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Speakers that we like and don't like with Carver amps


kve777

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Zoom, I have a similar setup as you except I'm using a PM600 amp. Same DCM TimeFrame 600 speakers and the C11 with BillD mods. I have had several smaller amps on those speakers and I thought they sounded good but when I hooked up the Carver combination on them they had a whole nother sound. They filled the room with music like I've never experianced before. Listening to Leann Rimes sing "You light up my life" cranked up is incredible. So clean, so pure. They seem to be a great match. I'd really like to get my hands on the M-500T, I love those meters.

The nice thing about the DCM TimeFrames is they can be purchased very cheaply for such a great speaker.

 

BillWojo
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I am also one of those that like my Carver paired with my Magnepans.  But the Carvers also do well with my Mirage sub/sat system.  Too bad I don't have my Klipsch Heresy IIs or KG2s anymore or I would have tried them with my Carver amps.  Big mistake pairing those Klipsch with a Yamaha AV receiver.  Too harsh for my taste and eventually sold everything.

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I see a common thread amongst us- Infinity, Klipsch and Polk speakers. Personally I find Polks most pleasing with Carver Amps, starting with my first Carver set up- an MXR-130 for tuner and pre with an M-500t for, well, you know, power, into a pair of Monitor 10's. That was over 10 years ago. Since then I've paired M-1.0t's, M-1.5t's, a TFM-45 and numerous The Receivers with Monitor 5's, 7's, 10's, RT-35's, RTA-15tl's. I just really like the combo. Not fatiguing, very musical, and just over-all pleasing. Klipsch is my second choice to pair with Carver power. I have not had enough Infinity experience to give comment. It should be noted that I've had a couple of pairs of AL-III's, but no other Carver speakers. I liked the RTA-15tl's better than the AL-III's. Mainly because of fatigue, specifically because of a harshness around 8-10kHz. What are your Carver amp/speaker pairing thoughts?

I just don't hear this harshness in the AL IIIs. I am sensitive to harshness and hardness in this area. when I put the m1.5 in the system I got fatigue but it seem way lower in the spectrum, more of a midrange problem with the brassiness. I eq'd that out though and it was fine. The 1.5 probably wakes up some muddyish speakers or in some cases people just flat love it and hear no brassy issue at all. The 6 kappas I just picked up for a song are a little hot for the Denon it came with and hot with the 1.5. Perfect with my CJ though (with controls at flat). I still haven't heard any m500 amps but I bet they are my cup of tea. I would love to play with an M500t mark II.

 

 

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  • 2 months later...


I am also one of those that like my Carver paired with my Magnepans.  But the Carvers also do well with my Mirage sub/sat system.  Too bad I don't have my Klipsch Heresy IIs or KG2s anymore or I would have tried them with my Carver amps.  Big mistake pairing those Klipsch with a Yamaha AV receiver.  Too harsh for my taste and eventually sold everything.

 

So glad to read someone giving some luv to KG2's. I bought my pair in 1989 and just got them back from a shop. I'm gonna try them out on AV-505,CT-26v and look forward to playing some vinyl this weekend. 

ps - you all are a bad influence on me, lol. I have always loved my carver units and they have been good to me for almost 20 years.  Now that I'm in here, I want to drop the training wheels and have a wish list my pocket cannot support.  I should have listened to my mom and stay away from bad influence, lol. 
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I have enjoyed carver amps with AR speakers for many years.I used 1 and 2 m400s on a pair of Ar9s.On Ar90s I have ran TFM-55x,TFM-25 and M1.0t.The TFMs seem a little brighter sounding than the M1.0s although they all sound really good.I have heard Kappa 9s but it was in a showroom in the early 80s and they were awesome with Carver amps.I tend to like the sound of big heavy full range 4-5 way speakers with lots of internal cabinet volume.These types of speaker are almost always considered difficult to drive with dips down to 3+ ohms.No problem with Carver amps running stereo.Notice the member systems on this site.A lot of the speakers are big and power hungry and some with difficult loads for lesser amps.This seems to be where Carver amps are commonly found.Its great to have Carver to power these loads without needing a large budget for a amp to make them show their potential.Bob Carver made big power affordable to the middle class as far as I can tell.What a great contribution to audio this man has made.I think it would be worth driving 1/2 way across the US just to have the honor of shaking his hand while he's with us...

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I have always used my M400t with a DIY sub; 12 cu ft interior volume and a JBL 2245 18" woofer. I used to use my M1.5t with a pair of Electro Voice Interface C speakers. That was a powerful combination, the canon blasts on the Telarc 1812 overture would dim the room lights.

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...I tend to like the sound of big heavy full range 4-5 way speakers with lots of internal cabinet volume.These types of speaker are almost always considered difficult to drive with dips down to 3+ ohms.No problem with Carver amps running stereo.Notice the member systems on this site.A lot of the speakers are big and power hungry and some with difficult loads for lesser amps.
 
I'm driving my hybrid stats with a pair of TFM-25's.  The impedance is frequency dependent and pretty radical-- dropping to 1 Ohm at 20kHz.  I added a 1 Ohm series resistor at the + input but that's still only 2 ohms at minimum impedance.  A lot of amps would self-destruct but the TFM's never get more than luke warm. 

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I'm driving my hybrid stats with a pair of TFM-25's.  The impedance is frequency dependent and pretty radical-- dropping to 1 Ohm at 20kHz.  I added a 1 Ohm series resistor at the + input but that's still only 2 ohms at minimum impedance.  A lot of amps would self-destruct but the TFM's never get more than luke warm. 

 
Just curious, but can you access the resistors to see how warm they get? What's the wattage rating? Are they noninductive?
 
I think ARJim's got a good point- maybe we Carver enthusiasts enjoy more "difficult" speakers because we've got the affordable power to drive them. With more possibilities available, we're free to try speakers whose designers weren't constrained by driveability.

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 Bob Carver and James Sauter... "Toy Maker"..."Carver Ribbons"
 
LOVE MY MXR-130 and Carver Platinum Mk 4
 
Loved it 30 years ago...Carver Platinums,.. VERY HARD TO DRIVE!
 
 Nominal impedance: 6 ohms.
 Sensitivity: 88dB/1W/1m.
 Maximum SPL: 113dB symphonic music, 110dB rock music.
 
 
( 3.76 Ohms at 266 Hz) 
 
"... All in all, though the impedance doesn't drop below 3.76 ohms, the Amazing's lowish sensitivity means that an amplifier capable of delivering high currents and high voltages will be best suited to drive it..."
 
 
 
 
"..April 1984 Stereo Review...

...the Carver Receiver ,...combined the key technologies of two earlier Carver products.... 

the TX-11 tuner, and the magnetic field amplifier first shown in the Carver M-400...

The original list price for this unit was $699... 

.. The Carver Receiver is one beast of a receiver. 

Output at clipping ...               

176 watts/channel at 8 ohms
264 watts/channel at 4 ohms 
313 watts/channel at 2 ohms...
 

"I consider the Carver Receiver to be the "most" receiver I have yet tested

 
in terms of th equalitative and quantitative superiority of all of its basic functions".
 
Julian D, Hirsch. 
 
 
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Listening to WXPN 88.5 Philadelphia this morning. TX-11a, C-1, M-1.5t and a pair of gorgeous Dahlquist DQ-10's. A truly audiophile combo. The 1.5t brings out the best of the DQ-10's. A level of fullness and clarity I never noticed in previous pairs. Very lively. Sonic Holography envelops the listener from one of the biggest sweet spots I've encountered.
Swapping out with a C-11 and TFM-55x next.
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20150307072243414.jpg

 

Are those 10's mirrored and the x-overs upgraded?
Mirrored, yes, nothing done to the crossovers, yet. You interested in buying?
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No, I'm in on the CarverFest speakers and read what Travis said. I'm wondering what your thoughts are between the 10's and the CRM2' s ? Sounds like you enjoy both eh?emwink.gif

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No, I'm in on the CarverFest speakers and read what Travis said. I'm wondering what your thoughts are between the 10's and the CRM2' s ? Sounds like you enjoy both eh?emwink.gif
Yes, but I'm finding the DQ-10's are growing on me. I really need to throw some tubes into the mix.
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I love the look of them still today. I heard them when they first were out in a nice store. I had to walk up on them to know what was playing the beautiful music. They are very reminiscent of some 50's era Wharfdales I used to own. They had a 12" and an 8" on the front face and then a 3"mid/tweet shot up and at the wall behind it, pre-Bose.......yeah, that's right, kiss it Amarhappy0009.gif ....is that his nameeusa_think.gif

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