Carver equipement good??


Wondering if Carver amplifiers and preamps were all they were *hyped* up to be back then?
I remember it being higher end stuff when I was younger (1980s, yes best of times!)
Anyway, was it "all that" ?

thanks
427cube
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The Carver Silver 9t solid state monoblocs are excellent amps if you put a good preamp in front of them. I ran them with an Audio Research Ref3 and they kicked ass. 575 wpc @ 8 ohms, 900 wpc @ 4 ohms. I used them to drive the amp-killing Infinity Kappa 9 speakers.
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In a second system I am still using the Carver 15b amp. Nice features, clean sound. Also used the "Cube" amp to great effect. I really enjoyed the Carver products. Better than the run of the mill, gear from the far east IMO.
He is still at it. Check out one of his latest offerings: http://cgi.ebay.com/305-watt-BLACK-BEAUTY-Stereo-monoblock-tube-amplifiers-/180655213414?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2a0fe3cb66
Yep,

In fact I just bought two Carver M 1.5t's and couldn’t be happier:

The first amp I use to drive the front channels of my home theater system. Tons of power and is a huge upgrade from the relatively weak output of my HT receiver. I picked up a classic set of ADS L-1230’s and the synergy is great. I can actually listen to music on that system now. I am looking for an older set of Altecs next (Model 19 with luck) and look out. I might even spring for the MKII upgrade. Overkill for movies but great for parties – just add beer. The second amp drives my computer's analog output to a set of Proac Tabletts. I have to say, for what I paid it's quite good. I added an older Yamaha sub and I can now really enjoy the output without having to fire up the main system. Maybe not the best match for the Tablettes – I’d rather find a vintage tube amp but for now it’s pretty good. There are technicians that will upgrade the older Carver amps with various arrangements of new, high precision critical components. I am considering it myself. Supposed to make a “good” amplifier very, very good. I have picked through lots of positive reviews. Are my amps as pleasing to the ear as a Pass Labs X-250.5, Krell FPB or Rowland Model 8? Will they have all the tubby goodness of an ARC ref 600 set or a fully restored Citation II? Probably not, but you are talking about two different leagues. You couldn’t buy the shipping cartons for one of the aforementioned amplifiers for what I paid for both of the 1.5t’s. I just love em and God bless bob Carver for making a line of very good audio equipment that was really quite affordable. My first “real” CD player was a Carver and I saved for a couple months to cover the $700 it cost me. I picked up a Carver pre and a pair of 1.0t’s – powered a set of Klipsch Heresy’s and a 12” JBL pro sub in a large concrete basement. I entertained the better part of a two mile radius with that system. I’ve mellowed a lot since then but I still appreciate the Carver amps; now for different reasons.

Where they “all that”? Matched with the right speaker and musical content : Polk SDA-SRS, Infinity Kappa 9’s, Klipsch LaScalla and good old rock and roll, they were about as good as it got without spending considerably more money and look a hell of a lot better than my mullet did.

(just kidding about the mullet ... no really)