Amp is sold.
Thanks,
Jim
Finally, it's come time to sell this wonderful amp once and for all. I love the amp but have several others and just need to clean out the excess (and my wife really doesn't want tubes and the Big Cornwalls in the living room anymore.)
First of all, this amp is no longer being produced, and secondly, this was a special edition and a one of a kind from the chassis and finish to the inputs and coupling caps, plus a few of the Vaughn Audio standard upgrades.
The amp will come with two pairs of Reflektor 6N14P-ER that have been cryoed and matched. These are simply amazing tubes in this amp, so no need to spend any more than this for best sonics. 1 pair is absolutely NOS, the other has maybe 20 hours on it, tops. Also included is a "select" grade Genalex e88cc from Jim McShane, and a TAD GZ-34 STR (again, these tubes are superb in this amp and this represents the best sonic combination I've ever found -- which includes loads of NOS and current production tubes at all price points.
The chassis is type 304 stainless (not aluminum as is the stock amp) and has a hand-rubbed automotive finish in a nice warm red color (hi-res pics are available. -- just send me an email (not PM). Only negative at all about this amp is that this paint got some scratches in it after a little UPS shipping mishap, but it is not easily visible with tubes in the amp and you'd have to look at the top of the amp to see them. No other damage from this incident and the amp has been playing for hundreds of hours since without a hitch.
Internal upgrades include ERS cloth on signal wires, 2 large Bybees on the AC line, and Mundorf Silver/Gold/Oil coupling caps which replaced the original v-cap teflons and provided a very nice, musical upgrade.
There is also a custom burl maple knob with brass indicator dot, Eichmann copper binding posts, and a custom input switching arrangement meant for two sources with an auxilliary "send" fr a headphone amp (not volume controlled.) Everything else is as the stock Carina comes.
The amp is marvelous from both an audiophile and music lovers perspective -- very smooth, great imaging and soundstage, very extended on both ends of the spectrum, very nicely balanced, and with dynamics and bass slam far more than one would expect from a SE EL84 amp, and even easily bclobbered the bass -- both in terms of musicality and depth, weight, musicality over the Ampino SS amp. This is one of those extremely rare amps that will satisfy both the audiophile and the music lover equally.
The ammp was also recently given a complete inspection by Jack Elliano of electra-print transformer fame, and who also made all the iron for this amp. He gave it a clean bill of health and rally enjoyed listening to it when he had it.
I've got over $2500 in this amp and will sacrifice for $1200, which will include shipping in lower 48, insurance, and no paypal fee if you choose to pay that way.
Only caveat is that I can't ship until next week (9/20) as my wife is out of town until then and I have no way to get it to fedex.
Pictures on request -- send email, not PM for those.
Thanks for looking,
Jim
