Well ..This Is Interesting...What Do You Think.?? Food For Thought..Or BS?

“Legendary Chops” ‘nough said!

Its a pity that Bob Carver had his name associated with the Crimson 275 tube amp, a poor design with grossly fraudulent specs [...]. Completely at odds with his prior work.

Yes, the Crimson episode was a disgrace, though Bob comported himself quite graciously throughout the whole thing (to add insult to injury, the Crimson also suffered from unsafe grounding).

However, overinflated specs, hype, vaporware, value-driven manufacturing and dodgy safety have always been hallmarks of Carver gear since the Phase Linear days. But so have innovation, talent and (when planets aligned) engineering brilliance.

I’ve restored several Carver pieces. I have an early TX-11 tuner that looks like a scary, factory-bodged mess inside, but it sounds great and it outperforms tuners that were far more expensive back in the day. As always, it’s complicated. 

Can we get a SS amp to sound like an Audio Note Ongaku, Berning, or top AR amps?

I question the inference that comparing the vintage Yamaha to a current model represents ALL of high end SS.  

If you are old enough, this info was splashed all over the place back in the day, and the "Challenge"

Gotta love Bob Carver.  This is a great hobby.  Looking at, reading about and dreaming about top end equipment I will never be able to afford and wouldn’t buy even if I could is part of the fun.  Don’t get me started on cables that cost more than my car.  Most people spend to their budget whatever floats their boat be it stereo equipment, cars, boats etc.  My main stereo is much more expensive and definitely sounds better than my first one I put together when I was a kid.  I trust my ears and suggest others do the same.  I have chosen equipment that I auditioned that cost less than other equipment because it sounded better in my system, in my room listening to the music I love with my old guy ears.  It’s okay to dream even if it’s just a dream.