• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

Rate this amplifier

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 379 95.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 5 1.3%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 6 1.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 9 2.3%

  • Total voters
    399

john2017

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2022
Messages
56
Likes
94
No... Mine are a custom build that used granite and several other cosmetic improvements. Bob, at the time, was so impressed by their looks that he allowed me to put his name on them. Before there was another Carver company, Raven 350, there was the Granite 305... inspired by these.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    189.4 KB · Views: 186
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    169.8 KB · Views: 175
Last edited:

Canuck57

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
556
Likes
1,267
Location
Fergus, ON Canada
I got so sunburnt on the beach the other day- my face is peeling! "wear a hat" she said. Did I listen? Nope.

No sympathy here, was -22C with windchill -27C a few days ago, and a huge dumping of snow today! :-(
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
The 1A fuse is referred to as a "cathode fuse" in the manual, but is labeled "B+ fuse" on the chassis. Clearly it is the latter based on the schematic (included in the manual), it immediately follows the reservoir cap at 685VDC.
700 V on a fuse holder that can be accessed by the user. Better be a high-voltage fuse holder then.

Tom
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Australia scares the heck outta me. All those poisonous things, sharks and crocs. I wouldn't step near the water...lol :facepalm:
Yeah. At least the stuff that lives in snow doesn't jump up and bite you. Not usually anyway. :)

Tom
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
700 V on a fuse holder that can be accessed by the user. Better be a high-voltage fuse holder then.

Tom
As long as the fuse holder wears rubber gloves he should be fine holding the fuse. ;)
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Ha-ha. Funny. Yeah. Linesman's gloves maybe.

These are fuse holders.
Screen Shot 2022-01-17 at 21.11.07.png


Tom
 

Xulonn

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
1,828
Likes
6,311
Location
Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama
Yeah, but you gotta get those cables off the floor with little suspension-thingies, so as “to effectively address radio-frequency (RF) noise coupled from the floor into audio and AC cables”:p
Or you could just put everything on the floor (and of course, use the finest mpingo-wood double-decker cable risers)... :rolleyes:

Vacuum Tube Audio System - Power Cord Lifters.jpg
 

HiFidFan

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 22, 2021
Messages
723
Likes
906
Location
U.S.A
But is this amp "musical"?
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
Or you could just put everything on the floor (and of course, use the finest mpingo-wood double-decker cable risers)... :rolleyes:

No damping on the exposed crossover coil or capacitors. And extra tubes lying underneath the wood riser will ring like a bell when sound waves hit them.
 

Gringoaudio1

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
Messages
585
Likes
743
Location
Calgary Alberta Canada
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,580
Likes
38,281
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Australia scares the heck outta me. All those poisonous things, sharks and crocs. I wouldn't step near the water...lol

Honestly, it's just an image Australians seem to enjoy perpetuating. You guys have cougars and bears and some really fast things with big teeth.

I'm not really scared of any of our creatures except the Irukandji jellyfish. And they are coming slowly down the coast. We lose a few tourists every now and then up north to those tiny little buggers. You can't see them in the water, they are too small and clear.

The sting has been described as "100 times as potent as that of a cobra and 1,000 times stronger than a tarantula's"

1642482512936.png
 

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,750
Likes
20,760
Location
Canada
Honestly, it's just an image Australians seem to enjoy perpetuating. You guys have cougars and bears and some really fast things with big teeth.

I'm not really scared of any of our creatures except the Irukandji jellyfish. And they are coming slowly down the coast. We lose a few tourists every now and then up north to those tiny little buggers. You can't see them in the water, they are too small and clear.

View attachment 179873
Are those the ones where if a person is stung they need what amounts to a usually deadly dose of heroin (or whatever it is) as some sort of serious pain relief or they will have heart failure? I saw a documentary on TV about this. A guy and his gal where swimming and she suddenly started screaming and being totally in serious trouble and in pain. He said he knew what it was and they got her to a clinic where they immediately administered the pain relief. According to the docs she had minutes to live...
 

abdo123

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
7,425
Likes
7,940
Location
Brussels, Belgium
It is entirely possible that Carver (the man) designed the circuit the 275 is based on but then had nothing to do with the decision to use 15 watt transformers and with the failure to meet Type I wiring requirements.
Honestly with almost 3000$ a piece i expect him to check each unit individually.
 

traderitch

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2022
Messages
104
Likes
44
Yeah I guess he did even though it is more or less the same thing I said I was just more curt. I know you don't like me using the word con. It isn't directed at you personally, but come on. Being blunt, whether it was Bob or Frank or Bob and Frank you've been had. I hate seeing such products which is maybe why I'm a little snippy about it. Especially as Bob Carver hasn't done this in the past. Doesn't mean you were foolish or stupid only that you were taken advantage of.

To fix this you need bigger OPTs, and a bigger PT. They have to be chosen to work at the correct impedances for the rest of the design. Then you need to adjust values in the rest of the circuit even keeping the same circuit. Maybe you were hoping a couple relatively simple changes could make it okay. Unfortunately not the case here. As someone else here earlier commented on it, you're better off ditching it and getting a different amp than fixing this one.

Obviously you don't know what you don't know. Which is another reason it really rubs me the wrong way that Bob Carver or someone on his behalf is trading his reputation for such a poor product. So don't take it personally from me, I'm not trying to make you look bad. I do think you've been more than generous giving the benefit of the doubt when plenty of info shows the truth now. '

My apologies if my comments seemed directed at you in a manner derogatory toward you. That wasn't my intent, and maybe I've stepped over the line in that respect.
I appreciate the thoughtful reply.

There are other replies directed at me that lack context.
I understand that this topic has an inordinate amount of responses and that replies can easily be missed.

I have mentioned this in several threads - I own the CF275 not the production unit.
While the results of the tests are revealing and disappointing, I didn’t have to leverage my children’s 529 plans and reach for the CF275, my cost was negligible.
It’s used in a small office system.

I also own the Crimson 350 mono blocks, which are part of my main audio system. There are six full vintage systems in my house (along with ten additional Sonos zones) I am fortunate to be able to swap SS amps in and out of different listening locations.

I am going to bookmark this response for easy reference, invariably someone else will miss the basis for my position.
 

tomtoo

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
3,607
Likes
4,514
Location
Germany
Honestly, it's just an image Australians seem to enjoy perpetuating. You guys have cougars and bears and some really fast things with big teeth.

I'm not really scared of any of our creatures except the Irukandji jellyfish. And they are coming slowly down the coast. We lose a few tourists every now and then up north to those tiny little buggers. You can't see them in the water, they are too small and clear.

The sting has been described as "100 times as potent as that of a cobra and 1,000 times stronger than a tarantula's"

View attachment 179873

Wow! What a bad little sucker.

I love germany. I think the most poisenes creature we have are honeybees. ;)
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,580
Likes
38,281
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
I also own the Crimson 350 mono blocks, which are part of my main audio system.

Might not be a bad idea to pop the base plate and have a look at the IEC jack. If this image is anything to go by, we may have another unearthed product. Do you really want to risk your or your wife/children's safety by not checking?

crimson 350.jpg


Image source :
Zoomed. Nothing attached to the earth pin...

1642486836195.png


Mmmm. And the 4R and 8R 'tapping' terminals on the back panel are connected internally together. Notice the shorting link. The deception gets worse the more you pay it seems.

1642487512258.png


1642487420947.png
 
Last edited:

john2017

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2022
Messages
56
Likes
94
The grounding pin you are highlighting is not required to be used. My home was built in 1963, and is a two wire system with no “earth” wire to any outlet in my home. I am sure this would be the case with many homes in the US built before the codes changed and will vary from state to state.
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,580
Likes
38,281
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The grounding pin you are highlighting is not required to be used.

Absolutely is must be chassis earthed if a 3 pin IEC is fitted. No ifs or buts.

If it is Class ii (double insulated) a two pin IEC fitting should be fitted and the insulation up to Class ii standards. (which it isn't even close)

It has been re-iterated several times by several contributors in this, and other threads already.

Your ancient house wiring is utterly irrelevant to the safety of the product in question.
 
Top Bottom