by “pure class A tubes”. I have had a tube amp before I owned any MLs and I tried it with a pair of Dynaudio Contours and it sounded horrible. I have since been reluctant to go tube again. 

Thanks
Cheers, happy holidays! 
whitestix OP
719 posts
 
Angelgz,
Well, I stand corrected on this compatibility issue.  These days, everything I seem to know is wrong.  I have a pal who has pretty large Tyler Acoustic's speakers that are nominally 4 ohms, but have frequency dips to under 2 ohms and he could not drive the speakers past 80 db with a 65 wpc Don Sachs KT88-based tube amp without congestion.  However, in my system with 12 ohm Spatial Audio M4 Triode Master speakers, his amp was fantastic, truly, just brilliant.  He bought a pair of Spatial Audio M3 Triode Master's and the amp is of course astonishing.   The variable between the speakers is the impedance difference, as far as I can tell.  Perhaps there are other variables.  Mark

 
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