Nahash5150

Problem: Main reservoir capacitors venting Solution: Full restoration! The main reservoir capacitors on the 5ch and 7ch models have reached their end of their usable life. They will boil, and vent - possibly causing permanent damage to surrounding circuit boards. Electrolytic fluids are corrosive. Furthermore, if these large main capacitors fail, they can damage the power supply by shorting to ground on one side, in a normally balanced supply. In most cases, the main fuse will blow from the failing capacitor, but there is no guarantee.

Problem: Severe burning of the PCB around regulator circuits on dual channel boards that can lead to permanent damage Solution: Full restoration! The regulator circuits need to be rebuilt and modified to prevent future burning. Without service, these amps can be become UNUSUABLE.

Make sure the power transformer is as secure as possible. Tighten the 4 large screws on the bottom of the chassis until they are snug. If the transformer still feels loose, pop the top and tape some cardboard over the transformer top, just enough to fit under the metal cover. Or this can happen:

I have had two clients inquire in just the past week reporting that their (unserviced) Sunfire amp has blown the magic smoke and needs repair. This is becoming more common. Please get the word out that Sunfires need to be serviced. If they blow smoke/catch fire the service becomes more expensive - if it's even repairable. Last year, someone sent me a burned up unrepairable TGA-5400. Gorgeous, rare amplifier...gone. So I think it's time for a reality check. Many Sunfires are too old to gamble with. They have substantial power and self-destruct rather violently - more so than I think people expect. Also, be wary of local repair shops. Sunfires are not easy to work on (even we have to use specialized equipment) and most techs out there do not understand how they work. So it's also common for us to get Sunfires that were not repaired correctly from local shops.

First, the hardware is integrated with the C-1, so there's no external box. Second, this hardware is not just bluetooth, but also connects to your wi-fi so you can stream via Spotify, Apple Music, etc. And it will stream music from a NAS or PC that uses the DLNA protocol. Many home routers have a USB input, so you could connect an external USB harddrive full of music to your router USB, and this hardware will stream music from that as well. This is all done though the phone app that connects to the hardware.

Bluetooth and Wifi will be available for the C-1 and C-4000 and many other preamps! The testing is working out fantastic! The app we use will make your phone able to stream bluetooth directly to a C-1, as well as Apple Music, Tidl, Spotify, and many other integrations. It will also play music directly from your NAS or DLNA enabled PC! I love this integration!

Great post! I'm still evaluating the applications. All will integrate with Alexa and Google though - it's pretty common now. As much as I would like to be able to accommodate each well known automation company, it's just too expensive and too much to deal with on our end. My decision will be based on a single application with a wide variety of devices that's been around long enough to have a good track record - I'm down to two. I'm extremely excited about the VCC. I've been working on the idea for a couple of years. It will hopefully be that one stop solution to take care of a variety of modern needs that many people just don't have any desire to shop for - like surge protection, AC line filtering, power switching, etc. The VCC will also have a DC blocking filter for toroid transformers. I've also toyed with the idea of making it an amp cooler by installing quiet fans under the top cover to blow up into a power amplifier stack above...

For 2025 we will be introducing new mods that will allow you to use a phone app to control functions like volume, power on/off, and filters on common Carver models. We will also be introducing a new product called the 'Vintage Control Center' which is a power sequencer, surge protector, conditioner, and a general integrator of your vintage rack to make it work more seamless with newer technology. At the touch of your smartphone screen, you will even be able to control the volume of source units or preamps that otherwise do not have this feature. I have toyed with the idea of including an inverter to a power amp input channel which would allow some amps to be used as common ground and others to be used in bridge mode.

I happen to have a B & K avr 507 and a Sunfire TGP for sale. Both in mint condition, and both are amazing, as long as you don't mind they don't have HDMI.

This is normal to hear from a mag coil amp like a M-1.0t, however, depending on how loud it is, could indicate several things... 1) magnetoconstriction - the phenomenon common to all transformers. The materials of the transformer symathetically vibrate with the changing magnetic fields which can be audible. Some mag coils get louder over time as the lacquer they are dipped in to dampen this noise dries out and cracks. 2) Idle bias current is too high. If the amp feels warm at idle after about 5 minutes, the idle bias is too high. 3) high current draw. There could be a fault that is drawing too much current. This would be unusual if the amp is functional. 4) Chassis is vibrating. Try dampening the chassis by tightening the screws, adding fiberglass insulation to the top of the mag coil under the cover.

Welcome! The Sunfire VTCC is hard to find but not impossible. If you find one without a phono amp, it's okay. We make a new retrofit phono stage.

Talk to a rep. About 99% of 'power conditioners' on the market are 100% gimmick.

You could start with trying power conditioners, but I'd just call Crutchfield or Furman and talk to a rep and tell them exactly what you're experiencing and they might have a solution on the shelf for you. I have a Monster AVS 2000 but you can only find those used.

Welcome Doug!

This is caused by high energy distortion harmonics when the current draw on the house suddenly changes. This could be mitigated by ensuring the branch circuit on the audio equipment is far down the column of breakers in the breaker box. Typically, high power appliances like heaters and stoves are wired closest to the Main breaker. If your audio and heater are on separate branch circuits and they are far apart in the breaker box, then you could try a very high quality power conditioner, preferably one with an autotransformer for voltage regulation.

Please go HERE to see our Christmas Giveaway 2024! Woohoo!

Welcome!

Unfortunately, that's a unit made in China late in Carver's last years. There's no information on them and hardly anyone will service them. Time for something new, or different.

We will be at Carverfest, then on to Texas for the first half of September. We will still have someone available here at the shop though. I also plan on keeping up with emails and phone calls.

Rad

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

We've teamed up with a company from Hong Kong to make obsolete parts! They are making a new version of the very rare and expensive Sanken transistors that we use of the M-500t mkII upgrade modification - 2SA1295/2SC3264 This is great news! I'm going to stress test these new transistors to make sure they meet the intended quality. If so, we'll be able to continue the M-500t mkII for years to come!

Yes. It's not yet complete though. I've worked out that most of the work is needed in the power supply area. It's looking like the mkII mod will be an extra $500.

MUHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Lucy in Disguise - Late Nights magic begins at 3:30

After servicing quite a few Sunfires, I've noticed their shortcomings as well as areas which can be improved. I am currently working on a relatively universal upgrade for Sunfire AMPs. The upgrade will include updates to the amplifier circuits and tracking down converter for more power, better durability and much better soundstage.