PhilDent

Welcome back! Post some pictures of your stuff and tell us about your audio journey.

Thanks for the heads up ogld98gtp. Acousticsounds wanted $15 for shipping. Mark thanks for starting the thread and starting the information flowing. Even though I bought this for a friend of mine probably 10 years ago for $50, I was happy to pre-order from music direct and only pay $5 for shipping for a total of $40. The best thing is that it is shipping in December and I'm sure I'll have long forgotten that I ever bought it. Bonus!

Welcome Turbo! It starts with just one piece. I bought an A-400x off of Ebay based on an article I read about Carver gear. Since then, I've bought two more amps and two pre-amps and have had several of them modified by one of the techs here without regret Enjoy the music and the ride -PhilDent

Thanks John, I'm hoping to get some stereo time tonight or tomorrow.

Currently it's in power steering, with each amp taking the highs. 1 amp for the left - the other for the right. A separate crossover amp is handling the bass to both speakers.

Listening to this in hi-res that I got from HD Tracks on the Electrostatics powered by 2 M500Tmkii's. Sounds way different than when my parents played it on the cassette deck in the station wagon.

Last night I endeavored to set up my bedroom system to experience Sonic Holography. I have tried before, but my attempts have been unsuccessful. As wifey watched a movie in the theatre room I started moving around speakers and furniture in the bedroom in an attempt to experience the elusory Carver Sonic Holography. The speakers are large electrostatic speakers that are bi-wired and weigh 75lbs a piece. Luckily they slide fairly easily on the carpet. I broke out the tape measure, the C1 manual and the red wine. I danced the speakers around the room with the recommended Angus and Julia Stone CD playing. At times I felt like I could notice the sound field spreading out and getting wider than the physical speakers, but I never achieved that "aha" moment where a new depth and sonic bliss was realized. I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or if I have unrealistic expectations since I have a multi channel setup in my theatre room that is immersive with 5 speakers surrounding my listening position. I'm going to keep trying, but up until now I have not experienced what I believe others have experienced with SH. My next plan is to download the SH tracks and attempt to make SH happen for me.

This outfit undoubtedly comes with aggressive piercings and daddy issues

This was one of the first CD's I ever bought. I was an early adopter of this new format and what precious, little, disposable income I had, I spent on music. This one did not disappoint. It was such a hard rocking album. Listening to it now takes me back to high school and making out with a lovely and enthusiastic gal named Francine for the entire length of the album. At this age, that seems ridiculous, but at the time it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I've only listened to the CD on the Electrostatics - maybe they intensify her affectation. To me it sounds like she's trying to mispronounce words like my kids do when they're being silly. Also take my opinion with a grain of salt - I find Alison Krause darn near unlistenable.

So it wasn't just me. Her voice really bumped me. Sounds like she is singing in baby talk. It made me immediately think Christine Blasey Ford was singing. I thought, well, we all knew she would get a book deal and give speeches for exorbitant fees, but damn did she get a record deal too? Other than that, the album is very enjoyable. I haven't tried the SH. In my experience I've not noticed the SH effect. Are you guys moving your speakers as recommended by the C1 manual?

Thanks for the answer. I was scrutinizing posters of cartridges trying to figure it out, but I wasn't willing to pay for higher rez images to make that possible.

M500T everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. In fact, if you buy the m500T, I'll trade you for a C-1.

Mark, You've got me on pins and needles. What is the cartridge? I thought it was 7.62 x 54r, but the shape is wrong. Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks for the recommendation. I just bought it on Amazon. It will be here tomorrow.

I found this article very compelling. https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/mqa-a-review-of-controversies-concerns-and-cautions-r701/

So much Carver gear looks so great and arouses so much desire - kind of like looking at a lineup of cheerleaders. You'd love to love them all but a few just stand out. Here are my current favs - just need a few more M500tmkII's to finish it off I also think that tubes are very sexy. But after reading the article about ss v. tubes from Sanders Sound Systems and personal listening, I am of the opinion that SS is the way to achieve the highest fidelity. As much as I would love to have sexy tubes and a turntable, I believe that lots of SS power and M500tMkII's is the way to go. My current goal is to amass as much power as possible, then I will audition as many speakers, sources, and DAC's that the wifey will allow. Thus the journey continues...

I think source material is very important. I've even heard some argue that it is the most important component of the audio chain. I used to think that Hi Res audio was the best audio possible (Hi Res as defined as better than 16bit/44.1k) But then my experiences proved otherwise. I started to download from HD Tracks and other Hi-Res sites. At times the tracks sounded fantastic. Other times I was very underwhelmed. During this time, I also noticed that certain CDs sounded great. My doubt began to grow. However, I held to the belief that Hi-Res must be superior to Redbook CDs. Then I did an A/B comparison test. I downloaded tracks that were natively recorded in 24/96 and also downconverted to 16/44.1. I settled in one night, fired up the Carver, confident that I would easily be able to tell the difference. I listened critically, and listened critically some more. I eventually went to bed depressed. I couldn't tell the difference. - so much for having golden ears. So my current conclusion is that there are many factors that can make music sound great. Just because it's Hi-Res does not mean it's going to sound great.

Convenience is a definite factor for me. I have a Yamaha receiver that has a usb source in that I find so convenient. I use the pre-outs into a C-1 and then into an m500tmkii. Even though I think that I might do better with an outboard standalone DAC, it is so convenient to just use the receiver to decode. And I doubt that I could tell the difference in a blind ABX test. So mostly I find myself using the usb stick to listen to music. I listen to multi-channel as much as possible, but there is unfortunately so little content. PhilDent

"I'm addicted to placebos. I'd give them up, but it wouldn't make any difference." ~ Steven Wright

I think everyone eventually goes to Walmart...you know...if they die without Christ. -Emo Phillips

This is more wife friendly than Steely Dan.

I just bought the 5.1 DVD Audio of this and it is fantastic. I wish there was more of a catalog of multi-channel and they weren't so darn expensive. Seems like everything is a minimum of $50.

I like these kids' version better than the original.