Should I upgrade from my CARVER C500?

Hoots · « **on:** 12 Jul 2003, 05:46 pm »

I'm using my old Carver C500 I purchased in the early 80's. It's the 38lb 250w/ch big transformer based iron giant with monster heat fins. I think this was a transition product from Phase Linear to Carver while the CUBE was being readied for market.

I bought my amp from the Carver rep and it's serial 00010. These are pretty rare and seem to have strong resell value but I'm not sure if that's a function of it's quality or supply.

Do you think a modern $1k or so 2-channel amp is notably better? How do you think the C500 compares to the more common m1.0 or m1.5?

I'll be doing some testing but I'd be interested in any other observations.

Chops · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Jul 2003, 04:15 pm »

Yes, I would say it is a transition product from Phase Linear to Carver. However, I do not think it could compair to new $1000+ amps, but you never know.

I'm using one of those "CUBE" amps for my dipole subs, the M-400t, and it works just fine for that. I don't think I would want to use it for my main channels anymore though. For those duties, I have a Carver TFM-35x.

mgalusha · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Jul 2003, 05:52 pm »

I have it's twin (looks wise anyhow), the C-4000.

I don't know how the C-500 would compare with some of the newer gear. I did have a chance to compare one of the M-500t amps to an Odyssey Stratos and from what I remember the Carver seemed much less dynamic and less powerful, despite being rated 100WPC greater. It also didn't have very good imaging but the bass was quite good. I used it to power a sub for a while.

I wouldn't be surprised if the C-500 didn't sound better than an M-400 or M-500 as some of the early switching power supplies were not real quiet. Not sure how it would stack up against some of the newer amps.

Mike

Hoots · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 Aug 2003, 03:38 am »

Yes the C500 has the same big metal look as the C4000 and was it's mate.

I have it and a Dynaco St-70. For a preamp I just finished dumping $100 of new caps into a early 1960's Scott 355 pre/amp & tuner. Way cool antique with nice phono stage.

I'm not sure what my next amp upgrade will be. It will be fun to compare the Dynaco to the Carver with the tube pre-amp. They certainly are totally different.

I thought of bi-amping them: Carver SS for bass, Dynaco tubes for the rest. I probably should just sell both but then do I go with low power tubes like a Cary Rocket 88 or big power SS like the Odyssey?

I'll play with both for a while. Maybe I'll just add an SVS PC+ to the Carver for a HT Sub.

I

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 Aug 2003, 05:14 am »

My first "real" hifi rig was a Carver CM-1090 integrated amp; I kinda wish I still had it, for sentimental sake and for use in my bedroom rig. I remember it as sounding pretty good, but that could be rose colored glasses.

I actually do still have a couple of the last Carver amps, the a400x's. I briefly had one of 'em hooked up to my Hsu subs to compare to the 500 W Hsu amp. I felt the Carver was ballsier and more powerful with a cleaner more muscular sound; however, the versatility of the Hsu amp won out (has a volume knob, eq'd specifically for the Hsu subs, has X-over and infrasonic filter, etc).

As a kid I lusted after an M 1.0t for years...never did manage to get one. I worked several summers but always blew too much to buy one!

To this day, I still look at them on ebay and tell myself my present gear is much better. Still I want one!

BTW, Mike, what do you use that C-4000 for? Is it hooked up? Man I wanted one of those SO bad, too, back in the day...

Hoots · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Aug 2003, 04:30 pm »

I swapped by Carver for my Dynaco ST-70 w/new caps and the Scott 355/ST-70 all tube combo seems better than the 355/carver combo. The Carver seemed to have a more piercing treble during power/sound spikes in female voices and piano. Nora Jones SACD track 1 especially...."LEFT my..."

The Scott and ST-70 have all new audiograde caps in the signal path and the combo seems to work well with 1977 Cornwalls....especially with my Music Hall MMF-5 tt. I think I need a better CD front-end.

Maybe I'll deploy the Carver with an SVS PC-Plus as sub amp....

mgalusha · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Aug 2003, 07:48 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

BTW, Mike, what do you use that C-4000 for? Is it hooked up? Man I wanted one of those SO bad, too, back in the day...

In the picture it's sitting on a shelf above the dryer in our basement... It's still sitting there.

I've had it forever and have thought about selling it but there is a sentimental value associated with it. It was used daily from about 1981 or 1982 until about 5 years ago when the HT bug bit me and 2 channel wasn't good enough any more... the lure of the dark side.

Some of the Carver stuff had reliability problems but this one always just worked. Gotta take that back, the power switch contacts eventually wore out! I ended up using another pair of contacts on the switch and put a relay in. The switch only runs the relay now and has been trouble free for about 10 years.

Mike