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Good morning! I just found this forum and am glad to join. I have been building a higher end room and system now for going on 25 years, and doing it on a budget. While I have committed the cardinal sin of combining 2 channel audio with home theater, I am very happy with how it is turning out. Here is a brief overview of my system: Sources include a Outlaw Audio 990 preamp, Oppo DVD/CD player, and a Denon turntable Output side gets complicated: Linkwitz designed 3 way active crossover feeding two Adcom GFA 545 and one Carver M500 amps into self built, but Linkwitz designed "Phoenix" loudspeakers. Velodyne sub (modified) powered by an Oppo monoblock amp, then an Adcom GFA 7000 5 channel amp powering my center/surrounds. I recently reconditioned my M500 amp with all new caps and other related parts and she is sounding fantastic. I would like to pick up an older Carver Sonic Holography generator to add into my mains at some point. I will add photos once I have that privelage.

Hello to you all; I am stoked to find such a valuable bank of knowledge here! I am Kurt, and I have a MXR-150, and a SD/A-450. I bought them both new, but they have been on a shelf for 22 years. Dusting them off now. They both work great, except I need a belt for the CD player. I drive a speaker set of Altec-Lansings from the mid 60's. I am considering having the Receiver re-capped. There appears to be 2 people doing this, can anyone recommend one over the other? Also, do you know where I can find a replacement for the A81G131 Loading Belt. Thank you all in advance, Kurt

My wife and I stopped at a restaurant today and the waiter asked me about my Axpona t-shirt and we got on the subject of music. He introduced me to a new band named BILLY STRINGS from right here in Michigan. So far I like what I’ve heard.

I was lucky to have @PhilDent stop by last night, and believe it or not, we didn’t even fire up the 2ch system - we spent the evening in the HT demoing a slew of new Atmos material I have acquired. We closed out the listening session with the INXS Live Baby Live 4k Atmos. This was my 4th watch of this concert, and it just doesn’t get old. Tim (with his background) gave me a few insights that I haven’t considered about this concert: first, being shot in ‘92, all the video was shot on FILM (no digital). Second, this appeared to be before the era of in-ear monitors, and he pointed out how refreshing it is to see a concert where no one is holding up a smart phone. And the other thing I noticed on this viewing is just how small and dim the Jumbotrons were back then! seriously, if you have an Atmos setup and you haven’t experienced this one, you're missing out…!

Thank you Sk1Bum for your response, I really appreciate it. I should use your personal description, because it pretty much nails it for me, except for the hillbilly part ! LOL USN Vet, Harley Master Tech (left the dealer network about a decade ago, so dont ask me about milwaukee 8's... Thank you again, Kurt

Listening to a bunch of Traffic over the last few days; Walking in the Wind - Traffic This sounds good on real stereo but kind of crappy on computer speakers.

Good morning fellow Carver fans. I have been a Carver owner since the mid 80's when i purchased my first Carver gear, a C-2 pre-amp and a M1.5t amp during my college years. I had them put away for close to 20 years and within the past 2-3 years have started to re-assemble a listening room as the kids have all left the house and i can claim use of the bonus room now. I have had the M1.5t fully service from Nelion, and have acquired quite a bit of other pieces over the past year. I now own 3 M1.5t's, 4 TFM6'c, AV405 C-1, C-2, CT-7, Ct-17, CT26V TX-2, TX-12, and a Sunfire Ultimate Receiver. Some of this gear needs some attention and some work great. I have replaced all the caps on two of the tfm-6c's and will be doing the other two soon. I am new to repair work, but i am not afraid to try, and I enjoy the learning experience. I have downloaded the service manuals for most of the pieces I have and have referenced them for the repairs i have done so far. I want to thank each of you for the support you have given me to this point, and welcome your input. I am currently tinkering with the CT-7 ass the power switch intermittently does not seem to work, and i currently have the CT-17 as the display is quite dim. the CT-17 is a nightmare to disassemble, but again, i don't mind the challenge or learning experience. i have been reading about the typical issues with these units display problems and will continue to chase this down. Have a great day, and crank it up to 11!

Here is the system as of about a month ago. It is tri-amped so that is why there is a lot of amps. The speakers are self built but designed and spec'd by Sigfried Linkwitz (Linkwitz-Reilly crossover fame). My father worked with him at Hewlett Packard long ago. They are the "Phoenix" open baffle loudspeakers. Linkwitz active crossover network, Adcom GFA 545 for the tweeters, GFA 545ii for the midranges, and now the restored Carver M400 for the woofers. An Outlaw Audio mono block for the Velodyne subwoofer, and then another Adcom GFA 7000 5 channel amp for the surrounds and center channel speakers. Outlaw Audio 7.1 preamp, Denon DP1100 (restored) with a Goldring E3 cartridge and Fosi phono amp. Then an Oppo DVD player handling the digital side. It has taken me over 20 years to get to this point. Built and put together on a budget as funds allowed. Just about everything bought used except for the loudspeaker system. Those I built and sourced all the drivers new. The sound is incredible. I have listened to a handful of truly high end systems in dedicated custom rooms and honestly, I think mine is in the same ballpark for a fraction of the cost. Linkwitz knows how to design speakers. Moving forward I will slowly (no rush now) be upgrading some of my components to higher end ones. I will still buy used or restored, let someone else swallow the depreciation. Let me know what you think.

Yes, please start a new thread. Also, it helps if you tells us a little bit about your skill level. The service manual is in our database HERE . The values for the power supply capacitors are shown in the schematic. It is always best to look at the capacitors in the unit before you order. There are often differences between the schematic and the actual unit on your workbench. You also need to measure diameters, heights and lead spacing. The power supply of the CT-17 runs hot so it is wise to use 105C caps.

@Frankthehammer I don't think you will get a response from "Jeff CT-17" . If you check his profile you will see the last time he visited the site was Dec of 2023. You might do better in starting a new topic in the Preamp Repair sub forum for this. https://thecarversite.com/forum/63-preamp-repair/ Also, introduce yourself in The Welcome Shop. https://thecarversite.com/forum/142-the-welcome-shop-please-read-first/ @Sk1Bum @wrf @AndrewJohn

Blue Oyster Cult Cities On Flame 🔥

Timbuk 3 The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

Hello, just joined the group. I've had Carver components in the past and now I'm back with a few components/gear for my new system. Carver SDA 410 CD player, CT 3 Preamp and a custom Bose 800 EQ that has now been installed in modified Carver DPL 33 chasis. My amp is a Adcom GFA 555 at 200 wpc. Speakers are a set of BOSE 800 Professional speakers (refurbished). Things are still in progress I just finished the BOSE 800 EQ project. I'm waiting on a replacement power switch for my ADCOM amp. I just updated the LED from red to blue. https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Rs5P0nIFVJTK8ObBlmwpgPrvNnZwV_u/view?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A5hTAw1FyBVeODHNxoJLaraelz844KW9/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bu_4ywg9n8jp7oNnXXOdGiq58vyyWyEn/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/19g87woP-XjSIXff55R-ELt-di4I8i8ev/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/14sS4aK3rStDP5dSrK6dXi2LuvcvoM3Kq/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bmaWzHK2gA9JVJPlIQ4E8BBqfezme1-4/view?usp=sharing

Sk1Bum, Do you know howmany posts I would have to make to have access to files like this? Thank you, Kurt

Carolyn Lee Jones, Eklektika was released on June 15, 2026. "Ms. Jones’ style is taking vintage standard jazz tunes and cabaret material, incorporating Latin grooves and reimagining arrangements, then tossing in a few original songs for good measure. She refreshed them all with her singular, easy-listening style and warm charisma." You can read the rest of the review here...

Ramble On by Led Zep

Funny story, I was a bartender in Calgary in the late 1980's and it was a slow afternoon. There were 3 gentlemen sitting around the horseshoe shaped bar... A 60 ish year old Biker, a 40 ish year old Oil executive, and a 20 something university student. The biker turned to the student and said have you heard the latest Tragically Hip album and the the Student said yes I love it. The Oil exec said he loved it too! After my shift I went and bought "Up to here!" Still one of my favourite albums and frankly I could put "Road Apples" or "Fully Completely on this thread as well. They are that good!

Welcome to the Carver Site!! Very nice group of Carver equipment. Looking forward to hearing about the repair on the CT units. Much talk on the site here about the CT-6 and its power button, either broken or missing and the possibility of 3D printing replacements if one had an original one to scan. I have kind of felt that maybe the power button on the CT-17 might be the same as the CT-6's. The CT-7 has a rocker type which looks to possibly be a better application for on/off duty if one possibly wanted to convert the CT-6/CT-17 to rocker style switch. I don't have anyone of the three CT's mentioned here so its easier said than done for a conversion. These are just thoughts but...... Again Welcome!!

Balok, thank you for your reply, i will check the actual unit capacitors and go from there.

BobTFM35, thanks for letting me know, i will take your advice and introduce myself and start a new thread.

They were the rosewood ones but were gone in minutes. Oh well. But I saw an ad for NHT's with no description and fuzzy photos near me and they were the lowly VT 1.2 model. The guy offered them up for $60 in great shape so what the hell. I finally played them tonight and they sound way way better than they have a right to be. These little fookers pump some bass. WTF? I am looking for their bigger siblings to try. My wife was so excited to see small speakers in my listening room, Phych! Sorry babe, too small to be manly.

Welcome to the Carver Site!! Nice selection of equipment that you have. For the Carver Sonic Holography generator , C-9, I would contact a member here @4krow . He may have something in the works as he restores and sells them.

A great cover of Cat Stevens - Sheryl Crow's First Cut is the Deepest

My favorite cover of Stan Jones - Mary McCaslin's Ghost Riders in the Sky

Ted Nugent Strangle Hold

Jazz Rock Instrumental Fusion 🎸 Powerful Jazz Fusion Guitar Music for Focus & Work

YeeHaw!! Had me on the first strum of the banjo!! Love it!!

Emerson Lake & Palmer (Brain Salad Surgery) Karn Evil 9 First Impression Part 2

Is there a way to update the file with the 450's belt size information?

Welcome, @KurtLohse. I think you can find belts online - do a google search for "belt for CD players"..., or on eBay, with a search for your particular model CD player. Check out this listing - it says "SD/A 490t, however, the SD/A 450 shares the same transport mechanism, and hence use the same belt. I've had both of these units, and have even transplanted the drives back and forth between the two models - so this belt "should" work for you. Online belt sellers may be available, for less money and lower shipping costs. A google search for the size below from the info that @BobTFM35 shared above. Google AI reports that this belt is often called the following (referenced from TheCarverSite! " A 0.046" square x 2.4" (often referred to as an SBS 2.4 or small square 2.4-inch) rubber drive belt is a standard replacement size used for the tray loading and opening mechanisms in various vintage CD players and changers. " Check out this website: https://vintageaudioparts.zohocommerce.com/categories/square_belts/2151798000005844097 Look for this belt. You could try any number of "assortments" of belts on Amazon, here: Amazon.com : SBS 2.4 cd player belt but unfortunately, most sellers list all kinds of models..., but not Carver..., and then offer large "kits" of lots of belts - which one might fit. Best of luck! Let us know how your repair goes, and don't forget to clean off all the goo that the old belt likely left behind.

Hello Kurt and welcome to thecarversite.com. Glad you found us! We have a file available HERE that lists CD belt sizes. I've never owned a Carver CD player, but I have replaced a belt on a Pioneer and a Yamaha. It was my experience with both of those that the belts were pretty generic, and you just needed to get the right size. Once you click or tap the HERE, that will take you to a page where you can download the belt size pdf file. As for getting the receiver recapped, Nelion Audio is my choice. The owner is the head tech guru for this site too. You can contact Nelion Audio through https://www.nelionaudio.com or drop them an email at support@nelionaudio.com I hope that helps.

Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan Out In An Automobile (1906)

Reminds me of Klaus Doldinger/Passport.

Bård Berg Stensgata

@Balok, oh heck yeah! Good tune!

Hi everyone, I am new to Carver. My father passed away a few years ago, and my mom a few weeks ago. So my wife and I have moved into my inherited family home where my father had a Carver HR-742 stereo receiver that was still in the house. Since the movers dropped my Kenwood stereo receiver, I've just hooked up the carver to my office computer sound system, where it is currently driving a pair of JBL Control 1x bookshelf speakers. These little speakers would probably benefit from a sub, and I happen to have one handy, but I don't see a subwoofer output on the back of the HR-742. Can anyone suggest a good way to hook up the sub? The right channel seems to be quite noisy too, so I'm interested in hearing thoughts on what might be causing that and how to fix it. Thanks!

@Ray Cole, your owners manual is still available on Crutchfield.com in the drop-down for "What's in the Box" on the page you shared. Here's the direct link to the PDF of the owner's manual. https://pdf.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v20060406130800/Manuals/602/602SUS100B.PDF It includes diagrams. And from the specs, I see it only accepts LINE LEVEL (or LOW LEVEL) input - NOT speaker level - so you want to get an RCA Y-cable to split the pre-out, one "y" goes goes directly back into where the U-Jumper pulled out of, and the other "Y" goes to the RCA input of your sub. Examine the last diagram on page 5. You'll want to consider (map out) the female, mail connections for the Y cable, and for the joining cable to the sub. But from here you should be good to go - and yes, sketching it out helps before you buy a bunch of y-cables and RCA cables on Amazon... Hope that helps you.

Wwelcome to TCS. Glad you found us. The 742 is a nice receiver. There are so many ways to hook up a subwoofer, that subwoofer makers almost always document how in their Sub Woofer Owner's manual - that is to say, usually multiple options, outlined with diagrams and figures, that you then match to how your receiver outputs look. (If subwoofer manufacturers didn't do this, lots of subwoofers would be returned...,) - I know it's confusing, and linearly, we look at outputs and inputs, and look for the connections that way. And, subwoofers have multiple configuration options between manufacturers - so it's hard to give you an immediate answer. If your sub takes line-level input, many will just say "get a 'Y' cable and split your outputs - and on the 742, that involves pulling the jumpers off the back, and splitting, then re-connecting, with the Y cable. Those "horseshoe" in-n-out connectors take the pre-amplifier output, and direct it right back into the 742's Amplifier stage. Circled in red, below. AND, that is only one way. Your sub (I don't know what you have) may also take SPEAKER LEVEL input - (again, refer to your sub owners manual) in which you could send the speaker outputs directly into the subwoofer, then connect your speakers to the back of your sub - in the pass-through to allow the sub's crossover to pull off the low frequencies, and send only the higher frequencies to your JBLs. Again, I strongly recommend looking at the sub's owner's manual. If you have your subwoofer manual - check it out. If you don't

Joe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet, A Blue Time was released on April 24, 2026. "On A Blue Time, the stellar, sophisticated, wildly adventurous sophomore album by the Joe Syrian Motor City Jazz Octet, the veteran visionary drummer and bandleader continues his ongoing dialogue between jazz tradition and imaginative reinvention, guiding his nimble, well-heeled powerhouse ensemble through a spirited, stylistically fluid set that balances vintage swing, Afro-Latin grooves, cool-toned introspection and playful experimentation. " You can read the rest of the review here...

Gregory Groover Jr, Old Knew was released on November 7, 2025. "Gregory Groover follows up his Criss Cross debut Loveaby with a sparkling 11-track set of originals that are custom-built for his sax and vibes front line. Vibraphonist Joel Ross returns and once again his percussive glint and metallic shimmer dovetail neatly with Groover’s rounded airy sound on tenor sax. A fresh, one-off rhythm section knits Kendrick Scott’s drum subtleties with the strength of Harish Raghavan’s bass; pianist Paul Cornish, who recently debuted on Blue Note, provides a fresh-faced spark." You can read the rest of the review here...

Marilyn Crispell & Anders Jormin, Memento was released on March 20, 2026. "US pianist Marilyn Crispell and Swedish bassist Anders Jormin filter their decades of musical experience and improvisational instinct into Memento, their debut duo recording. Combining original compositions with four freely created pieces, the album focuses on the universal themes of memory and loss." You can read the rest of the review here...

Stacey Kent, A Time For Love was released on April 3, 2026. "Largely known for her bossa nova sway, American singer Stacey Kent has turned toward a more minimalist sensibility in recent years. Her latest release, A Time for Love continues this shift in musical attitude. No less lovely, this reinvention might come as a surprise to some devoted fans. Joined by her husband, saxophonist Jim Tomlinson and pianist Art Hirahara, the trio takes on music covers from a variety of sources like The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach and many others." You can read the rest of the review here...

Welcome @gallagher1, glad you found us. That relay, if it's the root problem, is replaceable. You'll get that unit back in service - 😉 again, welcome to TheCarverSite.

Making custom shipping boxes to help our customers ship safe and easy!

There are many artists in this category! I grew up in the 60s and 70s, many folk artists fit well in this category. Crosby stills hash and young, Joni Mitchell, Simon and garfunkel, Jackson Browne and early cat stevens, lastly One of my favorites is warren Zevon. He wrote a lot of hits for Linda Ronstadt. I’m also a huge Johnny Cash fan as well.