While we were building the 275 Bob let me put the prototype in my rig. The first thing I noticed was how much the presentation differed from many of the other amplifiers I’ve owned. The soundstage was huge and you could almost walk between the musicians there was so much space.
I own a pair of the Carver 275s Bob was gracious enough to allow us to build in September at CarverFest and I have perhaps 350 hours (probably more) on the pair. I’ve been playing mostly HiRez files from my PC thru Schiit Yggdrasil/Welborne UltraPassPB/ Carver 275/modded Spatial M3s. My current tube configuration is Telefunken 6GM8S in the UltraPass, a Telefunken 12AX7 and IBM badged RCA 6211s in the front end of the 275 and vintage RCA 6550s power tubes.
My reference rig is an EAR Yoshino V20, Fosgate Signature phono pre, into the M3s. The V20 is a destination piece that I find to be VERY revealing. My new Carver 275s are exceptional amplifiers in that vein and like the V20 the textures(you’ll hear textures often) of the various instruments are brought out in bold relief. Attack and decay of drums and horns are truly amazing for an amplifier in this price range.
I have a copy of the Moody Blues ‘Live’ with the World Festival Orchestra that is a very nice recording. During ‘Haunted’ there are bells ringing, thru the 275 they ring behind my seating position. This from a 2 channel rig is really quite a feat. On my 24/192 copy of The Doobie Brothers ‘Southbound’ the Carver digs deep and resolves bass notes like you’d expect a great SS amp to do but with definition they don’t quite have. Voices of the likes of Alan Parson, Toby Keith, and Jennifer Warrens are clear, resolved, and have ‘air’ around them. The sound stages are wide and deep and the imaging is precise.
I won’t lie, I prefer tubes for most of the music I listen to and the Carver is no slouch. Man, you can almost taste the texture of notes.
This is a very capable amplifier, that can do everything I expect and does it at a bargain price. Jim Clark Stereo offers a money back guarantee if you feel like you might need it, you won’t.
On a side note, one of the 275 owners I know also owns the MAC 275, currently he prefers the Carver.
ray
Ray Campbell
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
Thanks for your observations Ray, and welcome to Club Polk. I would love to see you hang around here with us.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
Lumin X1 file player
Sony XA-5400ES SACD
Pass XP-22 pre, X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers, SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits.
Thanks for your observations Ray, and welcome to Club Polk. I would love to see you hang around here with us.
Ray’s been here since 2008. Just not the most outspoken.
You sir, have mastered the fine art of the understatement.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
For the record: I am still looking for a third party 'review' -- a formal review with measurements would be nice, but a long-term assessment by a purchaser (ideally not one of that first 50 'fanatics') would be fine.
Pictures of the innards would be nice to see, too.
There is just so little chatter about these, two months after the sale, to be found on the internet... it's curious.
As one of the (fanatics) I can’t decide if I should be offended, or not. Is my evaluation of less value because Im one of the privileged few who built the 275 under the tutelage of the Master?
ray
Ray Campbell
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
As one of the (fanatics) I can’t decide if I should be offended, or not. Is my evaluation of less value because Im one of the privileged few who built the 275 under the tutelage of the Master?
ray
Don't be offended.... you are one of the lucky ones, as I was, to be able to build an amp or two with Bob. Your opinions and insight into the build quality and the performance of these amps is both unique and important.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Get an ear on the Carver 275, it’s worth the effort.
ray
Thank you for that input. I noticed your running the Spatial M3's, which is the bigger brother to the M4's. Can you elaborate a bit on the Spatials as that is something that has caught my attention lately.
I'm particularly interested in how well they handle classic Rock.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's
Hyperbole at best. The claims made are lofty. If these were the greatest amps and also the single best selling amp in history like stated, there would be huge chatter on social media, etc. Yet not a peep except from the marketing department.
Very suspect, but I'll reserve full judgment in 6 months after things shake out a bit and deliveries have been made, if the story is true.
H9
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S-Tubes add soul!
Mr. Malitz says that a moderator contacted him? Curious, as the only moderator we had retired the day before Mr.Malitz posted his reply in the thread.
There's always a moderator on forums like this, whether they are known to us or identified or not, they are here. Try posting something blatantly inappropriate and see how fast a mod shows up.
McIntosh MA252 Integrated Amp, LUMIN D2 Network Music Player, Yamaha Aventage RX-A840 receiver, Emotiva XPA Gen3 2 channel amp, Polk LSiM 703 speakers. Oppo UDP-203 Blu-Ray player, Polk LSiM 705 speakers. Polk Signature S20 speakers.
Mr. Malitz says that a moderator contacted him? Curious, as the only moderator we had retired the day before Mr.Malitz posted his reply in the thread.
There's always a moderator on forums like this, whether they are known to us or identified or not, they are here. Try posting something blatantly inappropriate and see how fast a mod shows up.
Wrong
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Mr. Malitz says that a moderator contacted him? Curious, as the only moderator we had retired the day before Mr.Malitz posted his reply in the thread.
There's always a moderator on forums like this, whether they are known to us or identified or not, they are here. Try posting something blatantly inappropriate and see how fast a mod shows up.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.
Other; S60'S, M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.
There are three things that give a man a false sense of courage, a keyboard, alcohol and a firearm.
Motorhead, 4.12.20
tonyb said " but even socialists can do a good thing here and there
the substitution of politics for existence is the supreme betrayal of the subjective otherness of man.
Since you ran Frank off I thought I’d stop by to see what I can do about you Jesse.🤣id like to buy a vowel please. How are you doing, it’s been a while? Eddie says hey
ray
Ray Campbell
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
Get an ear on the Carver 275, it’s worth the effort.
ray
Thank you for that input. I noticed your running the Spatial M3's, which is the bigger brother to the M4's. Can you elaborate a bit on the Spatials as that is something that has caught my attention lately.
I'm particularly interested in how well they handle classic Rock.
They do a great job on the stuff I usually play. Anything from 60s Beatles, Stones and the like to ELP, Floyd, Hendrix, VH, Eagles all sound pretty damn good. They do justice to The Chairman, Miles, all the GRP CDs too. Even my classical Telarc discs. My room is a little closed in so I’ve modded the crossovers with Mundorf SGOs to add a bit of depth. I’m really happy with them. Look on Clayton’s Facebook page, you’ll find a pic of Bob Carver digging them on my EAR at TheFest a couple of years ago. Bob says they play WAAY above their price point.
ray
Ray Campbell
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
Wow Ray... doubled your post count in just a day. You will be able to sell stuff in the flea market in no time!
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
Since you ran Frank off I thought I’d stop by to see what I can do about you Jesse.🤣id like to buy a vowel please. How are you doing, it’s been a while? Eddie says hey
ray
No problem, plenty of vowels to go 'round.
Hi Eddie
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Some of the logic on this thread is simply bull hockey. I guess my opinion wouldn't matter either on this amp just because I know Bob and I am biased?
Whatever man.
I am a fan of Bob's but I have trashed/criticized his gear in front of him, online, with friends and in reviews. I have also given praise where deserved. I could say more about this but I am not going to waste my time. It's not worth the effort.
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ Not all things that can be measured can be heard and not all things heard can be measured ~
Get an ear on the Carver 275, it’s worth the effort.
ray
Thank you for that input. I noticed your running the Spatial M3's, which is the bigger brother to the M4's. Can you elaborate a bit on the Spatials as that is something that has caught my attention lately.
I'm particularly interested in how well they handle classic Rock.
They do a great job on the stuff I usually play. Anything from 60s Beatles, Stones and the like to ELP, Floyd, Hendrix, VH, Eagles all sound pretty damn good. They do justice to The Chairman, Miles, all the GRP CDs too. Even my classical Telarc discs. My room is a little closed in so I’ve modded the crossovers with Mundorf SGOs to add a bit of depth. I’m really happy with them. Look on Clayton’s Facebook page, you’ll find a pic of Bob Carver digging them on my EAR at TheFest a couple of years ago. Bob says they play WAAY above their price point.
ray
Thanks Ray, something to consider down the road. Seems you like that pairing of the Spatials and the Carver, both nice pieces in their own right. I may have to get my rear end over to Rockford for a listen since they aren't too far for me, for the Carver anyway.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's
Comments
Huh....go figure....
I see this amp is still a rare bird and will take time till somebody posts a review or opinions for the rest of us to read.
Looking forward to learning more on your and Bob's forward progress on the success of this Carver Crimson 275 tube amp.
I disabled, I am the South Carolina woman who gouged her eyes out on meth.
I own a pair of the Carver 275s Bob was gracious enough to allow us to build in September at CarverFest and I have perhaps 350 hours (probably more) on the pair. I’ve been playing mostly HiRez files from my PC thru Schiit Yggdrasil/Welborne UltraPassPB/ Carver 275/modded Spatial M3s. My current tube configuration is Telefunken 6GM8S in the UltraPass, a Telefunken 12AX7 and IBM badged RCA 6211s in the front end of the 275 and vintage RCA 6550s power tubes.
My reference rig is an EAR Yoshino V20, Fosgate Signature phono pre, into the M3s. The V20 is a destination piece that I find to be VERY revealing. My new Carver 275s are exceptional amplifiers in that vein and like the V20 the textures(you’ll hear textures often) of the various instruments are brought out in bold relief. Attack and decay of drums and horns are truly amazing for an amplifier in this price range.
I have a copy of the Moody Blues ‘Live’ with the World Festival Orchestra that is a very nice recording. During ‘Haunted’ there are bells ringing, thru the 275 they ring behind my seating position. This from a 2 channel rig is really quite a feat. On my 24/192 copy of The Doobie Brothers ‘Southbound’ the Carver digs deep and resolves bass notes like you’d expect a great SS amp to do but with definition they don’t quite have. Voices of the likes of Alan Parson, Toby Keith, and Jennifer Warrens are clear, resolved, and have ‘air’ around them. The sound stages are wide and deep and the imaging is precise.
I won’t lie, I prefer tubes for most of the music I listen to and the Carver is no slouch. Man, you can almost taste the texture of notes.
This is a very capable amplifier, that can do everything I expect and does it at a bargain price. Jim Clark Stereo offers a money back guarantee if you feel like you might need it, you won’t.
On a side note, one of the 275 owners I know also owns the MAC 275, currently he prefers the Carver.
ray
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
Ray’s been here since 2008. Just not the most outspoken.
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
Sony XA-5400ES SACD
Pass XP-22 pre, X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers, SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits.
You sir, have mastered the fine art of the understatement.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
ray
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
As one of the (fanatics) I can’t decide if I should be offended, or not. Is my evaluation of less value because Im one of the privileged few who built the 275 under the tutelage of the Master?
ray
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
Don't be offended.... you are one of the lucky ones, as I was, to be able to build an amp or two with Bob. Your opinions and insight into the build quality and the performance of these amps is both unique and important.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
Thank you for that input. I noticed your running the Spatial M3's, which is the bigger brother to the M4's. Can you elaborate a bit on the Spatials as that is something that has caught my attention lately.
I'm particularly interested in how well they handle classic Rock.
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's
Very suspect, but I'll reserve full judgment in 6 months after things shake out a bit and deliveries have been made, if the story is true.
H9
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul!
Vinyl: Fluance RT85 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Hisense 55H8F * Panasonic DMP-UB200 * Z-line Designs Elektra
There's always a moderator on forums like this, whether they are known to us or identified or not, they are here. Try posting something blatantly inappropriate and see how fast a mod shows up.
Wrong
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
OK...
SOMETHING BLATENTLY INAPPROPRIATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tap...tap...tap...
Vinyl: Fluance RT85 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Hisense 55H8F * Panasonic DMP-UB200 * Z-line Designs Elektra
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
I don't need to see that. Won't be checking this thread anymore.
Other; S60'S, M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.
There are three things that give a man a false sense of courage, a keyboard, alcohol and a firearm.
Motorhead, 4.12.20
tonyb said " but even socialists can do a good thing here and there
the substitution of politics for existence is the supreme betrayal of the subjective otherness of man.
shhh!
Think of the kids.
ray
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
ray
Bucyrus, Ohio
Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
No problem, plenty of vowels to go 'round.
Hi Eddie
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
Whatever man.
I am a fan of Bob's but I have trashed/criticized his gear in front of him, online, with friends and in reviews. I have also given praise where deserved. I could say more about this but I am not going to waste my time. It's not worth the effort.
Tom
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
Thanks Ray, something to consider down the road. Seems you like that pairing of the Spatials and the Carver, both nice pieces in their own right. I may have to get my rear end over to Rockford for a listen since they aren't too far for me, for the Carver anyway.
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's