Carver Power Amps

dracule1, could you share any tube aging or rolling experience with your Cherry 180s.

I just removed all the power tubes for the first time since I purchased these amplifiers (5-6 years) to check them on the amp individually. Probably not the most revealing test method. I found one were the glass was mechanically questionable yet the bias was still good so I replaced it. The rest seem fine.

I did replace the AUs and ATs with Psvanes some years back. Thanks.



  

  

I have had several Carver products and I agree that a cause of the lack of power has to do with the impedance curve. The manuals themselves say that they are not good for anything dipping below 4 ohms. The damping factor of the m-1.0t is a 9 and the damping factor for the m-4.ot is just a seven. These amps work best with 8 ohm speakers that do not dip below 4 ohms, something like Klipsch Cornwalls or La Scalas work well with them. Even with subs these amps did not sound strong enough with those Kappas that I had. The seven Kappas sounded alright with one m-4.0t, but even with two m4's bi-amped into the 8 kappas only sounded good at lower volumes, and forget about the 9 Kappas. 

I had a 1.0t, 1.5t and 4.0t when I was in my late teens, early 20s.... not bad amps but I swapped the 1.5 out for a pair of B&K M200 Sonatas rated at 200w each.   

Those B&K walked all over the Carver.   Used them with a pair of Paradigm Studio 100 and Klipsch CF4 back then ....