What is your take on the new Carver tube amps

[taters]

They are getting great reviews. Has anyone heard them? How is the build quality?

 

[LL21]

+1. Curious.

 

[treitz3]

Which ones? I have heard just about every tubed pre-amplifier and amplifier that Carver ever produced [along with many that never hit production].

Tom

 

[prerich]

They are getting great reviews. Has anyone heard them? How is the build quality?

The new Black Beauty and the Cherry are terrific tube amps. I had the pleasure of hearing them at Axpona 2012 last year. Build quality is magnificent! These are another level for Bob, this stuff truly comes from his heart. (You should have seen him sweating trying to voice his Amazing Line Array, I walked right past him - thinking it was him but he looked so tired so I didn't stop him).

 

[Andre Marc]

They are getting great reviews. Has anyone heard them? How is the build quality?

Phenomenal amps. Check out my review in Tone Audio Issue 53.

http://www.tonepublications.com/MAGPDF/TA_053.pdf

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Here ya go...

Link to Cherry 180 Review

 

[taters]

Which ones? I have heard just about every tubed pre-amplifier and amplifier that Carver ever produced [along with many that never hit production].

Tom

His latest ones. I think one is 200 watts per channel and the other one is 300 watts. They are both monoblocks.

 

[Purity Audio Design 1]

We have done several shows with Carver's new amps and very happy on all accounts. We just finished Axpona in Chicago where the Black Beauties were used to drive the King Sound stats with our Reference preamp feeding the Carvers. EnjoyTheMusic gave them best sound (first day).
We have done Axpona, CES and Capital Audio Fest with Carver Black Beauties with King Sound, Daedalus and Carver's Amazing Line Arrays.
We even have a pair in one of our facilities. Great amps and great people.

 

[treitz3]

His latest ones. I think one is 200 watts per channel and the other one is 300 watts. They are both monoblocks.

Ah, the Black Beauties and the Cherry 180's. I have heard both with the stock tubes and upgraded tubes and they both exhibit a wonderful sonic signature. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that didn't absolutely enjoy them both. While not the same exact design, Bob had mentioned that they are basically a more affordable version of the highly regarded Silver Sevens. While I don't read reviews very often, as I tend to trust my ears over reviews, what little I have read has been positive. In this case, with both the Black Beauties and the Cherry 180's, you can trust the reviews. They both respond well to tube rolling and if I'm not mistaken, one or both of them can use a certain type of tube [can't recall which one] that will increase the wattage without harming the xnsfrmrs or amps themselves.

Tom