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I would go with this preamp, Its a Carver C-4000, it looks smart and classic old school. It is available here, last one in the list, https://soundsclassic.com/preamps.html Next one after that would possibly be either a c-1, c-11 or c-16 Tuners as suggested by @Sk1Bum

Pre amp: Carver 4000t, C-1, C-11 The 4000t is big, double height of the C-1 or C-11. All can be modified to play evenly with pre's that cost thousands more. The C-1 can have a champagne or anthracite faceplate, and the C-11 has a black faceplate. There are other differences in the C-1/C-11, but one of the techs would have to chime in to explain them. I think gain has been reduced a bit in the C-11. Tuner: TX-11a, TX-11b Both tuners are excellent, with the obvious difference the 11a has the anthracite faceplate, and the 11b has a black faceplate. The 11b has some improvements over the 11a, but again one of the techs will have to explain them.

It’s nothing that I want. I just wanted to see the connections. It is a unit I would not buy. Thanks for your close inspection. I appreciate your input. In the end I just want to have a solid stereo carver setup. What would you suggest for a separate Carver tuner and Carver preamplifier if I were to go that route?

take a very close look and I mean a very close look at the RCA connection points for the tape input and output and for the pre outs for the front. For me they look broken as the outer shell is missing.

Welcome!!!!

These are pictures from eBay. The person selling it listed it as a CT-23 for sale. Thanks for the heads up on that. I zoomed in and see that the model number on the back

The Everly Brothers Problems (1958)

Mitch Miller March (From The River Kwai) 1958

The Playmates Beep Beep (1958)

Jimmie Rodgers Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (1958)

Are the pictures that you posted are they of the unit you are thinking of purchasing?

They are different because what is shown is a CT-26v. What I show is a picture that represents the model you mentioned in your post, a CT-23.

Not sure why my pics are different than yours

For me this is another gem. The band is called "Red Clay Ramblers", I'd call them Blue Grass. This comes from an album titled "Twisted Laurel". The album has been paired on a single CD with their other album titled "Merchants Lunch".

My daily dose. The Rippingtons, Moonlighting (album)

April Smith and The Great Picture Show - You might remember this tune from a 2012 Lowes Commercial. AllMusic calls it Pop/Rock and to me it has a burlesque and vaudeville feel. The whole album "Songs For A Sinking Ship" is wonderful! april smith colors youtube - Google Search

I didn’t see that in the pic I had. Thank you

Many of us use paint.net. It's available here: https://paint.net/ It's very useful freeware, and it's pretty simple to use. It's also available as a windows app at the Microsoft story too. To resize a photo, click on Image on the menu bar, and then click resize. Be sure to check the keep original ratio box, and then decide how much to reduce the photo. If you're using a Mac or a phone, I have no idea... I hope that helps.

Earl Grant The End (1958)

@Scott Andrew On the back of the 23 you use the audio out to go to the input of the amp.

https://thecarversite.com/manuals/mandir/Carver CT-23 Preamp Owners Manual.pdf https://thecarversite.com/manuals/mandir/Carver CT-23 Preamp Schematics.pdf

This is great advice. I see that I can buy 1/4” to RCA cables so that won’t be a problem. I was looking at the back of the CT-23. I don’t see where the output connections are from the preamp to the amplifier. What am I missing? Plus I can’t find a CT-23 free manual on line. Any suggestions?

Welcome..., Unfortunately, if you are looking for a Pre-amp Tuner that "matches" the PM-420 "look", you won't find one... The PM-420 came out of Phoenix Audio, the group that bought the rights to produce a line of Pro-amps with the Carver brand name on them, after Carver Corp closed it's doors. The PM-420 is a great amp, and some here really like it - so no disrespect there - it's just that Phoenix Audio changed the faceplate look enough that it doesn't match precisely any of the older Carver Corp preaamp-tuners. As long as you know that - the CT-23, IMHO, is one of the best..., it doesn't try to be an AV-receiver wanna-be like the CT-15, 27, 28, and other models that are positioned as AV receivers..., why is that important - it may not be..., but none of those AV receivers can hold a candle to a modern AV receiver that supports ARC and HDMI, and modern AV requirements..., they just came out back when Video was primarily connected by the yellow RCA-like "composite" configuration - that no one uses - or Sony's proprietary S-video, that is all but obsoleted by HDMI. For 2-channel, the can suffice, but a nice entry level Marantz AV receiver will blow them away... Of course, that's just my "opinion"..., but i have tried them all. I regret letting the CT-23 go (I had a mint unit, in the original box, all papers, etc... I sold to a collector). Beware that only a few of the aforementioned preamps have rack-compatibility..., the "rack handles" are positioned such that they don't align with standard rack units, like the PM-420 does. You'll want to get a "rack shelf" so it just "sets" on a shelf in your rack - assuming you are looking at a "pro rack" where the faceplate bolts onto the left and right rack posts... Welcome! And enjoy the journey! 😉

Amazon Prime gets you free popcorn and soft drinks at most major movie chains..., it's hard to find the link that describes the process for screenings in movie theaters, but I've had good luck. Some movies are also FREE - at same chains for prim membership.