Bob Carver LLC Black Beauty Review


If any of you GON members are interested in Bob Carver's new mono-block tube amps take a look at my review that was just posted on hometheaterreview.com. It's in the recent short review section on the front page. It was a very interesting experience to compare the Carver's performance with my Pass Labs XA-60.5's.
teajay
Agee with Robert! Most people who "hate", have never owned one of his fine Signature amps or even heard them. Ignorance is abound!!
Teajay, I'd like to offer some, what I hope is, some constructive criticism. As a prospective buyer of this amplifier your review leaves me with a few unanswered questions. For example you listened to the amplifier and I'm left with this unanswered statement.

"Sonically, it is supposed to offer the midrange delicacy and body of the EL-34 tube with the extension, slam and control of the KT-88."

OK fine, did it or did it not offer the midrange delicacy and body?

"In the price bracket around $12,000 for tube-based power amplifiers, the major competitors would either be Audio Research Corporation Reference 150 Stereo Amp 9, valued at $12,995, or the Vacuum Tube Logic S-200 Stereo Amp, which is valued at $10,000. Both are new editions for each company. I have auditioned both companies' last generation of amps. In my opinion, the 305 Black Beauty Mono Blocks offer many of the strengths, the natural timbres, the ability to produce a large soundstage, have precise imaging and the capacity to drive all types of speakers that the other companies' amps deliver. However, because the Black Beauty 305s are mono blocks, they can be placed closer to the speakers to gain the advantage of shorter speaker wire length, along with each mono block having its own power supply."

Hear you mention amplifiers you haven't auditioned and supply the reader with a price comparison. Regardless of what model, its well known that ARC and VTL have strikingly different presentations. Its well established that ARC has a more analytical almost solid state presentation. Conrad Johnson is another established manufacture of products with a far more relaxed or glowing presentation. It could be said that VTL is generally somewhere in the middle. In your opinion where is the Carver in this mix? The ability to convey the degree of warmth, speed, and transparency by comparing commonly known presentations is the meat and potatoes of a successful review.

Unless it's just another ultra linear or pentode design in some silly exotic and expensive casework I find the technical description of a new product can be very interesting. So exactly what kind of amplifier is the Carver? Was there anybody else in on the design? What's the printed circuit board made of?
From Carver LLC
["These amplifiers offer extreme performance that is difficult to believe, and each amplifier features a high impedance input, an automatic DC restorer circuit, a set and forget it bias adjustment, and low idle current which greatly increases output tube life. They have ultra-wide bandwidth output transformers with interleaved windings capable of the most nuanced voice as well as huge peak output capacity. Selectable feedback control allows the user to change the sound of the amplifier from vintage classical to modern contemporary."]

It also has an attenuator so you can connect a source component directly to the amplifier.

Teajay, sorry to bust your bells but you are so not alone on this amp. I've read a few reviews and I still don't have a decent idea of what Bob Carver's amplifiers sound like.
Hey Vicdamone,

I don't think you busted my balls, but asked some good questions regarding this amp.

1) The Carver sounds closer to the ARC house sound then the VTL to me.

2) Yes, the KT-120 blends the best of both the EL-34 midrange with the dynamics of KT-88's.

3) I had no interest in using the Attenuator as a volume control during my auditioning in my reference system.

4) Correct, I stated honestly that I had no extensive experience with either VTL or ARC new generation of amps, so by comparing the Carver to what I have a take on, it then becomes a far comparsion.

Frankly, if the Carver was priced around 4k to 5k, based on it's performance it would be a good buy, but not at 13k there are many other amps I would pick over it, like my Pass Labs XA-60.5's that are priced at 12k.
Teajay, thanks for responding to my hack criticism so graciously. In hindsight my criticism read a bit too gruff for my own taste, I apologize.

1) Excellent, that's exactly what I wanted to know and 4) yes, I can't imagine both ARC and VTL have strayed too far from their house sound in one model change.

3) I recall bypassing some scratchy attenuators on early solid state pro sound amps. Not a big deal to me either, but, this trend of preamplifier elimination and simplified digital playback, some might find the attenuator a useful aspect. Its quality as well as the usefulness of the adjustable feedback has yet to be reported on.

I would agree at first sight the Carver has a bare bones appearance not exactly commensurate with its price. On the other hand the hand the current selection of 300+ watt tube amplifiers with a 2 ohm tap is quite small if not nonexistent. It's completely point to point hand wired, carries a 7 year warrantee with an unheard of 1 year warrantee on tubes, and its manufactured and serviced in the United States. I suppose time will certainly tell.

Thanks Teajay