Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

[GRBH]

Not sure how many people have seen the following:

Who owns Bob Carver Company in 2022? Whats going on?

Over the last several years I've been asked this question many times, as a dealer for Bob Carver. Over the last 2 years a company called Glass Audio built Bob Carver products under license, in California. Glass Audio closed at year end 2021. Bob was not a partner in Glass. Bob has started a new c...

thecarversite.com

 

[SIY]

Not sure how many people have seen the following:

Who owns Bob Carver Company in 2022? Whats going on?

Over the last several years I've been asked this question many times, as a dealer for Bob Carver. Over the last 2 years a company called Glass Audio built Bob Carver products under license, in California. Glass Audio closed at year end 2021. Bob was not a partner in Glass. Bob has started a new c...

thecarversite.com

Yes, this was posted earlier. So this took me from "this is incredibly immoral but don't blame Bob personally, it may be the doing of others who own the trademark" to "Bob himself has turned into a sleazy scammer."

 

[AudioTodd]

View attachment 184913
Of course this doesn't repair tubes but could prolong life when driven to well above 15W (playing music).
Bob actually has explained the bias circuit somewhere in his blabla stories about sound quality.

The whole 'repair' nonsense I have no idea where he gets it from. Maybe at one point he had tubes that didn't work well anymore in another amp but still worked in the 275 ? Dunno.

Could one of you knowledgable people explain what is so special about this bias arrangement? I'm no expert at all so I do not get the reason for the diodes and looking into "DC Restoration" circuits makes me thing they are inserted backwards.

 

[GRBH]

Yes, this was posted earlier. So this took me from "this is incredibly immoral but don't blame Bob personally, it may be the doing of others who own the trademark" to "Bob himself has turned into a sleazy scammer."

Based on your reply, I'm a bit puzzled on where you stand on this? According to the Carver dealer in the post, Glass Audio manufactured the amplifiers under license but Bob Carver had no say in the company. From some research I did a while back, Frank Malitz acquired all rights to the Bob Carver Corporation name.
I have quite a bit of vintage carver equipment, along with a pair of Black Beauty 305 tube monoblocks that I truly enjoy. The build quality is first rate. I do have an electronics background so I have a fair bit of knowledge to back up my opinion.
In my opinion, and to give Bob Carver a bit of slack, he discovered his reputation was being tarnished by a sub standard product being released under his name. His only recourse was to get his product back under his complete control.
Again, this is only my opinion.

 

[SIY]

Based on your reply, I'm a bit puzzled on where you stand on this?

I think I was pretty clear. I'm still stunned at the dealer's brazen dishonesty, but I guess that in a world of cable and magic rock peddlers, I shouldn't be surprised.

General question: Just curious, has anyone who tried to get a refund received it?

 

[JP]

In my opinion, and to give Bob Carver a bit of slack, he discovered his reputation was being tarnished by a sub standard product being released under his name. His only recourse was to get his product back under his complete control.

May want to read this: #1,055

There are other reasons to shuffle entities around. In this case who is going where may be telling.

 

[GRBH]

I think I was pretty clear. I'm still stunned at the dealer's brazen dishonesty, but I guess that in a world of cable and magic rock peddlers, I shouldn't be surprised.

General question: Just curious, has anyone who tried to get a refund received it?

Dealers dishonesty, but does that also go for Bob Carver?

 

[SIY]

Dealers dishonesty, but does that also go for Bob Carver?

Yes, when he jumped in here, he defended the fraud. He claimed, absolutely falsely, that the lack of safety ground didn't compromise safety (this goes well beyond unethical) and the use of grossly underrated (translation- cheaper) transformers was his intention (plain old unethical).

 

[solderdude]

Could one of you knowledgable people explain what is so special about this bias arrangement? I'm no expert at all so I do not get the reason for the diodes and looking into "DC Restoration" circuits makes me thing they are inserted backwards.

The amp is a push-pull design. The circuit is there to ensure the 'not active' tube draws less current than it would otherwise and thus load the transformer a bit better (lower current, lower DC difference, longer tube life and lower distortion).

 

[GRBH]

May want to read this: #1,055

There are other reasons to shuffle entities around. In this case who is going where may be telling.

Interesting, I never did see this. I'm quite surprised by his comments if that was truly Bob Carver replying? The vintage carver equpment I owned measured very well by Stereo Review. back in the early 80's. The 305 monoblocks have ample power to drive my Acoustat 2+2 electrostatics which are a fairly difficult load.

 

[Billy Budapest]

So we are now onto the *sixth* entity making the Carver Black Beauty/Cherry/Crimson amps?

1). Bob Carver making the amps and winding the output transformers himself and selling on eBay pre-2011;
2). Bob Carver and Bob Farinelli founding Bob Carver LLC and building the amps in Washington sometime in 2011, and carrying into 2013;
3). Emotiva buying Bob Carver LLC and building the amps in Tennessee, later in 2013;
4). Emotiva and Bob Carver splitting later again in 2013; Bob starting The Bob Carver Corp., although I am not sure where the amps were built;
5). Frank Malitz becoming involved with The Bob Carver Corp. in 2015; at some point, Glass Audio is started by Malitz with E.J. Sarmento/Wyrd4Sound to manufacture the amps in California; Malitz purchasing The Bob Carver Corp. in 2019; in late 2021/early 2022, Glass Audio is dissolved;
6). Bob Carver and his wife starting a new company to subcontract manufacturing of the amps to unannounced entities, with Jim Clark handling online sales.

I think I have it down, but the twists and turns are a little hard to follow between 3,4,5.

 

[GRBH]

Yes, when he jumped in here, he defended the fraud. He claimed, absolutely falsely, that the lack of safety ground didn't compromise safety (this goes well beyond unethical) and the use of grossly underrated (translation- cheaper) transformers was his intention (plain old unethical).

Just saw his reply for the first time. Truly surprised by this reply, if that was truly Bob Carver himself?
Conspiracy theories...?

 

[SIY]

Just saw his reply for the first time. Truly surprised by this reply, if that was truly Bob Carver himself?
Conspiracy theories...?

It surprised me as well. I had always had a high opinion of him, and the carnival barkers stuff was entertaining. I'm sadder and angrier than I would be at people whose entire careers were based on fraud rather than someone who did interesting, creative, and influential work.

 

[JP]

Conspiracy theories...?

Bob Carver’s Response To Forum Controversy – Carver Stereo Forum

 

[GRBH]

So we are now onto the *sixth* entity making the Carver Black Beauty/Cherry/Crimson amps?

1). Bob Carver making the amps and winding the output transformers himself and selling on eBay pre-2013;
2). Bob Carver and Bob Farinelli founding Bob Carver LLC and building the amps in Washington in 2013;
3). Emotiva buying Bob Carver LLC and building the amps in Tennessee;
4). Bob Carver starting The Bob Carver Company, although I am not sure where the amps were built;
5). Frank Malitz purchasing The Bob Carver Company and starting Glass Audio with E.J. Sarmento/Wyrd4Sound to manufacture the amps in California;
6). Bob Carver and his wife start a new company to subcontract manufacturing of the amps to unannounced entities, with Jim Clark handling online sales.

I think I have it down, but the twists and turns are a little hard to follow between 3,4,5

 

[GRBH]

I was at the third

 

[GRBH]

Actually the deal between Carver and Emotiva died on the vine.

 

[dfuller]

Yes, when he jumped in here, he defended the fraud. He claimed, absolutely falsely, that the lack of safety ground didn't compromise safety (this goes well beyond unethical) and the use of grossly underrated (translation- cheaper) transformers was his intention (plain old unethical).

I was admittedly pretty surprised to learn that a 2x75w amp was using a 3A mains fuse... Especially with tubes as heater current hungry as KT120s (1.7-1.95A heater current per tube!). That alone got me thinking someone was not being honest, measurements aside. For guitar amps, I generally expect to see 4-5A slow blow fuses for 100 watt heads, never mind 150. So I'm thinking that power transformer also can't keep up with the tubes, not just the output transformers.

The lack of safety ground is unforgivable, especially given the sheer voltage that this amp runs at and the metal chassis.

 

[GRBH]

I was admittedly pretty surprised to learn that a 2x75w amp was using a 3A mains fuse... Especially with tubes as heater current hungry as KT120s (1.7-1.95A heater current per tube!). That alone got me thinking someone was not being honest, measurements aside. For guitar amps, I generally expect to see 4-5A slow blow fuses for 100 watt heads, never mind 150. So I'm thinking that power transformer also can't keep up with the tubes, not just the output transformers.

The lack of safety ground is unforgivable, especially given the sheer voltage that this amp runs at and the metal chassis.

You can't just look at current, but need to look at voltage as well. It's the power that counts. Here is a simple calculation.

Not taking account the Reactive Load P=E x I = 120V x 3 amps = 360 Watts Input
Tube Heater Power = 4 x (6.3V x 1.95 amps) = 50 Watts
360 Watts - 50 Watts = 310 Watts theoretical max for audio power. Assume worst case 50% efficiency = 155 watts for 2 channels, 77.5 each.
This is only for rough demonstration purposes only. Just to show 120 volt 3 amp input should be capable to handle a 75 watt/channel amp.

 

[GRBH]

You can't just look at current, but need to look at voltage as well. It's the power that counts. Here is a simple calculation.

Not taking account the Reactive Load P=E x I = 120V x 3 amps = 360 Watts Input
Tube Heater Power = 4 x (6.3V x 1.95 amps) = 50 Watts
360 Watts - 50 Watts = 310 Watts theoretical max for audio power. Assume worst case 50% efficiency = 155 watts for 2 channels, 77.5 each.
This is only for rough demonstration purposes only. Just to show 120 volt 3 amp input should be capable to handle a 75 watt/channel amp.

On another point on the grounding. Although not entirely safe. As a 3 prong IEC cord and connector was used, the connection was properly polarized, whereby the neutral side of the line was connected to the chassis. As the neutral side of the line is bonded to ground at the panel entrance, a path to ground is available. This itself will lessen the shock hazard. The ground connection was added as additional safety.