Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

[amirm]

After the first fuse blew I would have searched around for a slow-blow, maybe even 4A, just for testing.

The manual repeatedly says to not use slow blow fuse as a replacement. This being a new unit to be returned if it doesn't perform, I followed the manual to the letter.

 

[sarumbear]

Listen to it? Why do that? Audio Science Review is about sine waves and powering resistors, not music powering loudspeakers.
If its cheap and built to test good, its golden, no need to be musical. Audio reviews without listening. If you don't actually listen to an audio product in a review, your name might be more accurately called Resistor Science Review. Never had a 275 returned for lack of power making music. People that use it with music, powering speakers love them.

Why are you here?

 

[paulbottlehead]

The manual repeatedly says to not use slow blow fuse as a replacement. This being a new unit to be returned if it doesn't perform, I followed the manual to the letter.

I sure do appreciate that! That would've been a super awkward conversation!

 

[_thelaughingman]

Listen to it? Why do that? Audio Science Review is about sine waves and powering resistors, not music powering loudspeakers.
If its cheap and built to test good, its golden, no need to be musical. Audio reviews without listening. If you don't actually listen to an audio product in a review, your name might be more accurately called Resistor Science Review. Never had a 275 returned for lack of power making music. People that use it with music, powering speakers love them.

Clueless drivel from a typical dealer that has zero knowledge of the product, he's shilling to make money.

 

[Jim Clark]

Why are you here?

Thats a really good question.. I truly wish you and your forum all the best.

 

[mhardy6647]

Oh. This is the type of representation you want to provide for this brand? Listen: poor measurements are one thing. Don't add to it by showing the people behind it may be just as bad. Be professional. Do your part best and don't add insult to injury here. I swear some people in the industry need take a PR class just to know how to conduct themselves in public....

In fairness to Mr. Clark (and to the Bob Carver Corp.), to the best of our knowlege, Mr. Clark is a third party, albeit not a disinterested one. He's a dealer for Bob Carver Corp. products, and presumably not himself directly in the employ of the Bob Carver Corp.

I concur that Mr. Clark's outbursts are exceedingly tacky, but they don't a priori reflect explictly on the Bob Carver Corp.

 

[Doodski]

And of course, when you get into the higher priced gear, you see Swiss-watch-like construction and QC. Atma-Sphere, for example.

DroOL... That Atma-Sphere gear looks gorgeous and I'm pretty sure that's the brand that I saw in Vegas at the CES displaying huge mono blocks and heating up that section of the hotel.

 

[Blumlein 88]

To satisfied owners: now that you know you were duped (I know it's hard to admit) don't you wonder what real 75 watt tube amps might sound like?

Say an old C-J MV75 or even MV45 with 45 watts. Or any of the 70 or 75 watt ARC amps made over the years. Or a VTL or even pair of bridged Dyna 70s.

 

[Larry B. Larabee]

Even if it, and it probably, does sound okay. I say that Carver's reputation is intact. The poor QC and dismissive attitude of the dealer is enough to convince this is a product not worth consideration. Allowing third-party control with no oversight by uninterested people-this is the result.

 

[Billy Budapest]

DroOL... That Atma-Shere gear looks gorgeous and I'm pretty sure that's the brand that I saw in Vegas at the CES displaying huge mono blocks and heating up that section of the hotel.

I actually deleted my earlier post because bringing other brands into the equation was not really my intent.

 

[bidn]

Not here to argue bottledick. See ya.

Wahoo, that answer is incredible!!!!

By far the most impressive, most cogently argued rebuttal by a company whose device has been debunked by Amir! It definitely lives up to the measured performance and build quality of the device!

This thread is getting into something very big, I am staying tuned... hoping to read more posts from your company...

 

[Helicopter]

Thanks Amir. This testing is not the proper way to dry out a wet electronic device.

Glad to have you back and to hear that it is mostly just stuff that has been damaged and such, difficult as that can be.

This is an amp I have considered so it is nice to have real information about it.

@Jim Clark I suggest reading Schiit's posts about their poorly performing products if you want to learn something. This could have been an opportunity to build repoir and credibility. Maybe next time.

My wife is the only one who is allowed to call me bottledick.

 

[Billy Budapest]

My wife is the only one who is allowed to call me bottledick.

And if you think about it, “bottledick” is actually compliment!

 

[Doodski]

I actually deleted my earlier post because bringing other brands into the equation was not really my intent.

I have no issue with shilling for a different brand in the thread.

 

[AudioTodd]

And if you think about it, “bottledick” is actually compliment!

Maybe he left out "airline" in that term?

 

[Billy Budapest]

I have no issue with shilling for a different brand in the thread.

Ha! No relationship between Atma-Sphere and me. My tube brand of choice is Conrad-Johnson. I hate to admit I own a ton of their stuff.

 

[AudioTodd]

Maybe he left out "airline" in that term?

Or, in fitting with the marketing reliability, "nanotainer..."

 

[mhardy6647]

With all due respect to @amirm and @paulbottlehead, whose "above and beyond" efforts and maturity/professionalism throughout this imbroglio are gratefully acknowledged(!), I just want to record one thought.

Given the growing likelihood of this turning into a moderator's nightmare and losing the signal for the noise -- it sure would be nice, if for nothing other than the "optics" (as folks like to say), for, e.g., @John Atkinson to put one of these amplifiers though its paces on his test equipment and publish the results (with or without subjective commentary on the amp's peformance with recordings in the real world, as in a typical Stereophile review).

I realize that's extremely unlikely to happen, and I further realize that the commentary on Stereophile's website would probably end up looking about the same... but it would be nice (IMO) to get it into the public record in parallel to ASR's test.

I am now going to try really hard to avoid cluttering this thread further with my own doggerel.

Thanks again, in all seriousness, to Paul & Amir for looking into this amplifier's performance!

 

[Doodski]

Ha! No relationship between Atma-Sphere and me. My tube brand of choice is Conrad-Johnson. I hate to admit I own a ton of their stuff.

A service shop that I worked at for some years had a CJ service agreement for warranty repairs. We saw zero units for repair and that was in a city >1 million people. We where all stoked about seeing some CJ in the shop but noooooo. lol

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

You have no room to talk about class, Sir.

Best wishes.

I never said I have class. As a matter of fact, I'm probably the least classy person on this forum. I made that remark because I could see my lack of class in your statement.