Just installed a ‘Greg recapped’ Carver C9 to my TV system

[HiFiRich1409 6]

Hi fellow Carverites, I’ve been curious about Carver Holography since its inception. Yes, I’m 76 and was budded to be an audiophile since buying a Grado FCE+ cartridge for my Garrad TT in the late seventies. I’ve read about every issue of audio mags and newsletters from Stereo Review and The Audio Critic to Stereophile and TAS. I built what I consider to be a very economical high end system using suggestions from trusted reviewers with the Blessing of my wonderful understanding Wife who’d since passed. Feeling somewhat unworthy since then, I seldom visit the required ‘Dedicated Listening Room’ where it resides.

Instead I’ve used that acquired HiFi knowledge to scour EBay, Mercari and USAduiomart to find known quality units at cut rate prices. From them I’ve found: an NAD CD, Sangean HD FM, OPPO DVD and pairs of KEF Q150s and ELAC Atmos speakers. I bought a Dayton Audio HTA100 tube buffered integrated amp from Parts Express and quality cabling from Usedcable.com
Then one day at work scanning the Audiomart I saw a C9! I’d all but forgotten about it. I thought “Why not?” I’ve got a clear, fairly phase accurate system, what with the two pairs of speakers with coaxial point sources drivers. All of the sources (save the TV, whose sound is   served addiquitly by a ZVOX soundbar) pass through an Andover Audio SongBird streamer that’s probably the best $89 I’ve ever spent to the C9 and then to the HTA100. 
I downloaded the C9 manual from here and though I lack the space behind the speakers to meet the required parameters, I do sit in the proper location and have toed in the speakers as advised.  Well sorry that I’ve “gone ‘round Robin Hood’s barn” to get to the conclusion that it sounds magnificent! Despite the Vienna Acoustic Bachs and Cary amp upstairs, I’m locked into the brilliant spacious soundstage the C9  has brought to my couch. Combo Jazz to live BSO concerts or DVD Opera, I’ve found the long sought after audiophile ‘Holy Grail’! 
Thank you Bob and Greg, HiFiRich 😎

 

[Sk1Bum 11,513]

Hello HiFiRich1409 and welcome to thecarversite.com. Glad you found us!

 

Great story! Thank you for sharing it. Congratulations on building it again, and I'm sorry for the loss of your wife.

 

 

[3M_Audio 2,046]

Welcome @HiFiRich1409. That's a great audio backstory and it's good to hear you're enjoying the C9. And the KEFs would be a great combination!

Edited Tuesday at 11:42 PM by 3M_Audio
typos

[Receiver2000 4,112]

Welcome - great story and good to have you here with us!!!

[Half Life 657]

Welcome from VA!  Enjoy your stay!

 

Thanks for sharing your audio journey.  From your description, you have a very nice setup!  Glad to hear that you're enjoying it.

 

Condolences on the loss of your lovely bride.

[HiFiRich1409 6]

Thank you all for your kind replies. Let me ask this: What recordings have you had success with to demonstrate and fine tune the Holographic effect? I've used this before to lock in the phase response of my Shiit Stack headphon setup with the five band Loki. The recording was done live with two mics and I believe straight to tape:

Also please advise on your preferred settings of the Injection and Listening control buttons: in or out? My speakers are six and a half feet apart. That's my photo bomber Pebbles. HiFiRich 😎

[Sk1Bum 11,513]

2 hours ago, HiFiRich1409 said:

What recordings have you had success with to demonstrate and fine tune the Holographic effect?

 

There's a thread here about recordings that showcase Sonic Holography. If someone else doesn't post a link to it, I will when I get home.

 

Here's a link to a site search for "sonic holography" in content titles only, but it doesn't include the discussion I am thinking of. This search brings up a ton of Sonic Holography information though.

 

https://thecarversite.com/search/?&q="sonic holography"&type=forums_topic&page=1&quick=1&search_and_or=or&search_in=titles&sortby=relevancy

 

Here's the link I couldn't find previously.

 

 

Edited 23 hours ago by Sk1Bum
added links

[4krow 6,630]

HFR,

 

 Welcome to the site, and yes, I remember you. The KEF speakers were the thing that made most curious about your system. Couldn't be happier that worked out the way it did. 

 When it comes to recordings, there so many out there that have surprised me through the C-9. I be at a loss to name them all. Some are downright scary.

[3M_Audio 2,046]

I thought there was a copy of the Carver Sonic-Holography Demonstration-Calibration Test Disc somewhere around here (or a link) that you could download. It was created for the C-4000 preamp but should produce good results with any SH setup. Let me know if you can't find it with a search and I'll see if I can figure out a way to make it available.

 

Aside from that, I've found excellent results with the Eagles, Hell Freezes Over album and also Steely Dan's Two Against Nature. But as @4krow pointed out, there are many good recordings that will produce excellent SH results.