Problem with amp Carver M-1.5t

hwu56

I just got a new pair of RTi12. It was connected to the regular speaker out of my current receiver Boston Acoustics 7100 (110w x 7).
I saw many people suggest an powerful amp to drive them. So I got a used Carver M-1.5t (rated 350 wpc, 2 channels), which is my first external amp. I also got Signal Cable interconnect cables.
After I hook up the amp (from pre-out to amp to speakers), I found NO improvement of the sound quality. I can hear the sound without problem, it's just NO improvement at all. Trying to fully utilize the RTi12, I spent extra $$$, which is almost the same $ as speakers. But, I am feeling it is a waste. Even though I don't have sharp ears, I am expecting some improvement that I can tell...
I am using the same (non-expensive) speaker cables for now, and will change to Signal Cable speaker cables later. I know cable can make some difference, but I don't believe it will suddently make a big improvement just because of the speaker cable. Is it possible I miss something? Any suggestion?
Also, I notice that on the two vertical rows of LED lights on the front panel (which indicates the power level), only the bottom two lights are on. Even when I turn up the volume, still only the two bottom LED are on. Is something wrong with my amp? Does that mean that it is not pumping the power to the speakers?

Thank you for your help.
Jesse

F1nut

Even when I turn up the volume, still only the two bottom LED are on. Is something wrong with my amp?

That would certainly be an indication that there's an issue. Some of the guys at www.carveraudio.com should be able to help you better than I can.

AndyGwis

I had a M4.0t amp for a while and I could get the second and sometimes even third tier of lights to come on. But, unless i was really blaring it, it would pretty much just be the two bottom lights.

Carvers might not be the best musical amps in the world, but they are pretty reknowned for having very good sound and awesome power. If you're not happy, can you return it and/or resell it? There are other amps out there you can try on the 12s, or if you're happy with the BA receiver alone, stick with that.

Erik Tracy

hwu56 wrote: »

I just got a new pair of RTi12. It was connected to the regular speaker out of my current receiver Boston Acoustics 7100 (110w x 7).
I saw many people suggest an powerful amp to drive them. So I got a used Carver M-1.5t (rated 350 wpc, 2 channels), which is my first external amp. I also got Signal Cable interconnect cables.
After I hook up the amp (from pre-out to amp to speakers), I found NO improvement of the sound quality. I can hear the sound without problem, it's just NO improvement at all. Trying to fully utilize the RTi12, I spent extra $$$, which is almost the same $ as speakers. But, I am feeling it is a waste. Even though I don't have sharp ears, I am expecting some improvement that I can tell...
I am using the same (non-expensive) speaker cables for now, and will change to Signal Cable speaker cables later. I know cable can make some difference, but I don't believe it will suddently make a big improvement just because of the speaker cable. Is it possible I miss something? Any suggestion?
Also, I notice that on the two vertical rows of LED lights on the front panel (which indicates the power level), only the bottom two lights are on. Even when I turn up the volume, still only the two bottom LED are on. Is something wrong with my amp? Does that mean that it is not pumping the power to the speakers?

Thank you for your help.
Jesse

One thing you may want to check on your AVR is whether you have a max limit set.

Depending on your AVR, this may have been set so low that your M-1.5t is barely working.

Erik

treitz3

Unless you see three LED's or one LED [bad news], you are good to go. Check [as mentioned] that the input level is good and enjoy. You should notice a big difference in sound, however the LED runway will not light up until you crank it up. Don't hit the top LED when all is well.

chargerman426

ok i have the rti12s also and i to bought a carver M1.5t and it was also my first external amp. the carver made my speakers sound amazing and i have had all of the carver's leds including the top most on at one point or another. to fix that problem and because i like the M1.5t so much i actually bought another on so now i am bi-amping the rti12s. and dont wast your money and buy into the whole cables are a big deal to sound. just use the right gage speaker cables for the length of the cables you are running the longer the run the bigger the gage (smaller the number). i by all my cables from monoprice.com. they are a great place for cables. hope this helps

seeclear

chargerman426 wrote: »

and dont wast your money and buy into the whole cables are a big deal to sound.

UH OH, now you've gone and done it!

You'd better duck!!
:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

tonyb

Those with no experiece,just don't know.

ShinAce

For any normal listening volume, the lights are normal. It's only when you approach the breaking point will you see all the lights come on.

Not noticing a difference in sound between amps is normal. The difference in the quality of the signal output is less than 0.5 %. In your case, the amps were likely matched to within .1% distortion.

If you want to notice a big difference, invest your money in better speakers. Once you're happy with the speakers, then you can spend money on bigger amps for headroom and fancy cables.

danger boy

i think something must be wrong with that Carver amp.. you should hear a pretty signifcant difference in sound quality over your receiver. that's very odd

ShinAce

Can someone please explain why he should hear a difference in 'quality'?

Do you guys suspect the Boston Acoustics amp to have horrible distortion, or even bad damping?

carversound

I have a carver m1.5t and sounds so good,I'm converting all components to carver! You would have to pay five times the amount to compare to that amp. I had a harmon kardon and the caver sounds better, with tons of power to boot.

treitz3

ShinAce wrote: »

Can someone please explain why he should hear a difference in 'quality'?

It's not about the watts, even though he is going from 110 to 600 available [with another 150 to boot (borrowed from the other channel), provided the total does not exceed somewhere around 1350 watts...give or take 50, I forgot], it's about the amount of current, type of transfer function [SS emulated to sound like tube] and the added amount of available headroom.

I'm gonna leave the "whole cable thing" alone after I say this. For those who don't know, don't know they don't know and "someone" doesn't know. I didn't know I didn't know until I knew that I didn't know, but now I know what I didn't know was not knowing what I know now. You know?

ShinAce

Let's forget about the power and headroom, I am cool with that. For normal listening levels, .001 watts to .1 watts, what difference in quality should he expect?

My answer is a tentative nothing. I have not seen all amp features. As a straight power amp, I expect both to sound the same.

treitz3

ShinAce wrote: »

For normal listening levels, .001 watts to .1 watts, what difference in quality should he expect?

My answer is a tentative nothing. I have not seen all amp features. As a straight power amp, I expect both to sound the same.

At that wattage, I would suspect the same. No difference if any. Would that even be audible from across the room? I'm sorry, that's not my "normal listening level". Watts aside, my "normal" listening level is at 8:00 [normal] up to 11:30 [performance levels]. That said, at my normal listening levels, he should notice a big difference in sonic quality, "feel" of the music with his speakers and more detail to the music.

Amp features? Amplification. That's it. Two inputs, four outputs. No power switch, no buttons, no nothing but "runway" style LED's that let you know when you are about to clip. OK, I lied. There is one extra LED that senses various issues that the amp might incur. When this is on, the amp shuts down so for the most part this is the "extra" that comes with the amp.

At listening levels around 11:00, if a huge difference is not noticed then something is definitely not original or wrong with the amp.

daboyz

I only had my 1.5 hooked up for about an hour but there was a noticeable difference between the Carver and the Adcom. Granted the Adcom is only rated at 100w and at lower levels there wasn't a huge difference but as the volume went up so did the performance. It was "wow" for me. Greater detail and the midbass just thumped. It was sweeeet!

peffy03

i moved a pair of rti10s from my onkyo to a carver m200t which has even less power than your m1.5 and noticed a huge difference... makes me think the signal coming out of the boston is too low to drive the carver