My advice, send it back while you still can and buy a much better 75W+ power amplifier for your money. You can still buy tubes if you want, but get one that actually outputs something close to the specified power. This amp is clearly a ripoff.
Either there's a duplicate number on the PCB or no one's reading it right. ;-) C18 and C19 should be there. C4 and it's mate on the other end of the board (C?) are absent on any PCB shots I've seen.
I understand the context of your question.
Yes, it is hard to tell. I thought I saw leads sticking through on the production amp, though.
OK sure, but what does it change to my point? what does the Bob Carver company would gain in commenting these numbers?
As a minimum, they could be more professional than dealer speaking for them. At max, they could say they will investigate and if they can't back their numbers, they would change specs and/or improve the product in the future.
What make you say this dealer is speaking for them?
If you have contact with Mr. Carver, show him the measurements here. Along with pictures of the internal construction we'll know if it is Bob's design or Mr. Malitz has cheapened it.Attached is a picture of one of the tube amps I spent two years building with the help of Mr. Bob Carver. The black portions of the chassis are made from granite. They output nearly 400 WPC into 8ohms, and a touch above that into a 4ohm load. They are the centerpiece of my rig, and have performed flawlessly on a daily basis for ten years now. In that time, I have replaced two output tubes.
I bring this up to illustrate what kind of man Bob Carver is. He helped me, a man with zero experience in electronics, construct what are two of the most beautiful amplifiers you will ever lay ears on, and he did so from the kindness of his heart. He asked nothing in return.
My amps were born during the lead-up to what became the Carver Tube Amp company. At the time, He was building these amps for the Ebay crowd, and bidding on them was well north of 10k a pair. He and I discussed over several months and numerous phone calls, what was it about these amps that was making them sell for so much money. During those discussions, I told him he should think about taking them into production, but he did not want the headaches of running another company, no matter how small it would be. Within a year however, he did exactly that, and started a new company, which he then sold almost immediately to the folks behind Emotiva...
That partnership was exceptionally short-lived however, and they parted ways not long after production started in Kentucky. I am not certain, but shortly after, a man named Frank Malitz entered the picture. More on that later....
For several years, there has been a gathering of Carver fans known as CarverFest. It is a gathering of friends and audio enthusiasts centered upon the works of Mr. Carver. At these meets, you will find any number of events and listening sessions, discussions and in later years, a custom build of an amplifier or speaker... These events are a fun gathering that draws people from all over the country, and even from around the world.
I have never attended one of these events, but what I can say for certain is that if Bob said he was going to do something, it got done. If Bob says the Crimson 275 puts out 75wpc x2, when it left his workbench, that is what the amp could do. I find him to be a man of integrity, incredible talent, and true to his word.
Back to Mr. Frank Malitz... I want to be careful what I say here because I do not want to expose myself to a lawsuit for slander, but what I will say is that in all the years I have spent working in communications on back-lots and film sets here in Los Angeles, never have I dealt with someone more full of themselves than Frank Malitz. I do not trust the man any further than I could throw him. He is the man behind the curtain at Carver today, and he would sell the lug nuts off a total stranger's car to make a buck. Since he has been in charge, I have not recommended any of Carver's offerings to anyone, as I know all he is doing is exploiting the Carver name to line his pockets.
With regards to Jim Clark, after having spoken to Mr. Malitz, I can honestly say that it is 100 percent likely that Jim has no clue who he is dealing with in Mr. Malitz It is also certain that he knows nothing about the deficiencies of the current 275, but Frank Malitz does. It is his baby to run right now, and he could care less what damage it does to the Carver name.
Nice first post, I think.
I have not had contact with Bob in two years now. I can tell you that the guts I see in these pictures are not the way this design would have left his hands. Shortcuts abound.
For what its worth, the name on the schematic of the 275 in the owner's manual is Jordon Gerber, which implies Bob Carver either didn't design the amp or that it was changed along the line from what it originally was.Attached is a picture of one of the tube amps I spent two years building with the help of Mr. Bob Carver. The black portions of the chassis are made from granite. They output nearly 400 WPC into 8ohms, and a touch above that into a 4ohm load. They are the centerpiece of my rig, and have performed flawlessly on a daily basis for ten years now. In that time, I have replaced two output tubes.
I bring this up to illustrate what kind of man Bob Carver is. He helped me, a man with zero experience in electronics, construct what are two of the most beautiful amplifiers you will ever lay ears on, and he did so from the kindness of his heart. He asked nothing in return.
My amps were born during the lead-up to what became the Carver Tube Amp company. At the time, He was building these amps for the Ebay crowd, and bidding on them was well north of 10k a pair. He and I discussed over several months and numerous phone calls, what was it about these amps that was making them sell for so much money. During those discussions, I told him he should think about taking them into production, but he did not want the headaches of running another company, no matter how small it would be. Within a year however, he did exactly that, and started a new company, which he then sold almost immediately to the folks behind Emotiva...
That partnership was exceptionally short-lived however, and they parted ways not long after production started in Kentucky. I am not certain, but shortly after, a man named Frank Malitz entered the picture. More on that later....
For several years, there has been a gathering of Carver fans known as CarverFest. It is a gathering of friends and audio enthusiasts centered upon the works of Mr. Carver. At these meets, you will find any number of events and listening sessions, discussions and in later years, a custom build of an amplifier or speaker... These events are a fun gathering that draws people from all over the country, and even from around the world.
I have never attended one of these events, but what I can say for certain is that if Bob said he was going to do something, it got done. If Bob says the Crimson 275 puts out 75wpc x2, when it left his workbench, that is what the amp could do. I find him to be a man of integrity, incredible talent, and true to his word.
Back to Mr. Frank Malitz... I want to be careful what I say here because I do not want to expose myself to a lawsuit for slander, but what I will say is that in all the years I have spent working in communications on back-lots and film sets here in Los Angeles, never have I dealt with someone more full of themselves than Frank Malitz. I do not trust the man any further than I could throw him. He is the man behind the curtain at Carver today, and he would sell the lug nuts off a total stranger's car to make a buck. Since he has been in charge, I have not recommended any of Carver's offerings to anyone, as I know all he is doing is exploiting the Carver name to line his pockets.
With regards to Jim Clark, after having spoken to Mr. Malitz, I can honestly say that it is 100 percent likely that Jim has no clue who he is dealing with in Mr. Malitz It is also certain that he knows nothing about the deficiencies of the current 275, but Frank Malitz does. It is his baby to run right now, and he could care less what damage it does to the Carver name.
Nice first post, I think.
This immediately made me suspicious. I have enough experience with guitar amps to know that a guitar amp (which is specced for roughly 5% THD at rated output power) would have at least a 4 amp if not a 5 amp fuse for that kind of tube complement and rated power output. Bullshit specs aside, the build quality looks like the inside of a $500 Jet City guitar amp. Color me unimpressed.
Floating chassis -- note the ground lug of the IEC power receptacle is not connected.
