Carver C-19 Vacuum Tube Reference Preamplifier

Joe Humbert
Joe Humbert Posts: 189
edited December 2011 in For Sale (FS) Classifieds
Due to the purchase of a Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Preamp, I am looking to find a new home for the Carver C-19. I purchased this from TroyD, here in Flea Market about two years ago. It has been in my main system until late last week, when the Sunfire moved in. It is in well-above average condition (pretty much the same as when I bought it) and it sounds great. I had a chance to get the Sunfire, so.... the rest is history. The C-19 does vinyl very well with a MC & MM inputs & 240 ohm or 39 ohm loading. It also has inputs for CD, Tuner, Video & (2) tape decks. Outputs for external processors, tape decks & (2) amplifier outputs. The front panel has tone bypass, as well as standard tone controls. There is adjustable output gain from 0 dB to 26 dB.

All in all, this is a great preamp, great sounding and some nice features. The tubes are all 6DJ8's and it comes with (2) JJ's & (2) Russian tubes, all tested to be "like new" on my tester.

Asking: $625.00 plus actual shipping.

Pics:

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Thanks for looking.
Post edited by Joe Humbert on
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Comments

  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    edited December 2011
    I used to have one not that long ago. Good sounding preamp with a great phono stage. Rolland at high tec does some great mods on them as well.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited December 2011
    Jesus why cant I have an extra 625 right now.....

    GLWTS. That unit looks as mint as it gets....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,335
    edited December 2011
    Great price on a great preamp! I had one of these for a while and loved it! Lot's of opportunity to roll tubes either 6DJ8s or 6922s. There are also a lot of mods and upgrades that can be done. A great opportunity to experience tubes at a great price. The phono sections for MM or MC is also a big plus!
    Carl

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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    Thanks for all the kind words, guys. I really enjoyed this pre while I had it. I just want it to move on to a new home and have someone new enjoy it.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,424
    edited December 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Jesus why cant I have an extra 625 right now.....

    GLWTS. That unit looks as mint as it gets....
    yep I'm on that ship also! I have a C16pre and have always wanted the C19, if i just had an extra 250.00 when i bought my amp TFM45 and pre back in the day I wouldn't be in this position now....
    GLWTS
    ps Roland in the man!!!
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited December 2011
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    yep I'm on that ship also! I have a C16pre and have always wanted the C19, if i just had an extra 250.00 when i bought my amp TFM45 and pre back in the day I wouldn't be in this position now....
    GLWTS
    ps Roland in the man!!!

    Would selling the C-16 help you obtain the 19 ? Maybe we can work something out. Anyone need/want a pristine C-11 ??
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,424
    edited December 2011
    gdb wrote: »
    Would selling the C-16 help you obtain the 19 ? Maybe we can work something out. Anyone need/want a pristine C-11 ??

    i'm open to that. I also had Roland go over it several yrs back.
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  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    edited December 2011
    Pm sent
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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    Whew, there's alot of "dealing" going on. Whoever gets this will not be disappointed.
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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    kharp1 wrote: »
    Pm sent

    PM returned.
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  • skipf
    skipf Posts: 694
    edited December 2011
    Joe,
    Just curious if you have heard the Sunfire Classic. I ask because I bought my C-19 from a guy that was selling it to get the Sunfire. Within a year he sold the Sunfire to get another C-19. He said he much preferred the C-19 in his system.
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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    skipf wrote: »
    Joe,
    Just curious if you have heard the Sunfire Classic. I ask because I bought my C-19 from a guy that was selling it to get the Sunfire. Within a year he sold the Sunfire to get another C-19. He said he much preferred the C-19 in his system.

    Yes, I have the Sunfire in my system as I type. I like the Sunfire better than the C-19, but let me tell you this... I leave all tone controls off or flat, and I never used the other features of the Carver. I prefer music "unaltered" (a relative term, I know) by the preamp stage. The C-19 has some great features, which make it an attractive preamp, but I never used them. The C-19 sounded great, also, and if I hadn't found a reasonable Sunfire, I would have never taken it out of my system. The Sunfire was kind of my "holy grail" of preamps.... & systems are different, what sounds good in my, may not sound good in others.
    That said, both have great MM & MC phono stages (I've only used the MM in my system). The Carver does do alot of things the Sunfire does not as far as "tweaking" the music, but, again, that's not a priority for me.

    As an aside, the Carver is on the block because I can't stand seeing good equipment sitting around unused. Believe me, if I had a place for it, I would be keeping it for the long haul.
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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    SOLD!!!!

    Thanks everyone.
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  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    edited December 2011
    Arrived safe and sound, packaged to survive a nuclear blast.

    Thanks Joe!
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  • Joe Humbert
    Joe Humbert Posts: 189
    edited December 2011
    You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it as I did.
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,335
    edited December 2011
    Congrats on the sale and the purchase. That's a real nice preamp for the money!!
    Carl

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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited December 2011
    Crap!! Serves me right for not being more attentive....I was just thinking that I'd love to have that C-19 back. A little late to the party but, I would put the C19 at the top of the list as far as tube pre's that I've heard. I like it better than the Sunfire (which I've also owned). IMO, the phono stage is worth the price in and of itself.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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