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Cary 805, Cray 221 or Pathos Heritage.

astolfo

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I can’t audition the amplifiers so I narrowed down to
Cary 211fe
Cary 805re
Pathos Heritage.
I currently have a Primaluna 300i, Tannoy Kensington, Manley labs Steelhead phono stage, and a couple of turntables.
I want to keep the tubes but I have heard good things about the Pathos.
It would be immensely helpful to get some feedback especially between the 2 Cray
Thank you
 
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anmpr1

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It would be immensely helpful to get some feedback especially between the 2 Cray
I haven't followed the scene much in recent years, but rankings still seem to turn on whatever particular metrics and specific applications are involved. Historically (i.e. when Seymour was running the show) Cray was everyone's go to outfit, especially with all the corporate bureaucracy at places like Control Data--nothing could get done quickly.

A quick search shows they are still in the top 10 or 12, with a couple of models, but have generally been overtaken by IBM, Fujitsu, and some Chinese companies.

I think if you had a large enough room, and didn't mind the electric bill, a used one might be the way to go. Practically speaking? Not sure you need that kind of beef for most consumer tasks, and even mining coins is probably better done with cheaper GPU arrays. But as a high-end hobbyist, knowing how some of us like to push it over the cliff, I'd say go for it! :facepalm:
 
OP
A

astolfo

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I haven't followed the scene much in recent years, but rankings still seem to turn on whatever particular metrics and specific applications are involved. Historically (i.e. when Seymour was running the show) Cray was everyone's go to outfit, especially with all the corporate bureaucracy at places like Control Data--nothing could get done quickly.

A quick search shows they are still in the top 10 or 12, with a couple of models, but have generally been overtaken by IBM, Fujitsu, and some Chinese companies.

I think if you had a large enough room, and didn't mind the electric bill, a used one might be the way to go. Practically speaking? Not sure you need that kind of beef for most consumer tasks, and even mining coins is probably better done with cheaper GPU arrays. But as a high-end hobbyist, knowing how some of us like to push it over the cliff, I'd say go for it! :facepalm:
Cary audio LOL not Cray compute.
 
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OP
A

astolfo

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www.caryaudio.com
Interesting that the only responses are of no value and making fun of one of the USA most legendary and consequential audio USA manufacturers?
 

anmpr1

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Interesting that the only responses are of no value and making fun of one of the USA most legendary and consequential audio USA manufacturers?
I must disabuse you of your idea that humor has no value. Now, you could say that my attempt at humor was not done well, and that might be true. But playing off your misspelling of the company's name (in your original question) offered at least an opportunity to lighten things up around here, and give folks a smile.

However, on a serious note, and in keeping with my responses, in the realm of contemporary and cutting edge hi-fi, Cary Audio is the UNIVAC of brands. Using obsolete tech to solve an engineering problem that was figured out, a long time ago.

Is the company legendary? Some might say they are a legend in their own mind. And, if I was to list the most consequential US manufacturers, present and historical, Cary wouldn't show up until I ran out of fingers and toes. And that's no joke.

Finally, if you are serious about spending serious money on something like Cary, why not find a dealer that will loan them to you so you can make the choice yourself? However, if you want to ask someone's advice, John Atkinson, a man who goes out of his way to find the positive spin on this sort of stuff, writes of the 805 amp:

The measured performance of Cary Audio's CAD-805RS was pretty much what I'd expected from a tube design using a single-ended triode as its output stage...

So if 'pretty much what you'd expect' from an amp with some tubes sticking out of the top of it is pretty much what you are looking for, then you are going to be pretty much satisfied, I'd imagine.
 
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