Carver RAM285

[Radtraveller]

1) I don't listen to electronic equipment. I listen to music. If I can detect the electronics during playback, something is very, very wrong.

2) All electronic and mechanical items undergo tests to verify whether they meet standards BEFORE they are put into service. This includes backhoes, airplanes, electric shavers and water pumps. Amplifiers are no different. If an amp is tested and works acceptably well, then refer to #1 (above).

3) If you tried to pet a dog yesterday and it bit you, are you going to try to pet it today? In January of 2022, this Carver tube amp was tested. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/carver-crimson-275-review-tube-amp.29971/

It was a dog that left a bad taste in members' mouths here. This amp might be a totally different animal, but it's going to have to prove itself first. Until it does ..... we remember the first dog.

4) You said ....


..... and you are absolutely correct! Totally correct! What you should be able to hear is the music, the whole music and nothing but the music. Please refer to #1 (above) again.

5) Some of the people who defended the Crimson 275 had financial interests in it, either directly or indirectly. Do you have any financial interests in this amp, or are you in any way invested in it ?

Jim

Nope, no beneficial financial interests in it… except maybe seeing prices come down… .
I own a bunch of Carver equipment.. for sure.. (and will probably have more sometime in the future before I die)
Silver Seven 900 mono blocks
BlackMagic 25 (x2)
Pair of Silver 7t
many tfm, m1.x, A760x, 490t, 360 cd, Carver Receiver (1985 and still going strong) and more…. Magnepan and Tekton speakers. Not the most expensive stuff out there, but damn, it all SOUNDS good, especially for the outlay.

 

[Radtraveller]

I'd love to actually hear one -- can you please let me know how to do so without the sound being affected by the speakers and room?

But I get your point -- go for stuff you know really isn't good/ accurate, but makes you FEEL good. I guess this is one way to try and accomplish that if the source, speakers and room all combine with the amp to give you that. Versus striving for something neutral, and then using equalization, etc. to adjust the sound to your preference. For me personally, it seems like a fairly expensive way to approach inaccurate sound.

Listen to it in your own room.. sheesh, how hard is that to understand?
Go for the stuff you know measures really well, but makes it sound like you are listening to music in a tin can.. I guess that is one way to spend your money.. and don’t forget your $5000 6 inch usb cable that “measures” best.. have at it.

 

[restorer-john]

Any talk of Carver seems to bring them out of the woodwork it seems...

 

[Deleted member 21219]

Nope, no beneficial financial interests in it

Thank you.

Jim

 

[DonH56]

Measurements vs taste, or experiential vs theoretical ….
Another analogy is Communism vs Capitalism.. Communism may look good on paper, but I sure as heck will never “buy in” to if, regardless of how political or ”social” scientists measure” things.

Worst analogy ever.

 

[Chrispy]

Measurements vs taste, or experiential vs theoretical ….
Another analogy is Communism vs Capitalism.. Communism may look good on paper, but I sure as heck will never “buy in” to if, regardless of how political or ”social” scientists measure” things.

You just like poor analogies it seems.

OTOH it's all your fault I just polished off a nice grilled cheese sandwich (cheddar, jack, mozz) with tomato and bacon

 

[Steven Holt]

Worst analogy ever.

The poor soul does not know the difference between an analogy and a comparison. And I don't think much of Carver, a friend of mine had one and it put out too much heat for my taste. Suppose it would be fine in the Winter, tho...

 

[Moderate Dionysianism]

Bacon “measures” as ”bad”

Communism may look good on paper

lmao you're on a roll. Now do one about cars! Or soy latte!

 

[Gringoaudio1]

Listen to it in your own room.. sheesh, how hard is that to understand?
Go for the stuff you know measures really well, but makes it sound like you are listening to music in a tin can.. I guess that is one way to spend your money.. and don’t forget your $5000 6 inch usb cable that “measures” best.. have at it.

No one here believes any usb cable measures or sounds different from another. Dumb strawman argument to use here. No one here would defend any usb cable. Nothing electronic that measures well will make music sound like it comes from a tin can. Period. Go back to subjective fairyland.

 

[Mart68]

Subjective Fairyland - where roaming gangs of Trotskyites are no longer a big problem

Pictured yesterday:

 

[fpitas]

Any talk of Carver seems to bring them out of the woodwork it seems...

What brought me out of the woodwork was examples like this:

Carver Raven 350 Review (Tube Amp)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Carver Raven 350 tube monoblock amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and (I think) costs US $4,750. The 350 is not a bad looking amp. It has the same "orange peel" paint job of the previous Carver 275 amplifier I reviewed. At 42 pounds...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Carver Crimson 275 Review (Tube Amp)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Carver Crimson 275 tube stereo power amplifier. It was purchased new by member @paulbottlehead and given to me for testing. It costs US $2750. I really like the way the amplifier looks. The burgundy color is attractive as is the handle. On the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[BDWoody]

.. I guess that is one way to spend your money.. and don’t forget your $5000 6 inch usb cable that “measures” best.. have at it.

Huh...

If you're going to try to troll us, at least come up with an insult that makes sense.

See if you can find a clue during your time-out.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Damn you @BDWoody . Now I'm not going to get that car analogy..

 

[fpitas]

Damn you @BDWoody . Now I'm not going to get that car analogy..

Don't worry, it's like whac-a-mole. There will be another one right along to take us on a whirlwind tour of woo-woo world

 

[Chrispy]

Damn you @BDWoody . Now I'm not going to get that car analogy..

From the Carver M-1.5t thread he provided this one to tide you over

"So a 42 year old amp was measured… and the owner stated they changed the tires and the gas filter..
Seriously, this is like measuring the “performance” of a 1988 Z-28 with 250,000 miles that was sitting in the barn for 20 years, had new tires put on, a new gas filter, maybe an oil change (we don’t really know), with work done, or not done, by someone with no known qualifications to even work on cars, then detailed up to ”look pretty”.
Then was put on some machines to “measure” how well it was running…"

 

[MaxBuck]

Shipping soon!
From : https://thecarversite.com/topic/263...ctor-of-operations-jim-clark/page/2/#comments

It's a good day for a good day.. 285s start shipping next week. In on Monday out before Friday.

• This has a good chance of being the quietest tube amp available. It will be fun when they get out in the field.
• The guys with the 'measures best, so it sounds the best' mentality are already pigeon-holed to solid state only, but as far as tube amps go, this should set the standards for it's class.
• 
  Both objectively and subjectively as Hugh Dean said when he simulated it as a consultant to confirm our simulations.
• Hugh confirmed the RAM 285 as good as we thought it was.. The reaction from Manufacturing Engineering was "Wow, Bob did this without simulation, using a calculator!
• Just about every tube amp starts to have some roll-off below 60Hz or so. This leads to the old assumption that tube amps are less desirable for bass frequencies. Not the 285. At full power frequency response is flat below 20Hz on a resistive load test at about .4% THD+N.
• Bob said he could take THD+N down to solid state levels, "but it would add complexity and have no sonic value."
• Most tube amp manufacturers spec FR at 1W.. The ASR test is at 5W.. Ram 285 is w/n minus 1-2 db at full power. The minus is at 20KHz
• It's a legacy product as intended

I can scarcely contain my f#(king enthusiasm.

 

[searay_89]

No indication of coo on this page at least https://www.bobcarvercorp.com/ram-285

Made in China

 

[fpitas]

Made in China

That might be the case. Of course, it's not really an excuse. Some of the best measuring electronics is from China.

 

[egellings]

A mere.

Get a couple for the kids! I think that a tube amp tends to be more of a pet than an amplifier. Disclosure: I have home brewed circlotron-style mono-block tube power amps in my setup, along with a home-brewed tube preamp. I have a sort of a "My little Fi-fi" attitude toward them. I stand convicted.

 

[fpitas]

Get a couple for the kids! I think that a tube amp tends to be more of a pet than an amplifier. Disclosure: I have home brewed circlotron-style mono-block tube power amps in my setup, along with a home-brewed tube preamp. I have a sort of a "My little Fi-fi" attitude toward them. I stand convicted.

Tubes are fun to play with.