Do I need BOTH amp and pre to be sonic holography?

to tmsorosk:

It's really incorrect to say the name meant nothing. The sonic holography circuit is first patented, which means it has to do something. What it actually does is send a little of the left channel signal to the right channel, but 180 degrees out of phase. It also adds a little of the right channel to the left channel but 180 degrees out of phase. In this way, it helps to couple the left speaker to the left ear, the right speaker to the right ear, and the out of phase signals make that happen. Impressive on the right recordings, awful on gimmicky recordings. The C-6 preamp will work with any amplifier.

Sonic holography is patented, there is a patented circuit which intentionally manipulates phase to couple the left channel to the left ear and the right channel to the right ear. Sound stage is wonderful on tubes but a totally different thing than Sonic Holography. Do a patent search and you will find Robert H. Carver holds the patent

Sorry, Robert W Carver.

There is someone on ebay selling C-9 upgrade kits, also sometimes C-9's with the upgrade installed.

This unit below seems to me much the same thing, but modern implementation, seems you adjust the settings with a computer via USB..

http://www.ambiophonics.org/Ambio4YouDatasheet.html

Phase Linear 4000, was the first time Carver used that circuit. While it was quite interesting when compared to "Mid Fi", it doesn't hold a candle to a "high end" sound stage, and not only that; but the parts were cheap.