Revel Concerta vs. PSB Image

[JasonR]

I don't have much info as far as the amps go...

I do love the idea of three RS6s up front though. I have been running 4.1, and the dialog is great out of them as it is. Very natural, just plain smooth. Wish my TV was up higher, I would do it myself. I should have my RSLCR within the next month or two....

[JasonR]

Oh, and this thread makes for a great read for anyone willing...

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by bluseminole

I have picked up a Carver PM175--its a 25 year-old amp--on Audiogon for a final cost of $200. It will put out 175WPC into 8 ohms; I am planning on using both channels for the center in a bi-amp configuration. I know it's old, but Bob Carver has a good reputation.

What are your thoughts on this amp or Carver's earlier work in general? I'm curious to know.

Bob Carver has managed to upset many people in the high-end audio, particularly the Stereophile Magazine. As a result, they have tried very hard to ruin his reputation. As the owner of two M series and one TFM series Carver amplifiers for over 15 years, I have first-hand experience with them and they rock. If you want to own Mark Levinson or Conrad Johnson amplifiers for significantly lower prices, buy a Carver M series or TFM series on Ebay or Audiogon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carver

Carver caused a stir in the industry in the mid-1980s when he challenged two high-end audio magazines to give him any audio amplifier at any price, and he’d duplicate its sound in one of his lower cost (and usually much more powerful) designs. Two magazines took him up on the challenge.

First, The Audio Critic chose a Mark Levinson ML-2 which Bob acoustically copied (transfer function duplication) and sold as his M1.5t amplifier (the “t” stood for transfer function modified).

In 1985, Stereophile magazine challenged Bob to copy a Conrad-Johnson Premier Five (the make and model was not named in the challenge but revealed later) amplifier at their offices in New Mexico within 48 hours. The Conrad Johnson amplifier was one of the most highly regarded amplifiers of its day, costing in excess of $12,000.

Of note that in both cases, the challenging amplifier could only be treated as a “black box” and could not even have its lid removed. Nevertheless, Carver, using null difference testing, successfully copied the sound of the target amplifier and won the challenge. The Stereophile employees failed to pass a single blind test with their own equipment, and in their own listening room. He marketed “t” versions of his amplifiers incorporating the sound of the Mark Levinson and Conrad Johnson designs which caused him some criticism by those who failed to understand the true nature of the challenge — that it was possible to duplicate an audio amplifier's sound in two completely dissimilar designs. In light of this criticism, Bob Carver went on to design the Silver Seven, the most expensive and esoteric conventional amplifier up to that time and duplicated its sound in his M 4.0t and later models which sold for some 1/40th the price (around $600-$1500).

This also started Carver's departure from the M-series amplifier to the more robust and current-pushing TFM series amplifiers. The TFM amplifiers were designed specifically to drive the demanding load of the Amazing ribbon loudspeakers. The apex of Carver's amplifier line was the Lightstar, which is now a collectors' item.

Carver also later sued Stereophile magazine for its alleged bias against Carver products. (Stereophile had first filed suit against Carver for reprinting the magazine's copyrighted material without authorization.) The case was arbitrated with neither side awarded damages.

http://www.theaudiocritic.com/back_i...ritic_16_r.pdf
Who Sued Whom and Why: Stereophile and Carver Coprporation in Court.

Interview with Bob Carver
http://www.audio-ideas.com/interview/carver.html

[bluseminole]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Bob Carver has managed to upset many people in the high-end audio, particularly the Stereophile Magazine. As a result, they have tried very hard to ruin his reputation. As the owner of two M series and one TFM series Carver amplifiers for over 15 years, I have first-hand experience with them and they rock. If you want to own Mark Levinson or Conrad Johnson amplifiers for significantly lower prices, buy a Carver M series or TFM series on Ebay or Audiogon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carver


http://www.theaudiocritic.com/back_i...ritic_16_r.pdf
Who Sued Whom and Why: Stereophile and Carver Coprporation in Court.

Interview with Bob Carver
http://www.audio-ideas.com/interview/carver.html

Reassuring indeed! Do you happen to know anything about the PM175?

I notice you must think very highly of Carver...you own a lot of his gear!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by bluseminole

Reassuring indeed! Do you happen to know anything about the PM175?

I notice you must think very highly of Carver...you own a lot of his gear!

I don't have any experience with PM175. I own two Carver old-school pre-amps, three 2-channel Carver amplifiers, and a Carver tube CD player. I bought them new many years ago. For the price, they were the best deals back then. If the amp you are considering is in good shape, it is a great deal. Where else are you going to get such powerful amplifiers for $200?

This is a good source for Carver amps and pre-amps.

http://www.carversound.com/

[bluseminole]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I don't have any experience with PM175. I own two Carver old-school pre-amps, three 2-channel Carver amplifiers, and a Carver tube CD player. I bought them new many years ago. For the price, they were the best deals back then. If the amp you are considering is in good shape, it is a great deal. Where else are you going to get such powerful amplifiers for $200?

This is a good source for Carver amps and pre-amps.

http://www.carversound.com/

Cosmetically, it looks like it's 25 years old. But functionally, it's been promised to be perfect, so we'll see. You can see it here:
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ginal-owner/pr