Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

[DanielT]

Glow picture please.

OT:
If the tube glow you are looking for this is a tip: Pre amp tube.Constructed by an EE that normally otherwise designs transistor-based amps.

This tube pre amp is a hobby project, according to Mr. DIY himself.
DiY + tube amp = happy marriage
(Of course for those who have tube knowledge). Homemade tastes best (in this case, the homemade would probably be on the menu at a Michelin restaurant):

"Yes, it has been a fun journey in the history of electronics. I am very happy with the result and luckily it is as this has taken a fair amount of time."

faktiskt.io • Visa tråd - GDS-projekt: rörförsteg - LEVERANS!!

Index of /Morello/Tube-preamp

Edit:
Good output transformers + small wallet = divorce.
(regarding the power amp part of a tube amp, they can be really expensive)

 

[jbhiller]

Quoted from a friend on another forum...

Interesting indeed. I hope that happy ending occurs, where Bob makes a statement saying the Company--post his sale to Malitz--started using the Carverfest amp camp design and parts without Bob's knowledge. Not trying to make excuses, but I could see someone skimping on the OPTs and PT as those can really get pricey if they were custom spec'd originally. Going from a Wima cap to a Suntan cap would save $10 per amp or so, but buying a15W Edcor over something of higher quality could save much per copy.

 

[mmuetst]

Maybe send the amp to Skunkie Designs Electronics (check her Youtube channel) to make it a better design amp
That Carver Crimson 275 looks like a cheap Chinees product inside...

 

[jbhiller]

Sure it can, and it will. This is absolutely not an excuse to put out an unsafe product, that said, being an electrical engineer myself, but not an amp designer, I did in the past played for fun with common tube classic reference designs, and to quite frank I got really tired of messing with grounding scheme, whatever I would do there would be audible hums. Yes OK I will not pretend I had all the necessary experience and knowledge and I still don't have, but I did give up on that and move to other things. Surely there are very competent people here that will rightfully say it can be done, and well, it must be done, no argument here, but anybody that will come and say it's trivial and just bring the ground to chassis and it's done are not those competent ones. If this thing is not grounded, it's for this reason, they couldn't make it work. Again, not an excuse, try harder or don't throw something dangerous out there, but the designer, whoever he is, knows full well why this ground is disconnected.

I agree wholeheartedly. I contacted Frank Malitz about the lack of ground because I do not have the proper design skills to carry out a safe effective design of a grounding system for this amp. It's foolhardy to think I'd just drill a hole, insert a threaded bolt, nut and run a ground wire to the IEC open ground prong. Thank you for pointing this out too, as safety is so important. I would hate for someone like myself (with some DIY skills) to try to buy one of these and retrofit a grounding scheme to the chassis without knowing exactly what is needed and how the system works.

 

[et_uptown]

Very interesting test results and thread! Long time reader, first time poster. I owned a Crimson 275 for one year. In the beginning it was novel to me (my first tube amp) and a decent match for my Kef R7s. But it had a horrible ground loop (perhaps we know why now?) that required some re-work on my cabling/system to avoid. I got in touch with Bob Carver himself (through Frank) on the phone, and Bob was helpful, polite, and kind. Even after the ground loop was avoided though, the transformers hummed softly no matter what I did. Ultimately an amp that made any mechanical noise drove me crazy and within 5 or 6 months my trusty Benchmark AHB2 stepped back in as my daily driver. I recently traded in the 275. So... I do hope we get some kind of official resposnse from the Bob Carver Company.

Lastly, I am horrified about the potential safety hazard me and my family were unknowingly exposed to.

 

[jbhiller]

Carver Corporation marketed the amp by saying it had no repair department because it never had an issue with any amp breaking. Hubris! The Company is going to need a big repair department to recall and retrofit these. If the amp was made like this, the Company seems more likely to not be doing things appropriately and have the requisite resources to stand behind the product. But, that's how it seems to me at least. I cannot wait to hear back from the Company on the issues. I also asked Mr. Malitz if Bob Carver specified the use of 15W OPTs in his design of the amp.

 

[jbhiller]

Very interesting test results and thread! Long time reader, first time poster. I owned a Crimson 275 for one year. In the beginning it was novel to me (my first tube amp) and a decent match for my Kef R7s. But it had a horrible ground loop (perhaps we know why now?) that required some re-work on my cabling/system to avoid. I got in touch with Bob Carver himself (through Frank) on the phone, and Bob was helpful, polite, and kind. Even after the ground loop was avoided though, the transformers hummed softly no matter what I did. Ultimately an amp that made any mechanical noise drove me crazy and my trusty Benchmark AHB2 stepped back in as my daily driver. I traded in the 275. So... I do hope we get some kind of official resposnse from the Bob Carver Company.

Lastly, I am horified about the potential safety hazard me and my family was unknowingly exposed to.

Likewise et_uptown. The safety issue is insane. If a weld were to weaken something terrible could happen very easy to the unwitting user. It's sickening to think this was designed and sold like this with the amount of juice that the PT steps up from line AC to DC in the thing. Scary!

 

[jbhiller]

Maybe send the amp to Skunkie Designs Electronics (check her Youtube channel) to make it a better design amp
That Carver Crimson 275 looks like a cheap Chinees product inside...

This is a great idea!

 

[mhardy6647]

Australia scares the heck outta me. All those poisonous things, sharks and crocs. I wouldn't step near the water...lol

Mrs. H went birding there in 2010 and she had a great time.
She and some buddies did run across a cassowary at one point, though (more like vice versa).
Fortunately it was a female.

They had a run in with some land-dwelling leeches, too, if memory serves.

ok -- back to the 275!

 

[Larry B. Larabee]

Not here to argue bottledick. See ya.

Dickless Panther? As an Homage?

 

[JayGilb]

Interesting indeed. I hope that happy ending occurs, where Bob makes a statement saying the Company--post his sale to Malitz--started using the Carverfest amp camp design and parts without Bob's knowledge. Not trying to make excuses, but I could see someone skimping on the OPTs and PT as those can really get pricey if they were custom spec'd originally. Going from a Wima cap to a Suntan cap would save $10 per amp or so, but buying a15W Edcor over something of higher quality could save much per copy.

Did they still charge the full amount for the amp camp models ?

 

[Robbo99999]

There's not really a need for these kind of products beyond the placebo inducing visuals combined with the truth of "I'll f**k up your sound".

 

[tomtoo]

Maybe send the amp to Skunkie Designs Electronics (check her Youtube channel) to make it a better design amp
That Carver Crimson 275 looks like a cheap Chinees product inside...

Thx! Interesting channel.
Output transformers?

How can it be that i feel some similaritys to this thread. Can only be some subjectivism induced from my brain???

 

[traderitch]

Did they still charge the full amount for the amp camp models ?

No

 

[alashikata]

Thx! Interesting channel.
Output transformers?


How can it be that i feel some similaritys to this thread. Can only be some subjectivism induced from my brain???

Carver Crimson 275 design seems to be fine except the PT and OPT. I thought I saw someone posted on page 15 that the Filament is not enough current to run all the tube. 180mA for main power? That not enough to run full specs of KT120.

Skunkie Designs Electronics has fixed some chinese amps and she has experience to measure the tube amps.

 

[Zackthedog]

My amps are on low stands I built myself between my speakers. View attachment 179947My 17W dual 300b SET amps weigh 46lbs. each.
View attachment 179948

Martin

Are those homebrew PP 300B amps?

 

[Greg P]

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

A true scientist (from Wikipedia): "The first of these jellyfish, Carukia barnesi, was identified in 1964 by Jack Barnes; to prove it was the cause of Irukandji syndrome, he captured the tiny jellyfish and allowed it to sting him, his nine-year-old son and a robust young lifeguard." (all survived)

 

[DanielT]

Dickless Panther? As an Homage?

He he,

The REAL reason to have tubes. Cozy tube sound, tube glow and ditto feel and what it can give. Scenario:

New new female acquaintance (if we assume stereotypes Hifi, gender roles for this scenario to work), after a nice evening. The evening ends with a little conversation (with opportunities for other things) on the sofa. Then tube glow when it comes to listening to music. Here it is important to have a fingertip feeling. To start waffling about the nice tube sound without initial curiosity from the woman is counterproductive. BUT if the woman happens to look at the Hifi system and seems to wonder what it is that is? Then response:
It is old technology (DO NOT talk in detail how tube amp works), tube is the cozy light and it gives a softer, more embracing almost sensual sound (how much talk about it, the fingertip feeling again).

But for that, you can of course have a classic (mentioned by me and other in this thread):

Review and Measurements of Dynaco ST 70

This is a review and detailed measurements of the vintage Dynakit Dynaco Stereo 70. It is on kind loan from a member who bought it used online and repaired it. Previous owner hand upgraded it but could not get it working. Given that it is 60 years old, one can forgive the rust and dust...

audiosciencereview.com

That's why HiFi should be fun. Do not forget that parameter.

Those were today's relationship tips, enough with OT.

 

[Robbo99999]

He he,

Speaking of cozy tube sound, tube glow and ditto feel and what it can give. Scenario:

New new female acquaintance (if we assume stereotypes Hifi, gender roles for this scenario to work), after a nice evening. The evening ends with a little conversation (with opportunities for other things) on the sofa. Then tube glow when it comes to listening to music. Here it is important to have a fingertip feeling. To start waffling about the nice tube sound without initial curiosity from the woman is counterproductive. BUT if the woman happens to look at the Hifi system and seems to wonder what it is that is lit? Comment then: It is old technology, tube is the name that gives a softer, more embracing almost sensual sound (how much talk about it, the fingertip feeling again).

But for that, you can of course have a classic (mentioned by me and change in this thread):

Review and Measurements of Dynaco ST 70

This is a review and detailed measurements of the vintage Dynakit Dynaco Stereo 70. It is on kind loan from a member who bought it used online and repaired it. Previous owner hand upgraded it but could not get it working. Given that it is 60 years old, one can forgive the rust and dust...

audiosciencereview.com

C'mon man, you don't need a tube amp to pull woman....it's just your placebo man!

 

[Martin]

Are those homebrew PP 300B amps?

They are hand-built amplifiers made by a guy in his apartment in China. He even winds his own transformers. I found him on eBay. They are built like tanks and sound utterly fantastic.

Martin