Carver 275 Crimson tube amp --- any feedback appreciated

Jaynmo,
The M4 Turbo S speakers which I first had had an impedance of 4 ohms, which of course was a poor match for my flea-watt Dennis Had amp.  However, with the M4 Triode Masters, Clayton has modified the speaker to present a 12 ohm load, much more favorable to a tube amp.

I have Don Sachs' tube preamp and i got a chance to audition his Kootenay 120 tube amp last week in my system, which has 65 wpc.  I, and the audiophile who bought Don's amp for us to hear, both quickly and decisively concluded that we greatly preferred the SQ of the speakers with Don's tube amp compared to my very fine SS amp.  (As an aside, he went home and ordered a pair of M3TM to replace his $8500 "box" speakers, feeling that the OB speakers had an openness and expansive soundstage to which his conventional speakers could not compare.)

With the tube amp, the music was presented with luscious liquidity and, most surprising to me, a potent grasp of the low response.  The instruments were palpable in the expansive soundstage.   I was pretty much blown away as I have never heard a tube amp with such authority and extension and such a natural presentation of the music.  I conclude that this performance is a function of the 12 ohm impedance of the Triode Masters -- a much more compatible load for any amp, either SS or a tube. YMMV with different speakers.

Don's amp is sweetly compatible with my speakers, but I am intrigued with the Carver for its long tube life and its affordable cost.  I frankly doubt it would sound as fine as the Kootenay amp, but I would sure like to hear one for comparison purposes.

I heard the Immorata auditioned by Jeff Wells in his listening room some years back, and couple of other times at audio shows, and came away with the impression that his amp provided a glimpse of the finest amplification that one could ever experience, pretty much regardless of price.  I wonder how my Platinum-upgraded DNA-05 would compare to the Immorata?

Thanks for post.  



 



   

fmalitz,
Does the amp use two 12ax7s and one 12at7 or vice versa? 
Thanks,
Lula

Connect with Jim Clark Stereo.  He's a very knowledgeable Carver dealer and can answer any of your questions about the 275 or 350.  

Carver usually says in it's literature, that his amps are not designed to go below 4 ohms, unless it is the few that work better. I disagree that he exaggerates his specs, it's that people don't pay attention to the instruction manuals. 

Ricky,
Excellent point.  I have recently become aware of the implications of speakers' impedance, which can be a different aspect of performance than simply considering speakers' sensitivity/efficiency (I can never remember the difference between the two).  To wit, my pal has a Don Sachs KT88 tube amp driving 90 db efficient speakers, but the speakers became distorted at maybe 80 db... just crapped out.  Well, it turns out the speakers were nominally 4 ohm speakers that dipped to 2.8 ohms and the amp simply ran out of gas.

Well, we played the same tube amp with my 12-ohm Spatial Audio speakers and they were simply glorious, far far more musical in all respects, including LF extension, than my Platinum-upgraded 100 wpc McCormack DNA .05 ss amp, which I think it is brilliant amp.  By the way, my pal who brought the Don Sachs amp to me to audition ended up purchasing the Spatial Audio M3 Triode Master speakers for his system.  The tube amp and the Spatial Audio speakers are a wonderful match, he informs me. 

Again, the point to understand is that that speaker impedance compatibility is a fact to be recognized, particularly if one is considering a tube amp for one's system.  Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that most ss amps are more compatible with low impedance speaker loads while tube amps are more compatible with higher impedance speakers loads.