Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

[Travis]

The ground fault interrupt treshold in mA in private homes is such that it also prevents electrocution . At least here in Sweden ( we are supposed to follow eu standards ) .
And yes it’s for the whole house . It was of great help when I discovered that the electrical floor heating was going bad in one of our showers .

Yes, in EU it is 30mA for RCD/RCBO (currently - no pun). Over the years it has gone down to 30mA, and that's pretty uniform across the EU, even in 240v countries like the UK.

The issue is that there are documented cases of severe injury from involuntary muscle contraction (you can't let go of the wire) well below 30mA and documented deaths as low as 35mA.

The US is 5mA.

The EU/UK are part of the Old World, and another issue I didn't realize is that you all have buildings, structures, cathedrals, castles, etc. that go back to the 1600s, and earlier. I know, I've been in them. 90% of the residences in Sweden were built before 1990. Over half before 1960. I don't know that it is in the US, but I bet it's vastly newer. My understanding is that after that horrible fire in North Kensington, London about five years ago that killed almost a hundred people, they are starting to require that homes be upgraded (retrofitted) to current standards when they are sold, or rented out again, with inspections being required n some countries. The last I heard was that t

 

[tomelex]

Then there things that just don’t play well with GFCIs, like the VFD on my little lathe.

VFD have high capacitive leakage to ground via their high switching frequencies using square waves producing electromagnetic splatter, if you want the GFCI then search the internet for vfd compatable devices, they do make them, class B or something, to deal with the higher induced ground currents.

 

[norcalscott]

I got a free version of these with a voltmeter (as part of another item I bought) which is even more useful:



Had an outdoor GFCI outlet which would not power my pressure washer. Plugged the one in the right and saw the voltage changing all over. I realized the contacts were corroded. Sprayed some good lubricant in there and after some plugging and unplugging, got it back to life.

Wow, only $17, which is just a few dollars more than the "dumb" one I have. Definitely going to order one of these!

 

[mhardy6647]

I know that the Carver Crimson 275 horse is dead, beaten, and already made into glue -- but in an amusing postscript of sorts, today I got an email from Music Direct featuring a somewhat (somewhat!) parametrically similar amplifier from some outfit called "Icon Audio"

Icon Audio - Stereo 25 MkII Integrated Tube Amplifier (KT88)

The world's largest online retailer of high-end audio, audiophile music, and accessories. We specialize in vinyl records and turntables.

www.musicdirect.com

PP KT88 rated 60 wpc* (w/ KT88 outputs), ultralinear, at <0.5% THD @ 1 kHz... and it weighs... 37.5 lbs.
Oh, and apparently it's an integrated amplifier(?!).
Price is just about identical to the titular Crimson.
Just thought I'd offer up that little comparative data point, since it happened to pop up.

_______
* well... I do note that there's also a 'brochure' PDF that says 30 wpc (albeit with EL34s ultralinear) and no quantitative mention of distortion levels

https://www.musicdirect.com/documents/pdf/AICONST25M2_B.pdf

 

[Billy Budapest]

II got an email from Music Direct featuring a somewhat (somewhat!) parametrically similar amplifier from some outfit called "Icon Audio"

Icon Audio is a UK company specializing in less-expensive tube gear that appeared in the U.S. kind of out of the blue a few years ago—probably because they gained a U.S. distributor. Now, I say “UK company,” but I am not sure where their gear is actually built (not that it matters). I’ve never seen their gear reviewed in a print publication so maybe distribution isn’t that extensive.

 

[mhardy6647]

Icon Audio is a UK company specializing in less-expensive tube gear that appeared in the U.S. kind of out of the blue a few years ago—probably because they gained a U.S. distributor. Now, I say “UK company,” but I am not sure where their gear is actually built (not that it matters). I’ve never seen their gear reviewed in a print publication so maybe distribution isn’t that extensive.

The lack of a "made in" label on the back of the amp in the MD ad copy was... noteworthy.

Given the price and point to point construction -- I've gotta think it was made in an Asian nation with relatively low labo(u)r costs.

 

[Billy Budapest]

The lack of a "made in" label on the back of the amp in the MD ad copy was... noteworthy.

Given the price and point to point construction -- I've gotta think it was made in an Asian nation with relatively low labo(u)r costs.

Looks like they are following the Jolida model of Chinese production and “final assembly” (whatever that means) and QC in the brand’s home country:

“We have a small factory in China where chassis are assembled with our own all-important transformers (which are in-house designed and wound) for final assembly in Leicester.”

About Us | Icon Audio

Looking for the best English valve amplifiers? Icon Audio is dedicated to the design and production of pure valve (or tube) amplifiers and hi fi equipment. Order online today.

iconaudio.com

 

[SIY]

Morgan Jones reminded me of a chat he and I had some years back with Tim deParavicini. Tim was ranting (his usual mode) about exactly this sort of thing. "You see these nice big potted transformers, then you unpot them and what's inside resembles a drowned emaciated rat."

 

[egellings]

Little walnut!

 

[paulbottlehead]

That sounds just like Tim.

 

[welsh]

Obviously the producer has decided that the costs of grounding the chassis of all produced units weigh higher than the costs if one of his customers is hurt or killed in case of error. However small the chance is that this happens - it shows quite a disrespect to the well being of his customers, especially regarding the minor costs of grounding the chassis in the first place (I'd say less than 1 US$ per unit including assembly, for a dealer price of 2.5kUS$).

Allegedly Ford calculated the potential legal fallout regarding the Pinto’s propensity to self-immolate if rear-ended, and concluded that it was economically viable versus adding the simple parts that would have protected the petrol tank…

 

[DonH56]

Allegedly Ford calculated the potential legal fallout regarding the Pinto’s propensity to self-immolate if rear-ended, and concluded that it was economically viable versus adding the simple parts that would have protected the petrol tank…

We actually studied that in a sociology class I took in college (pre-med before realizing I was better suited to be an engineer). Fortunately no gas (petrol) tank in the Crimson 275 as far as I know...

 

[welsh]

For some reason piling a bunch together reduces the impact and mystique of an individual spooky looking industrial orange light bulb. They look common place and ordinary, like a face in a crowd.

The faces of the people in the crowd
Petals on a wet, dark bough

 

[welsh]

I don't really care much how my gear looks except I prefer it not stand out (*). Black boxes in a corner are fine, preferably ones without extra lights (power or filament). I prefer to focus on the sound (and picture, for movies) rather than the gear. I got my fill of the "look at my impressive, extremely expensive, big-arse components" crowd decades ago when I was still "in the biz". I keep repeating that old saw "audiophiles listen to the gear, musicians listen to the music".

Whatever - Don

(*) Wait, and that it not electrocute me, that's also something I prefer in my gear...

In my 1970s punk band, there were many dangers. Drugs, the audience, falling off stage (nobody caught you back then). However, the most terrifying was our WEM tape-loop delay unit. Our hippy bassist (don‘t ask, we tried to make him cut his hair) almost died touching it (he was, of course, bare-footed).

 

[Labjr]

I think Bob Carver has always been a smoke and mirrors kind of guy. And Phase Linear was good with smoke.

 

[Ron Texas]

As of recently Carver only sells direct. I don't know when it happened, but the "Incredible Line Source" speaker system is discontinued.

 

[welsh]

What if the gear has a light that illuminates when the chassis is charged? A don't touch me now light.

Walk towards the light!

 

[welsh]

I miss Myth Busters

I myth Miss Busters

 

[Sal1950]

If the grounding scheme is as poorly engineered as the rest of this disaster, the safety ground might have been omitted because of hum.

Allegedly Ford calculated the potential legal fallout regarding the Pinto’s propensity to self-immolate if rear-ended, and concluded that it was economically viable versus adding the simple parts that would have protected the petrol tank…

Yes SIY, the quick and easy way for the manufacturer to avoid ground loop hum issues in a product is simply not to ground it. . I don't believe it has anything to do with the fairly minor cost on inclusion.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Yes SIY, the quick and easy way for the manufacturer to avoid ground loop hum issues in a product is simply not to ground it. . I don't believe it has anything to do with the fairly minor cost on inclusion.

Omitting chassis ground doesn't guarantee no ground loops.