Cary Audio SLP-05 First Impression

Hey @jdub39, I did get my replacement unit last week, and it’s still burning in. I took @decooney’s advice and decided to add the ’ultimate upgrade’ before they shipped the replacement. Knowing my own shopping habits, I know for sure I will get that itch to upgrade down the road, I figured I might as well save myself some hassles and shipping cost and get this done now.

I was going to post an update after I let it completes its burn in, which is 100 hours as recommended by Cary. Since you ask, I’ll just give you guys my initial impression.

So far, I have to say I am a little underwhelmed by this ultimate upgrade. I’m not getting the same ’wow’ factor as I did with my first unit, and I am trying to ask myself why.

Also just to remind you guys that I only had in my possession of the first unit for about 4 days, and it wasn’t even completely burned in. Here’s my impression so far:

The top end seems to be more smooth and I’m hearing no graininess at all. The first unit did have a slight graininess occasionally, which didn’t really bother me that much. However, I now notice the top end stands out more. I won’t say it is harshness. It just seems the top end is a little more accentuated, which is not what I prefer. I think it might have to do with the change in the bass response, which I’ll describe in the next paragraph.

The bass seems tighter, but at the same time it doesn’t seem to go as deep as the first unit. I wonder if it’s because a tighter sounding bass means the duration of the sound is shorter, so it doesn’t stick around as long to give you the sensation of depth. I’m just thinking out loud. I’m not an audio engineer. So far, I found the bass a little less prominent. Although it is tighter, I still wish that it is a little more punchy.

The holographic 3D soundstage that really made a huge impact when I heard it the first time in the first unit seems a little less prominent also. I wonder if it’s because my expectation is higher now.

So I’m going crazy now trying to figure out if the ultimate upgrade had changed the overall sound profile in a way that it no longer matches my hearing preference, or have I set my expectation up so high that it did not live up to it. Maybe it is a little bit of both?

I think one key factor might play a critical role to make this ultimate upgrade a different experience is that I was comparing the first unit with my existing JC2 preamp, and now I’m comparing the ultimate upgrade to the previous unit. I now wish I had kept the 2nd unit unchanged, and wait a little longer to upgrade. I wonder if that scenario will produce a different outcome.

For those who had done the upgrade, please chime in and tell me that it is all in my head. Anyway, I’m still hoping that the sound will continue to improve until it finishes burning in and possibly beyond that. I’m asking myself to be a little patient here. Or maybe my hearing will eventually burn in and adapt to this new sound 😀

Hang in there. Be patient. Frequently better parts take longer to break in. Break in will normally relax the sound (becoming more natural… less treble forward)… tends to get quieter and bass is reinforced. The soundstage opens up over time as well. . . On my equipment the first 150 hours are not good by the standards later achieved… then the sound can vary wildly good / bad, back and forth. It then it settles down and improves slowly over the next 400 hour. After that, while even more slowly it improves over the next 400 hours. So, 1,000 hours. But it is OK to draw conclusions after 600. I have been experiencing break in for 40 years… and I still get suckered into drawing conclusions too soon… doubting… then pleasant happiness. The upgrade was a great idea… we have similar personalities. Remember you will be listening for years.

I’ll be honest, I have a stock SLP 05 and was all set to pull the trigger on the ultimate upgrade until my friend who has an Ultimate 05 brought his over for a direct comparison.  After a couple of days of comparison, both of us concluded that we could not hear a difference between the two units.  I was a bit disappointed, but not as disappointed as my friend.  In the end, it’s an awesome preamp and is very responsive to tube rolling. 

@ghdprentice,  thanks for sharing your experience on break in.   I'm definitely trying to give it some time.   Will try to report back if my impression changes after it settles a bit.

@testpilot, interesting experience here.  It does help calm my nerve a little.   Last thing I want is to have the upgrade worsening the sound.  I agree this is still an awesome preamp, and it's still a keeper.

@xcool a few questions for ya, if known. Agree with others, give it a lot more time.

1) what 6SN7 tubes came with it (EH?)

2) and, the 10 Mundorf caps were installed, correct?

3) How many hours do you have on the SLP-05 now before/after upgrades?

i.e. some years ago Cary use to run them for 2-3 days before sending them out. Not sure if they do that any more. Caps, transformers, tubes all settle in. I used to see people pulling the generic stock EH tubes in the 05 and using Popes instead, fwiw. Wondering what they sent ya.

Having used those same caps in three different upgrades (preamps and amps), let me share right up front the break-in and cap forming cycle can be "aggravating" to say the least, on those. Prepare for what we call "the rollercoaster ride" on those Mundorfs. I was warned too before my first try. It’s true. I emailed the Mundorf factory and they confirmed this for me while I was getting to be very impatient. Sounded bad new. Seems like it took forever. Finally got there. YES, the sound is going to change at 100 & 200hrs, some say up to ~300hrs. I heard changes even at 300hrs. No joke. I use the same caps in my (other brand) current monos. Mine sound different now, much more engaging, nice tone, texture, smoothness and more after the 200 and 300hr mark. Patience will pay off.  Your experience may vary. I had to look again at the upgrade itself, link.