Any owner updates on Carver Crimson 275 stereo tube power amplifier for 2019?

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Comments

  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    edited March 2019
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ... and? :)

    In all seriousness -- Looks good.

    I love it. Now, for full disclosure, this is actually a kit version that we got this past year at Carver Fest, and not one of the actual production amplifiers. This particular amplifier does everything very well. Wide three-dimensional soundstage. Great separation of the instruments. Excellent imaging. The sound quality is fantastic. And surprisingly good bottom end bass control.

    I haven't owned any ridiculously expensive gear. No $10,000 amplifiers or $20,000 speakers. But, I have owned a few amplifiers at the same price point as the Carver 275 and I would take this over anything else I have owned.

    I haven't really been following this thread, so I don't know any thing about what occurred with Frank or anyone else. If I'm buying any of the new Carver stuff, I get it from Jim Clark stereo in Rockford. Jim is the kind of dealer that is a pleasure to do business with. He offers no-hassle return on all of his products. but, I know that getting stock on the Carver amplifier has been the biggest problem. Jim has actually sold a couple dozen of the Carver 275 units and has not had any issues with any of the transactions. Of course, he has have the same problem as many of the dealers where he has not been able to receive stock nearly as quickly as he would like. but, he's generally upfront about what the potential wait time would be on an item to avoid any issues.
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    trav0810 wrote: »
    4pmtkmsttv0m.jpeg

    Nice ELAC streamer! I have the same one :)
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    I really like the Elac. I was surprised at how good the onboard DAC sounds. Good enough that I wish it had in imput option on it so that I could run other digital units through it.
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    Well, now Travis......according to some folks here....your observations are useless because you know Bob, therefore you must be biased and your opinion is null and void.

    *rolls eyes*

    Glad to see you posting here bro'! Frank? Well, just read his "introduction" on this thread. It was quite embarrassing....but we have since moved on.

    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. ~
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    trav0810 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ... and? :)

    In all seriousness -- Looks good.

    I love it. Now, for full disclosure, this is actually a kit version that we got this past year at Carver Fest, and not one of the actual production amplifiers. This particular amplifier does everything very well. Wide three-dimensional soundstage. Great separation of the instruments. Excellent imaging. The sound quality is fantastic. And surprisingly good bottom end bass control.

    I haven't owned any ridiculously expensive gear. No $10,000 amplifiers or $20,000 speakers. But, I have owned a few amplifiers at the same price point as the Carver 275 and I would take this over anything else I have owned.

    I haven't really been following this thread, so I don't know any thing about what occurred with Frank or anyone else. If I'm buying any of the new Carver stuff, I get it from Jim Clark stereo in Rockford. Jim is the kind of dealer that is a pleasure to do business with. He offers no-hassle return on all of his products. but, I know that getting stock on the Carver amplifier has been the biggest problem. Jim has actually sold a couple dozen of the Carver 275 units and has not had any issues with any of the transactions. Of course, he has have the same problem as many of the dealers where he has not been able to receive stock nearly as quickly as he would like. but, he's generally upfront about what the potential wait time would be on an item to avoid any issues.

    So, you built it?
    Any "under construction" photos?
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    treitz3 wrote: »
    Well, now Travis......according to some folks here....your observations are useless because you know Bob, therefore you must be biased and your opinion is null and void.

    *rolls eyes*


    Tom

    Bob is no different than any other designer. He has stuff I like, he has stuff I don't. I don't know a lot about electrical engineering or design. So I don't have any biases on how something is built, or what I think it should be able or not be able to do. I plug it up, listen and see what I think. I don't have room treatments, or an ideal listening Room. Just a normal living room that we actually, well, live in. It's got a couch, loveseat and various items taking up space in the room. It's not an optimum listening Room. So, all I can talk about is how the stuff sounds to my imperfect ears in my imperfect room. In here, it sounds great!

    Maybe if Russ gets some time, he can swing by and listen to it! Then he can give his impressions.
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    trav0810 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ... and? :)

    In all seriousness -- Looks good.

    I love it. Now, for full disclosure, this is actually a kit version that we got this past year at Carver Fest, and not one of the actual production amplifiers. This particular amplifier does everything very well. Wide three-dimensional soundstage. Great separation of the instruments. Excellent imaging. The sound quality is fantastic. And surprisingly good bottom end bass control.

    I haven't owned any ridiculously expensive gear. No $10,000 amplifiers or $20,000 speakers. But, I have owned a few amplifiers at the same price point as the Carver 275 and I would take this over anything else I have owned.

    I haven't really been following this thread, so I don't know any thing about what occurred with Frank or anyone else. If I'm buying any of the new Carver stuff, I get it from Jim Clark stereo in Rockford. Jim is the kind of dealer that is a pleasure to do business with. He offers no-hassle return on all of his products. but, I know that getting stock on the Carver amplifier has been the biggest problem. Jim has actually sold a couple dozen of the Carver 275 units and has not had any issues with any of the transactions. Of course, he has have the same problem as many of the dealers where he has not been able to receive stock nearly as quickly as he would like. but, he's generally upfront about what the potential wait time would be on an item to avoid any issues.

    So, you built it?
    Any "under construction" photos?

    God no, I didn't build it. I started building it, and had someone far more qualified than I finish it for me. LOL
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    What loudspeakers are you using it with?
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    trav0810 wrote: »
    I really like the Elac. I was surprised at how good the onboard DAC sounds. Good enough that I wish it had in imput option on it so that I could run other digital units through it.

    I concur. I've tried quite a few DACs and none have beat out the onboard DAC in the Discovery.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    What loudspeakers are you using it with?

    Crites Cornscalas
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    thanks!
    Sounds like a good combination; certainly any shortcoming in the amp would be revealed by those, so the amp must be working well in that setting.
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    I'm thrilled with it. I don't have the Golden ears that some people have. I can't hear a significant difference in the brand of capacitors, or cables. But, I know when something sounds bad, and nothing in this system sounds bad to me at all. It seems to work very well together.
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    Not to derail,, but how do you like that pre?
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    trav0810 wrote: »
    I'm thrilled with it. I don't have the Golden ears that some people have. I can't hear a significant difference in the brand of capacitors, or cables. But, I know when something sounds bad, and nothing in this system sounds bad to me at all. It seems to work very well together.

    Don't sell yourself short!
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    Not to derail,, but how do you like that pre?

    I really like it George. Those guys down in GA built a really nice product. Jerry had it at his house for a while and really enjoyed it as well.
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
  • I've been using my 275s(I have a pair)almost nightly since I got home from TheFest. Unlike Travis I have owned amplifiers that are quite expensive and tubed the way it is now it can hold it's own. For those of you making it to Axpona you'll get to hear it there. Get an ear on it, I really like what I hear. In the next couple of weeks(if work cooperates)I'm going to do a head-to-head with my EAR Yoshino V20. If what I've heard so far is any indication the 275 will fair well.

    ray
    Ray Campbell
    Bucyrus, Ohio
    Carver Research Lightstar.....words fail me
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    edited April 2019
    I can vouch I was there multiple times, of all the rooms I seen and designers, owners etc. I talked to you were the only one stuck on you. I didn't come to hear how cheap Bob was to hire out for someone else to reroof his roof and falling off in the process. Every time you opened your mouth to answer a question it ALWAYS came back to YOU and how YOU have been such a "godsend" to the audio world....

    You're an embarrassment to the Carver name and company.
  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    +1 on what was said above. Other forms were saying the same things so it is not just our opinion. We would have loved to say hi to you and hear what the amps and speakers could do but both times I tried, you were just going on and on and on.
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, 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.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    very unfortunate.
    Needless to say, I am not a big fan of any generation of Carver-designed products I've encountered (to date), but the man (Bob Carver) was/is an important figure in the development of modern hifi, and he deserves better in the golden years of his career than what he's apparently gotten from his colleague(s). On the other hand, presumably he (Carver) can do as he pleases, and associate with whom he pleases.

    Heck, I'd still like to hear one of these amps, but the way things have played out put me off of trying one myself. :(

  • ALL212
    ALL212 Posts: 1,553
    I'd like to think I'm fairly opened minded (ah ah ah...peanut gallery sit back down...) and I did go to that room to hear the equipment.

    I heard Frank ramble on about "growl" or some such. He talked for a couple of minutes about what I was about to hear and then played less than 30 seconds of some obscure track. I'm not sure what I heard, it could have been the line stages bottoming out for all I know. He also blamed his assistant for playing the wrong track at some point. He had no idea how the equipment was setup either and admitted to such.

    Most disappointing room at AXPONA and worst room I've been in ever. And it wasn't because of the equipment.

    Please don't tell me what I should hear. Play something that is recognizable. Allow the audience the option of voicing in on what they heard. And please leave personal Bob Carver stories out of all conversations.
    Aaron
    Enabler Extraordinaire
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    erniejade wrote: »
    +1 on what was said above. Other forms were saying the same things so it is not just our opinion. We would have loved to say hi to you and hear what the amps and speakers could do but both times I tried, you were just going on and on and on.
    I don’t want to cross link forums, but could you maybe cut and paste quotes from the other sites here? When I talk to Bob next week, maybe I can direct him to this thread so he can see it for himself.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    erniejade wrote: »
    +1 on what was said above. Other forms were saying the same things so it is not just our opinion. We would have loved to say hi to you and hear what the amps and speakers could do but both times I tried, you were just going on and on and on.
    I don’t want to cross link forums, but could you maybe cut and paste quotes from the other sites here? When I talk to Bob next week, maybe I can direct him to this thread so he can see it for himself.

    Maybe @erniejade could PM you, John (even I feel a little weird airing this sort of dirty laundry in "public").
    That said, Mr. Carver's gotta know what he's dealing with in terms of his associate(s), right? :|
  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    Sent a PM to John.
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, 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.
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    And all this being said, I'd still love to get one on home for a listen. Curious.