Carver amps - can someone explain this?

[Erik Tracy]

I'm still convinced this was a baited thread with a sharp stick and an agenda and a preformed opinion to see who would bite.

And for what...to brand bash?

Must be a slow week...

[erniejade]

Got ya on the McIntosh the 2105 is not a bad sounding amp at all. It is heavy though75+ lbs without the wood! I just like to try out different things. If you want, after I have my sling off and I can actually pick the stuff up, i have no problem bringing the 2105 or the sig II to your place to try out on your rig. BTW i also have a 300x2 now coming ... Im sick LOL. Eventually I need to sell some ( not the sig II or the amazings will have nothing to run them)

[newrival]

Please don't. I don't know that the database can handle another crapstorm like this one. :tongue: (i kid, i kid)

Try all the gear you can and tell us about it. I'll live vicariously through you, since i haven't tried a single piece of new gear in about a year.

HA! I think you may be right.

I'll definitely switch out a lot of stuff and report back. My friend even gave me a bunch of tubes for the audible illusions pre, so I can roll those in the mix too. I'm hoping that once I get everything dialed in I'll be able to sit with what I have for a few years. not likely, i guess.

[newrival]

Got ya on the McIntosh the 2105 is not a bad sounding amp at all. It is heavy though75+ lbs without the wood! I just like to try out different things. If you want, after I have my sling off and I can actually pick the stuff up, i have no problem bringing the 2105 or the sig II to your place to try out on your rig. BTW i also have a 300x2 now coming ... Im sick LOL. Eventually I need to sell some ( not the sig II or the amazings will have nothing to run them)

Sounds great. I love listening to different gear.

I thought for certain you'd do that Bryston trade. Change your mind?

and I think we're all a little sick...

[newrival]

Sunfire is better sounding than the recent Carver amps I;ve heard, but certainly not the best SS I've ever heard, IMO of course.

H9

I appreciate that.
Theyre just the best I'VE heard.
I've never been to an audio show; I've never been to an ultra high end audio store; and, the two friends I have that have insanely expensive gear are pretty strictly into tubes.

I do aspire to hearing better, I'm just creeping my way up there.

[erniejade]

yep It was the 2nd series 4b and actually sounded like the adcom 555 with a hair more bass to it so, i said no. From what I am told the newer 4b's ( also rated at 300 per instead of 250 per) are way better sounding so, I will wait till i find one in my price range. Now if they made it with big vu meeters like the McIntosh, or the Integra... Hummm. LOL I am a sucker for meeters. Thats one thing i wish the sunfire had, moving VU meeters!!

[erniejade]

forgot 1 important thing the resale on that series doesnt seem to hold as good as the McIntosh. The resale is very important to me since I do change gear often.

[gdb]

Wire up some Emotiva & Bose with fine Monster products and you'll have arrived. (audio Nirvana) Justin Bieber sounds sooooo good on this combination BTW !

[newrival]

I'm still convinced this was a baited thread with a sharp stick and an agenda and a preformed opinion to see who would bite.

And for what...to brand bash?

Must be a slow week...

well, you're wrong. Baited? no. Loaded? sure. Was it provocative? of course. Was it meant to garner a response definitely. Was it maliscious? Absolutely not. Did I have some evil scheme to piss off Carver amp owners and then sit back and cackle? hardly. I posed a bold statement with an underlying question. I've kept an open mind this whole time, and you have not. I was willing to accept that I could be wrong on this issue. You felt you were right from the beginning and you're not going to let anyone tell you otherwise.

If you have anything useful for the thread, please share.

[erniejade]

It is definately a slow day at work LOL.

I will admit, I use a bose L1 system for when I dj weddings. Well Actually the sticks with a kv2 subwoofer.

And because I dj weddings, yes Justin is requested...
Dang it!! no bw tv though so close.. ...

[newrival]

yep It was the 2nd series 4b and actually sounded like the adcom 555 with a hair more bass to it so, i said no. From what I am told the newer 4b's ( also rated at 300 per instead of 250 per) are way better sounding so, I will wait till i find one in my price range. Now if they made it with big vu meeters like the McIntosh, or the Integra... Hummm. LOL I am a sucker for meeters. Thats one thing i wish the sunfire had, moving VU meeters!!

That symphonic had a nice meter on it, If I'm remembering correctly. Although I never saw it move more than a hair. hahaha

[heiney9]

My Squeezebox Touch has some awesome VU meters.




H9

[Erik Tracy]

well, you're wrong. Baited? no. Loaded? sure. Was it provocative? of course. Was it meant to garner a response definitely. Was it maliscious? Absolutely not. Did I have some evil scheme to piss off Carver amp owners and then sit back and cackle? hardly. I posed a bold statement with an underlying question. I've kept an open mind this whole time, and you have not. I was willing to accept that I could be wrong on this issue. You felt you were right from the beginning and you're not going to let anyone tell you otherwise.

If you have anything useful for the thread, please share.

I think you said it all right here:

As far as this being a fishing trip, in a way it is.

You have amassed 25% of all posts in this thread with lots of mental energy and investment - with several posts that express a quite clear dislike for Carver amps.

Ok - fine.

I don't get what it is you are trying to ask (or rather, accomplish).

[erniejade]

My Squeezebox Touch has some awesome VU meters.




H9

agree!!!!!! I am a sucker for them!!! Ecpecially sweep meeters LOL.

[fastz28]

foobar has nice meter too

[newrival]

I think you said it all right here:


You have amassed 25% of all posts in this thread with lots of mental energy and investment - with several posts that express a quite clear dislike for Carver amps.

Ok - fine.

I don't get what it is you are trying to ask (or rather, accomplish).

lol. I think you you either greatly overestimate my mental energy input and investment, or underestimate my mental capacity and my stock held in the whole thing.

I'm not hiding my initial response to Carver amps.

*not specifically talking to you here, Erik* Good god! Why do people keep bringing this up??? I get it, I said that i had bad resuls, I said that I felt they were overpriced in the 2nd hand market. Yeah I get it. I said all of those things. And THEN I said show me why I am wrong!. I didn't say cry about it and call me names. *again, that paragraph was not directed to you*

Erik, I appreciate you quoting me but read further. I said, "As far as this being a fishing trip, in a way it is. I just want responses. Good, bad, or indifferent. Thats why we're here. Some people may choose to take this personally because that's what they use or for some other reason, but that is unavoidable. I'm merely stating my opinion in a somewhat jovial fashion in hopes of starting conversation. Which it appears has happened."

Now tell me what's wrong with that? Whats wrong with talking it out? I enjoy a good debate. His name escapes me at the moment, but a modern philosopher once said, "a discussion is two people standing in different positions. The goal should not be that one person is dragged to the others, but that, at a minimum, neither person is standing where they once were." Look at this thread and tell me I've been unreasonable. Sure my posts are long and numerous. But I feel they've addressed any and all issues. My words are are written as I think. My investment is appropriate, seeing as I started the thread.

I'm not requiring people to comment in here. Threads go unanswered and die all the time. This one has gotten a lot of responses. My point was that I just wanted to talk about it. You want to know what I'm trying to accomplish? My grand scheme? A conversation.

I see this forum like a room of friends at a party. I'm just throwing it out there and if no one had anything to say I would've turned around, pulled another cup full from the keg, and sat back down.

[newrival]

My Squeezebox Touch has some awesome VU meters.




H9

H9, have you heard of upgrading the power supply on these (eithr external, or battery)? have you done it?

I was thinking about trying it out.

[treitz3]

Newrival, PM me your phone number if you don't mind. I have heard just about every Carver amp out there on many different rigs. Keep in mind, this will not be a 5 minute discussion when I call. I also have some advice on the Sunfire amp you have that is in need of service.

Let me know when a good time to call is and please keep in mind that it's X-mas time, so time is valuable....at least to me.

[newrival]

yep It was the 2nd series 4b and actually sounded like the adcom 555 with a hair more bass to it so, i said no. From what I am told the newer 4b's ( also rated at 300 per instead of 250 per) are way better sounding so, I will wait till i find one in my price range. Now if they made it with big vu meeters like the McIntosh, or the Integra... Hummm. LOL I am a sucker for meeters. Thats one thing i wish the sunfire had, moving VU meeters!!

I'm telling you, those original 555's are great. especially for ~300 bones. I know you feel the bass is lean. Maybe I'm just used to it, or prefer it, but they are clean.

[newrival]

Newrival, PM me your phone number if you don't mind. I have heard just about every Carver amp out there on many different rigs. Keep in mind, this will not be a 5 minute discussion when I call. I also have some advice on the Sunfire amp you have that is in need of service.

Let me know when a good time to call is and please keep in mind that it's X-mas time, so time is valuable....at least to me.

awesome. Sending a PM now. When you say not a 5 minute convo. do you mean you need more time or less?

[treitz3]

You'll find out when I call.

[newrival]

Brian, I need to hear those amazings soon, too! I passed on a set a few weeks back. I never went out to hear them because I was afraid wouldn't be able to say no!

[snow]

I get it, I said that i had bad resuls, I said that I felt they were overpriced in the 2nd hand market. Yeah I get it. I said all of those things. And THEN I said show me why I am wrong!.

I just want responses. Good, bad, or indifferent.

Why should anyone show you why your wrong?

Even more importantly how can we?

You have yet to list the components in a single setup that you tried with the various polks and Carver amp combos. If you heard weak flabby uncontrolled bass fine but to help you with that we need to know what the amp is, what the speakers are, where the speakers are in the room, what the source is, what the pre is what the IC's are, what type of speaker cables/wire you are using etc all of these things must be addressed before any help is possible.

We cant come up with any viable reccomendations until you do this. You kep saying you want help, well help us help you.

Even then it may be we cant, you may simply find once again that you dont like the sound of the newest Carver amp no matter what changes you make.

You have told me that I have been unhelpful in this thread well I cant help you until you do the things above I can speculate on what the problems may be such as poor quality IC's or that since the amps mentioned are long in the tooth that perhaps they need a recap or that maybe the SRS's are too close to the wall or out too far or that there isnt enough room between side walls or any combo of things but its just that speculation.

To start a thread asking for help and guidance without providing these key elements is a waste of time and thats why I said what I did about you being a troll looking for a fight not help.

Prove me wrong let us help you.

REGARDS SNOW

[heiney9]

H9, have you heard of upgrading the power supply on these (eithr external, or battery)? have you done it?

I was thinking about trying it out.

Yep, an absolute must! I wouldn't run one without it. Here's the only thing going commercially for the Touch at the moment.

http://www.welbornelabs.com/squeeze.htm

I used a Bolder Modded ELPAC on my former Squeezebox II. The difference to my ears is not subtle.

http://www.boldercables.com/servlet/...squeeze/Detail

They don't sell the ELPAC but they modify them. ELPAC's have become a little pricey on Ebay lately. But you essentially buy the ELPAC (can't get them new anymore) and send it to Bolder for modification.

Another popular PS is Channel Island Audio

http://www.ciaudio.com/products/VDCSB

The pic shows a Touch but I don't think CIA has one avail for the Touch yet.

IMO, you can't do without it. Now if you handy w/electronics you could easily build one yourself.

H9

[treitz3]

Y'all, newrival is as into gear as we are all. Those that think he's a troll, just chill a little bit please. I talked to him extensively tonight and he's about as enthusiastic as any of the rest of us in achieving his audio goal.

He's just got a different way of finding out answers to his questions, is all. Hopefully I have steered him in the right way [as if his way was wrong] to achieve his goals along his own personal audio journey.

I have no idea what he will do next but a new source, an upgraded crossover and upgraded tweeters is the end result of what I recommended after the long discussion. The crossover and source would be the utmost of importance with the tweeters coming next.

Nice talking to you newrival and I hope to meet you one day along your audio journey...

[Kenneth Swauger]

Thanks for reaching out like that, Treitz3. Club Polk at its best!

[newrival]

Yep, an absolute must! I wouldn't run one without it. Here's the only thing going commercially for the Touch at the moment.

http://www.welbornelabs.com/squeeze.htm

I used a Bolder Modded ELPAC on my former Squeezebox II. The difference to my ears is not subtle.

http://www.boldercables.com/servlet/...squeeze/Detail

They don't sell the ELPAC but they modify them. ELPAC's have become a little pricey on Ebay lately. But you essentially buy the ELPAC (can't get them new anymore) and send it to Bolder for modification.

Another popular PS is Channel Island Audio

http://www.ciaudio.com/products/VDCSB

The pic shows a Touch but I don't think CIA has one avail for the Touch yet.

IMO, you can't do without it. Now if you handy w/electronics you could easily build one yourself.

H9

Thanks for that! Good to hear some confirmation. I have the squeezebox II as well. Is the squeezebox touch just a convenience upgrade or is there anything else of note?

[Tour2ma]

Nice talking to you newrival and I hope to meet you one day along your audio journey...

Probably called collect...

[treitz3]

Probably called collect...

Would you expect anything less?

[newrival]

treitz

thanks for the call. It's always nice to have a conversation with likeminded individuals. Especially ones I can learn a great deal from! Every person I've met or talked to from the forum has been great, and you are no different. You've got some great philosophy on audio gear. And thanks for the tips on my sunfire pre/pro. I'll be trying that as soon as I get some free time.

The xover then tweeters are definitely happening this winter, barring any unforeseen setback.

I'll get to that CDP as soon as I can fit it into the budget :)