Theory about Cary amps and their reviewers

artmaltman, I was using Kharma 1.0 ceramique speakers, and the amp had been recently serviced by Cary, everything checked out fine. The speakers never sounded slow or lifeless when I used other amplification. BUT those are good valid questions.

I had a pair of V12 monoblocks in my system for a month or so. They belonged to a former friend who bought a SS amp from me. He let me use them while I looked for a replacement.

I have never read a review of a Cary amp, but my results were similar to what you said reviews described. The amps were slow, lacking in dynamics, and did not fare well if they did not get enough rest between listening sessions.

I waited a long time for that 'tube magic' to appear. It never came close to magic and never really even reached 'musical.'

I would not spend a penny on a Cary product based on the poor performance I experienced in my system. I wanted them to be good, but they never really were.

Biomimetic, I'm not sure if you're just stupid or if you believe that rubbish you just wrote. I have a tube system at work with KT 88's in the amp, and I like it very much. It sounds a lot better than the Cary ever did...

There are a lot of products that are tube based that I like a lot. I would like to sell my Klyne pre-amp and Pass Labs X-Ono and get a Manley Steelhead.

You are typical of the person who turns the initiate off to ever getting inbto this hobby, or to buying tube gear. I have had tube gear in the past, and I own it now. Just because everyone doesn't agree with you, does that make them wrong or are you going through some kind of mental issues where you have to fight with people who you don't know, and about which you know nothing???

You're saying that, as if my experience were invalid because it does not coincide with yours???

I listed the gear in my system! You asked about my speakers and I told you what I was using, what do you need, and invitation and a machine to travel back in time so you could hear how bad the cary's sound???

I was not bashing, I was stating my experience, How is that bashing, or derailing. If you offered me a pair of V 12's for free, I would not take them. They were dull and lifeless, kinda like your posts!

"It doesn't sound like a soild state amp therefore it is unreliable is not a first hand account of your problem with one of these amps. Is it"

This is a gross misrepresentation of what I said and meant. I got away from tubes a few years ago due to the unreliability of a Counterpoint SA 5.1. For about six years I used only SS gear.

After getting to know, through AudiogoN the virtues of tube gear, I decided I would like to try some tube amps. Cary's were one of the amps I wanted to try. SOme of the other amps were the Wolcotts, and VTL.

When the chance came up to try the V 12's I jumped at it. I even gave them an extended break-in which since they were well used, they should not have needed. After over one month I made my conclusion. Was one month long enough to determine that they did not sound good?!?

I wanted the Cary's to better the Krell amp I had just sold, and really thought I would buy the V12's from the clod who was no longer using them. I even had my wife sit and listen with me to make sure I was hear them right. The Cary's were dull, flat, lifeless and boring, compared to the krell amp that I was no longer interested in owning, and had sold to the Cary owner.

The Cary would have been a step backwards from an older Krell FPB 200! So I bought a new Krell FPB 700cx, which was better than the Cary in every conceivable aspect.

I wanted the Cary's to be good! I was hoping to buy them!!! BUT there was no magic, there wasn't even music!!! They sounded about 25% better than AM radio!

Jeffrey, I'm not trying to pick a fight with the gentleman who started this thread, I just tried to point out my experience. He has repeatedly claimed that I either don't know what I'm talking about, or that I have a bias against this product. I know I gave the amps a fair try, and I wanted to buy them until I heard them.

It's good to know that Cary does make some products that do sound good. I had more or less written the company off based on my experience with the V12's.

I don't have either of the Krells anymore, but they did sound better than the V12.