Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

[teched58]

One issue that I haven't seen raised in re tube amps is something that's only arisen in the last year or two. I don't know where you guys live, but I am in the Northeast US and the cost of power has really soared over the past few years. My rising monthly bill finally convinced me in 2020 to replace all my incandescents (yes, I was still using plain old light bulbs) with LEDs. I am also much stricter about air conditioning in the summer. All in all, I was able to cut my monthly bill in the face of rapidly rising utility bills in my area by reining in my kWh/month usage.

I can't imagine what running tube amps would do to my electric bill. I think this must be a serious consideration for all tube amp enthusiasts going forward.

I wonder if anyone in the UK can comment, since I see in the news that there is a particularly severe cost of electricity issue there.

 

[fpitas]

Running tubes in the summer in hotter latitudes is even worse. I don't get it, either.

 

[anmpr1]

As of the time of this post:

Now @ https://www.bobcarvercorp.com/ Out of Illinois.

When Bob started out, and really throughout his career at Phase Linear, Carver Corp, and maybe Sunfire (not sure about that one) he interacted and participated with both the 'establishment' and 'tweako' press. I remember an issue of Stereo Review where Bob sat down with (I think it was) Hirsch, Klein, and someone else at the magazine in order to investigate the audibility of crossover distortion. Then there was the Audio Critic and Stereophile. Bob's Stereophile gig got ugly quick enough, no doubt about that--I mostly blame Stereophile for that mess. But he always seemed pretty open and honest, and not one to hold a grudge.

So it wasn't like he was ever 'hiding', or keeping secrets from anyone. I never had the idea that he was out to scam anyone. This last episode was, however, strange. In keeping with his history, he should give Amir a call and invite him to his lab. Or the other way around. Seriously.

We all get old, and you can only keep it up for so long. None of this would have happened if Bob had just said, "Here's a little 25 watt amp" (or whatever was reasonable given the tube compliment), one that I like to listen to. If you want one, send me some money and I'll autograph it for you. In that case, no one one would have cared.

In fact, that sort of seems to be where he's at now with his (new?) Black Magic 25. As a replacement for your ST-70, and at two thousand dollars, it's probably not an unreasonable package, given half a century of inflation. Sure, sixty years ago Dave and Ed gave you more watts for the same EL-34s. But Bob always claimed he was more a Stu Hegeman/Citation sort of guy, than a Hafler/Laurent man.

With Lyric closed, he's probably out of the Silver Seven business. And I don't guess that his little subwoofer and ribbon speaker are still around.

However it is, at this late stage of his game, maybe retirement is not such a bad thing. I wish him well, but us old types have to remember that things move on. We can't always live in the past. My guess is that even Miss Hologram has retired her swimsuit.

 

[mhardy6647]

That preamp needs more tubes. It can't possibly work with only 12!

I (briefly) had a preamp designed by Mark Deneen (he of Juicy Music -- at one time and for a time) for Peter Pritchard (ADC) that had fourteen 6DJ8s in it.

 

[fpitas]

I (briefly) had a preamp designed by Mark Deneen (he of Juicy Music -- at one time and for a time) for Peter Pritchard (ADC) that had fourteen 6DJ8s in it.

View attachment 249313
View attachment 249314

How many weeks does it go without needing a tube replaced

 

[mhardy6647]

One issue that I haven't seen raised in re tube amps is something that's only arisen in the last year or two. I don't know where you guys live, but I am in the Northeast US and the cost of power has really soared over the past few years. My rising monthly bill finally convinced me in 2020 to replace all my incandescents (yes, I was still using plain old light bulbs) with LEDs. I am also much stricter about air conditioning in the summer. All in all, I was able to cut my monthly bill in the face of rapidly rising utility bills in my area by reining in my kWh/month usage.

there is an alternative to giving up thermionic devices if energy costs are a concern.

 

[mhardy6647]

How many weeks does it go without needing a tube replaced

It actually had low output in one channel "as found" that I couldn't suss out. I actually ended up donating it to Mark Deneen, who didn't have one.
I paid $13 for it (and even the shipping costs weren't bad, either) on eBAY (a long time ago, when the internet was a very different place and there were occasionally interesting things at bargain prices) -- so I felt good about the whole affair as it played out.

 

[anmpr1]

I (briefly) had a preamp designed by Mark Deneen (he of Juicy Music -- at one time and for a time) for Peter Pritchard (ADC) that had fourteen 6DJ8s in it.

Mark was responsible for Paragon, if I recall. Highly regarded in the '70s.

 

[fpitas]

It actually had low output in one channel "as found" that I couldn't suss out. I actually ended up donating it to Mark Deneen, who didn't have one.
I paid $13 for it (and even the shipping costs weren't bad, either) on eBAY (a long time ago, when the internet was a very different place and there were occasionally interesting things at bargain prices) -- so I felt good about the whole affair as it played out.

That 6DJ8 is an odd fish.

 

[teched58]

there is an alternative to giving up thermionic devices if energy costs are a concern.

Not if you live in an apartment (flat).

 

[MAB]

This is a sad thread. Started with the review which made me sad since I had fond memories of Carver's old Lynwood gear. It had so much power, and could drive any load, and was inexpensive. His preamps and tuners were high-performing bargains too. It's so odd to see his stuff has gone from objective over-performance to subjective catastrophe.

Just as odd are the responses from Wyred4Sound, Carver, and now UncleMeat.

These things are sold for money. Posting hurt feelings is crazy when the real hurt is the customers who trusted Carver and got sold this expensive, underpowered, and overspec'ed amp, with safety issues.

 

[Adi777]

Is it possible to build a tube amplifier, which in measurements will be as good as the best class A/AB, D, Benchmark AHB2?

 

[fpitas]

This is a sad thread. Started with the review which made me sad since I had fond memories of Carver's old Lynwood gear. It had so much power, and could drive any load, and was inexpensive. His preamps and tuners were high-performing bargains too. It's so odd to see his stuff has gone from objective over-performance to subjective catastrophe.

Just as odd are the responses from Wyred4Sound, Carver, and now UncleMeat.

These things are sold for money. Posting hurt feelings is crazy when the real hurt is the customers who trusted Carver and got sold this expensive, underpowered, and overspec'ed amp, with safety issues.

I have a big feeling we were just getting trolled. We were told a lot of things; especially, the usual "you're testing it all wrong". But notice that nobody contacted Amir to discuss that. Very fishy.

 

[fpitas]

Is it possible to build a tube amplifier, which in measurements will be as good as the best class A/AB, D, Benchmark AHB2?

Well...it's tough. But you can push to more like 0.05% THD @ 1W if you're good.

 

[LTig]

Is it possible to build a tube amplifier, which in measurements will be as good as the best class A/AB, D, Benchmark AHB2?

Not at a limited budget. You'll either need an extremely large overrated output transformer or hundreds of paralleled output tubes.

 

[Adi777]

Well...it's tough. But you can push to more like 0.05% THD @ 1W if you're good.

So it would be a tube amplifier without the magic of the tube and organic, naturalness?

 

[fpitas]

So it would be a tube amplifier without the magic of the tube and organic, naturalness?

Lol yeah. Atmasphere makes some reasonable tube amps like that. No magic, just clean.

 

[anmpr1]

there is an alternative to giving up thermionic devices if energy costs are a concern.

During the winter months, in my den/exercise room, I swap out SS for my homemade tube amps/preamp. I like to tell myself that it helps keep in the 'heat'. That's probably a lame rationalization. But it's either that, or keep them in the closet. And I think I owe it to David Hafler's memory to fire them up for a few months.

The only thing I can really say about tubes is that they are pretty easy to build, as kits. With period loudspeakers it will give someone an up close and personal idea of how it was, back in the day. Sort of mushy, and not too clear. At least that's how it was with the old stuff.

With Bob in mind, I'd prefer a working Phase 700, and his fancy preamp. The one with the joystick. I would make a Miss Hologram joke about that. But I'll restrain myself and try and act my age.

 

[Adi777]

Atmasphere

MA-3, oh sh..
I looked at the price, how much it cost when it was new and available - oh sh..x2

 

[Blumlein 88]

Not at a limited budget. You'll either need an extremely large overrated output transformer or hundreds of paralleled output tubes.

Maybe a solid state buffered feedback loop would do it.