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Cary 805 C or 805 AE?

I have decided to buy the Cary 805 monoblocks and now have two used on the hand.

One is the Cary 805 C mk II which is about 10 years old and with the 6SL7 input tube (only one) and without the possibility to change between the 845/211 tubes (this feature is not important to my since my speakers have a sensitivity of 107db and I don’t need the extra power that the 211 tubes can give).

The other is the Cary 805 AE which is about 2,5 years old with the dual 6SN7 input tubes.

There is a 2000 dollar price difference and I’m wondering if it’s worth the extra bucks. Instead I would rather spend the money on buying quality tubes like Sophia Electric.

So if anyone has experience in the difference between the two with 845 tubes please share.

Thanks,
Mohano
mohano

Showing 1 response by paulfolbrecht

paulfolbrecht
603 posts
 
Nobody seems to be considering the differences in iron between the C & the AE. See the stereophile review:

"Other features of the CAD-805 Anniversary Edition include a "new and improved" output transformer "to yield full bandwidth coverage at full power output." According to Dennis, the 805 Anniversary "plays deeper bass with more driver control"—a claim quickly verified with my review pair of Triangle Magellan speakers. Snazzy WBT speaker binding posts are supplied as standard."

Of course, there is no more important part in any SE amp than the output transformer. Better bandwidth means not just better bass & treble but also a faster amp. This is something you aren't going to "fix" in the C with upgraded caps & resistors.

Disclaimer: I have a pair of AEs for sale.
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