[RussKon]

it just keeps getting better and better....

now with about 250 hours on my ZR1000 the sound is truly incredible!!!

i used to be a music educator and it was always gratifying to see the students make progress... this amp seems to be doing the same thing....

i am having a great time "rediscovering" my music collection... as well as hearing details in dvd soundtracks that i never heard before....

many hours spent in front of my klipsch KLF-30's and no ear fatigue at all.... just hating the fact that i have to go to bed because i have to work tomorrow morning....

as a side note... the KLF-30's from klipsch use two 12" woofers, a mid-range horn, and a tweeter horn.... these speakers do not respond well to all amplifiers..... every other ss amp that i have tried worked "ok"..but made it hard to listen to at any louder levels or any longer period of time.... (ear fatigue).... my dynaco tube amp sounded great...but it ran very hot.... and started having tube issues in less than 6 months of purchasing it..... it also would not play really loud.... (when the occassion demanded)....

after more than 250 hours... the carver ZR1000 is still the best investment i ever made in my sound system....

i also want to thank the people on this forum who first introduced this amplifier to me.... i basically purchased this amp on the recommendations of posters on this forum..... thank you all very much!!!!

the future is definitely in digital amplifiers!!!!

[SWG255]

Greetings:

I plan to provide a full post later in the Critics Circle, but i wanted to pop in here and say that I hooked up my Carver Pro ZR 1600 freshly back from being modified at Eighth Nerve by Nathan Loyer.

Here are my initial impressions "right out of the box":

1.  The fan is dead quiet. Nathan, is there a fan inside this amp?
2.  The top end brightness is virtually gone. The amp is still exciting, with lots of detail, shimmer and fast, fast transients throughout the spectrum, but i wouldn't characterize it's sound as bright as it was before.

3.  The reduced brightness seems to warm up the amp's presentation throughout the midrange and mid-bass.

4.  I believe the stereo image is even more 3-D and wider than before.

5.  The amp seems to have more mid-bass punch than before the mod. Whether this is due to the reduced amount of extreme treble output, or due to the better bass characteristics of the new mod, I can't say.

I'd have to say that after about two hours of listening the mod is a big improvement and I hear no detrimental effects from it.

Nathan did a great job with the WBT binding posts on the rear of the amp and setting up the RCA inputs too. i had mine setup to accomodate future bridged operation, so it's all set with a mono RCA input and the center two speaker binding posts will be ready for bridged mono operation once some internal dip switches are set.

Next up will be my RM40s on order from BC and my Audience conductor cable.

Man, it's times like this when this hobby and listening to fine music is a real blast!

[Cens]

I'm in the slow (process) of having my ZR1600 modified by a local fellow whom I've dealt with before and trust.  We just went over the changes I want last night based on what he thinks is possible.  I'm going to have RCA input jacks, 5-way speaker posts, new fan, and a tube input buffer added.  The input stage will be wired as directly to the tripath as possible, bypassing as much if not all of the pro settings.  Should be interesting, but the wait could be long.  The person doing the job will be doing it on the side and it could take a month or so.  If I'm really pleased with the result, I might then think about capacitor/resistor upgrades, etc.

Regards,

Chris

[8thnerve]

I am pleased that you are happy with the mod.  I wanted to add/clarify a few things.  There is indeed a fan in there, it is the quietest 60mm fan commercially available, and you'll notice even after extended use, the top of the amp should be barely more than cool.

All of the mods will include the Mono RCA jack and be configured to operate in mono/bridged mode with a simple IDC connector swap.  Inside the unit are two terminated IDCs to connect to the main board.  To switch to mono operation, pop off the top and pull out the stereo IDC and insert the mono IDC.  Put the top back on and that is it.  This maintans a pure signal path to the main board without any switches, jumpers, etc.

Remember, the unit will still break-in.  The new cabling and parts will take some time to sound their best.

Best Regards,

Nathan

[SWG255]

Nathan,

I've posted a "formal review" of my Eighth nerve modified ZR 1600 on the Critics Circle. This was based on three hours of listening to the amp last night. I'll add further comments as it breaks in.

BTW, I was finally able to hear the fan at a distance of less than 18 inches from the amp, after my daughter turned off her PC in the adjacent office. It sure is quiet! The amp indeed runs only slightly warm after being on all night.

Again, a very fine job.
 

I am pleased that you are happy with the mod.  I wanted to add/clarify a few things.  There is indeed a fan in there, it is the quietest 60mm fan commercially available, and you'll notice even after extended use, the top of the amp should be barely more than cool.

All of the mods will include the Mono RCA jack and be configured to operate in mono/bridged mode with a simple IDC connector swap.  Inside the unit are two terminated IDCs to connect to the main board.  To switch to mono operation, pop off the  ...

1

[RussKon]

okay...

almost 2 months on the stock ZR1000.....

it just keeps getting better!!!

right now i am listening to  a DAT recording of a compilation of different jazz tracks that i made over 15 years ago.....

i am hearing sounds that i have never heard before....

(sorry if this sounds like a broken record - but the detail is amazing)

i think it did help that i upgraded my pre/processor....i am using a new pioneer elite vsx-55txi receiver for my preamp..... (this was the best preamp section that i could find for under $1500...besides, i use one pair of internal amps for sound in a second room)

this combination has a super low noise floor and an overall spectacular sound!!!!

now i know why carver pro is sold out of the ZR series amps until mid-january!!!!!
 

[SWG255]

It was interesting to see the reaction of a couple old friends who hadn't heard my system in over six months when they came over last weekend It was the first time they heard my system with the Carver Pro ZR 1600. Nothing else in the system was changed since they heard it last. Both stated that they couldn't believe the difference! One friend stated that he came believing that he'd hear no difference at all and was just floored by the far better detail, transient response, imaging and ease of handling dynamics. Note that these are old friends who take every chance to "snap" on my equipment and the money I spend on it.

Tomorrow the real test begins as my RM40s arrive. I guess I'll be putting the amp's sound to the sternest test I know, new, far more revealing speakers.

[RussKon]

digital amplification...resistance is futile...you will be assimilated...


and you will enjoy it!!!!!

 

[Dmason]

In my experience, the ZR universe unfolds over a period of six months, left on full time, meaning it is switching full time even without an input signal. If this sound is The Borg, then this black mambo is the queen. Nominated Most Aesthetically Dangerous Amplifier  

[BeeBop]

I am pleased that you are happy with the mod.

Nathan do you provide service to Canada? If so, can you PM me with your prices and current availability for a modded ZR1000?

Much obliged

[SWG255]

Well, after a nerve-wracking day waiting for the RM40s to arrive, they're finally here, setup and singing. My initial reactions to the speakers are that they are fabulous, even right out of their boxes. So, have i learned anything different about my Carver Pro ZR 1600?

Well, maybe. The sound is still very detailed, dynamic and the stereo image is even more focused on the RM40s than my old Synthesis LM-300 speakers. The top end is also now showing up as more detailed, and on most recordings, it sounds as good or better than on my old speakers. However, on some older or some relly "hot" pop recordings, the top end can be less than euphonic. I wouldn't say it's fatiguing, even with old Who CDs, but it does seem to really show up warts. I'll have to listen for some time to the new speakers before i can comment on whether they are revealing any "grain" in the ZR 1600's high-frequencies.

I am sure that the amplifier BEFORE the 8th nerve modifications would've been too bright for the RM40s in my system and too my ears.

[RussKon]

The sound is still very detailed, dynamic and the stereo image is even more focused on the RM40s than my old Synthesis LM-300 speakers. The top end is also now showing up as more detailed, and on most recordings, it sounds as  ...

i use my ZR1000 (unmodified) with klipsch KLF-30's....these speakers use 2 12" woofers, a mid-range horn, and a tweeter horn.... they are extremely unforgiving when it comes to amplification and maybe even more concerning source material.... an old rock cd from the 80's that sounds ok in the car can really sound terrible in my living room.....

the real defining factor that sets the ZR1000 apart from all the other amps that i have tried is the fact that i can listen all night at higher volumes and no fatigue at all!!!!

now...if the source material is bad....i can't listen to a minute of it... at least with this system.....

this Carver Pro and Klipsch combination provide an extreme amount of detail.... almost like it is removing blankets that have been hung in front of the speakers.... i feel that i keep getting closer to what actually was recorded in the studio or on stage.....

and it keeps getting better everyday!!!!

 

[Vic]

Has anybody compaired the ZR to other switching amps such as the PS Audio, Bel Canto, Spectron, etc?

[RussKon]

i keep getting impressed by my carver zr1000....

i am hearing more and more detail from this amplifier....

it really shines with great source material....

just picked up a maynard ferguson sacd - one more trip to birdland....
i could almost swear that i was in the front row center at one of his concerts!!!

this amp is still the best audio purchase that i have made in the last 5 years.....

[SWG255]

My 8th Nerve modified ZR-1600 still sounds awfully good through my VMPS RM-40 speakers. It doesn't make the speakers sound as warm and relaxed as the Pass Labs X.350 amps i heard through them at the dealer's house, but the inner-detail and dynamic range is breathtaking, and on good source material there's no listener fatigue. I'm going to have my Sony SCD-1 modified before passing final judgement on whether the ZR-1600 is just a tad too bright for the ribbon speakers. Since all my critical listening is through the CD player, I can't be sure the slight top-end glare (and sometimes grit) isn't in some part being contributed by the SCD-1.

Even if the amp is to blame for some of this coloration, it is less bright and fatiguing than my old Threshold 4000 amplifier driving the same speakers. In addition, the Threshold amp is much less detailed and dynamic, and at the time I bought it (23 years ago!) it was one of the most dynamic amps around, only bettered by very expensive amps like the Conrad-Johnson Premeire One.

I still maintain that an Eighth Nerve modified Carver ZR amp is one of the best values in audio today!

i keep getting impressed by my carver zr1000....

i am hearing more and more detail from this amplifier....

it really shines with great source material....

just picked up a maynard ferguson sacd - one more trip to birdland....
i could almost swear that i was in the front row center at one of his concerts!!!

this amp is still the best audio purchase that i have made in the last 5 years.....