Bob Carver LLC Black Beauty Review

Kentster, which model did you purchase and what are you asking for them?

Teajay, I'd like to offer some, what I hope is, some constructive criticism. As a prospective buyer of this amplifier your review leaves me with a few unanswered questions. For example you listened to the amplifier and I'm left with this unanswered statement.

"Sonically, it is supposed to offer the midrange delicacy and body of the EL-34 tube with the extension, slam and control of the KT-88."

OK fine, did it or did it not offer the midrange delicacy and body?

"In the price bracket around $12,000 for tube-based power amplifiers, the major competitors would either be Audio Research Corporation Reference 150 Stereo Amp 9, valued at $12,995, or the Vacuum Tube Logic S-200 Stereo Amp, which is valued at $10,000. Both are new editions for each company. I have auditioned both companies' last generation of amps. In my opinion, the 305 Black Beauty Mono Blocks offer many of the strengths, the natural timbres, the ability to produce a large soundstage, have precise imaging and the capacity to drive all types of speakers that the other companies' amps deliver. However, because the Black Beauty 305s are mono blocks, they can be placed closer to the speakers to gain the advantage of shorter speaker wire length, along with each mono block having its own power supply."

Hear you mention amplifiers you haven't auditioned and supply the reader with a price comparison. Regardless of what model, its well known that ARC and VTL have strikingly different presentations. Its well established that ARC has a more analytical almost solid state presentation. Conrad Johnson is another established manufacture of products with a far more relaxed or glowing presentation. It could be said that VTL is generally somewhere in the middle. In your opinion where is the Carver in this mix? The ability to convey the degree of warmth, speed, and transparency by comparing commonly known presentations is the meat and potatoes of a successful review.

Unless it's just another ultra linear or pentode design in some silly exotic and expensive casework I find the technical description of a new product can be very interesting. So exactly what kind of amplifier is the Carver? Was there anybody else in on the design? What's the printed circuit board made of?
From Carver LLC
["These amplifiers offer extreme performance that is difficult to believe, and each amplifier features a high impedance input, an automatic DC restorer circuit, a set and forget it bias adjustment, and low idle current which greatly increases output tube life. They have ultra-wide bandwidth output transformers with interleaved windings capable of the most nuanced voice as well as huge peak output capacity. Selectable feedback control allows the user to change the sound of the amplifier from vintage classical to modern contemporary."]

It also has an attenuator so you can connect a source component directly to the amplifier.

Teajay, sorry to bust your bells but you are so not alone on this amp. I've read a few reviews and I still don't have a decent idea of what Bob Carver's amplifiers sound like.

Thanks to responses hear and elsewhere I decided to drink the Kool-Aid and got a great deal on some brand new black 180s from Underwoodwally.
All I can say is if you think your speakers have you locked into using solid state these tube amps can probably bridge that gap and have you enjoying second harmonic relaxing music of which there is no substitute.
They can power difficult loads with solid all point to point wiring no crimped spade plugs, cool running, easy biasing, adjustable feedback, no BS casework, hand made in the USA, with a transferable seven year warrantee, and they're designed by the team of Bob Farinelli, Tim de Paravicini, and Bob Carver.

These amplifiers are the real deal without any silly flash or bling. as for being a flash-in-the-pan only time will tell. Correct me if I'm wrong, Bob Carver still provides service to most all of the products he has produced.

Teajay, thanks for responding to my hack criticism so graciously. In hindsight my criticism read a bit too gruff for my own taste, I apologize.

1) Excellent, that's exactly what I wanted to know and 4) yes, I can't imagine both ARC and VTL have strayed too far from their house sound in one model change.

3) I recall bypassing some scratchy attenuators on early solid state pro sound amps. Not a big deal to me either, but, this trend of preamplifier elimination and simplified digital playback, some might find the attenuator a useful aspect. Its quality as well as the usefulness of the adjustable feedback has yet to be reported on.

I would agree at first sight the Carver has a bare bones appearance not exactly commensurate with its price. On the other hand the hand the current selection of 300+ watt tube amplifiers with a 2 ohm tap is quite small if not nonexistent. It's completely point to point hand wired, carries a 7 year warrantee with an unheard of 1 year warrantee on tubes, and its manufactured and serviced in the United States. I suppose time will certainly tell.

Thanks Teajay

Dragon & Kenster

Dragon give Walt at Underwood Hi-Fi a call 770 667-5633 for an answer.

Kenster FYI, you may have read my post on the other Bob Carver thread above. Any modification other than tubes may void the products seven year transferable warrantee. That said, Dracule gives a good description of the cap replacement on the second page of the other thread.

I agree with the Drac. They sound excellent. IMO, being all point to point wiring there is a settling in period.

With all the conversation, in time the Carver LLC may offer upgrades. The language I read was, "Not at this time." So, it could happen. In the mean time enjoy.

I had an Ayre V1-xe driving my Eidolons when a pair of XA 160.5s came to the house. Even though I preferred the Ayre the XAs were very nice simply a bit different. The highs were a bit glassy and I remember I couldn't stop noticing them. A personal taste thing more than anything else.

The Miguest blog would make almost anybody pop for the Pass unless you have already been there and are looking for that relaxing second harmonic thing that only a tube can provide.

I just popped in the Psvane AX and AT tubes in the VTA180s and, hello. Try that with the Pass class A.

["200 for the internals and 600 for the kt-150's"]

[[[["Question: "I have read on the web that it may be possible for you to upgrade my 180's to 350's. Any information you could forward to me on cost, turnaround time, and if this upgrade is, in fact, something you offer, it would be greatly appreciated."

Upgrading your 180 to a 350 is too much of a stretch and is not practical. The extra cost is such that it would be cheaper to purchase a brand new 350. However, taking a 180 to a 305 is eminently practical, and I would be happy to do it. The price is $1,849, and its performance will be very close, on speech and music, to a 350, but on continuous sine waves it will be a 305. Low and medium level signal handling (up to 305 watts) will include my latest thinking, as implemented in the Raven/Crimson 350."]]]]

$800 vs $1800 plus shipping? Hmm.