Old Carver or New Carver???

[Sunrayman]

Hello.
I have a marantz home theater 140 wpc I use to run two channel audio with klipsch klf-30's until the protection circuits shut off the fun...in the middle of the song with guests ...
I want to eliminate this "protection" and get an amp, with headroom, and power to drive the klf-30's 200w rms 800 peaks close to their limits without hurting them or the amp.
I like the Phase Linear 700B 375 w rms or the newer carver tm-55x, about 375 w rms.
Can anyone please advise me as to the relative pros and cons of either amp? They're about the same price on e-bay...
I want to ROCK the klipsch for several songs in a row...y'all know what I mean, heh, heh.
"Sunrayman"

[Rycher]

I own a TFM55 (same except for THX certification). It is clean, powerful, dynamic, and musical. A very nice amplifier. I don't know about the Phase Linear.

[DcnBlu]

The Carver 55 is a solid performer that will delight you. Test it out.

[spacedeckman]

Find a Parasound and you will be much happier.

Years ago I took down a TFM55 with a 60 watt h/k AVR20 receiver. The h/k blew it out of the water on all fronts...we didn't try louder though. Sounded like poo.

[Rycher]

Funny, I've owned several HK recievers and amplifiers. Never did I think they "took down" the Carvers in any fasion. The HK's did have a very nice punchy sound, but I always found the highs a bit harsh and the soundstage too constricted. I've sold away those HK's long ago and stayed with the Carvers.

[spacedeckman]

It's the only time I've ever done it...AVR20 (original) and TFM55. I had three guys, one owned that amp..had just bought it.

[royphil345]

I have a Carver A-760X 380 Watts RMS X 2 (One of the final models before Carver went under). There is also an A-500X 250 watts RMS X 2, and an A-753X 250 watts RMS X 3 (would love to own one of these!!!). These were some of the nicest sounding amps Carver ever put out (IMHO). At the top of this series was the Lightstar (AWESOME AMP!!!) This series seemed to have especially solid bass compared to some of the older models + higher current. Still like the older stuff too though. Think there was a year or two before the latest models where there were some reliability problems. Overall, think Carver is a great value on the used market.

On the pro side of Carver amps, I would say that they have lots of headroom and will drive even difficult speaker loads with no problems at all. On the cons, I would say that some of the older models can sound a little light on the bass. I would say the the "Carver sound" is pretty neutral. Not overly warm or bright. I had a Harman Kardon AVR-25. Loved the sound, but would classify it as warm. Might soften the edges on some systems, but the Carver might sound more detailed on others. More a matter of preference than anything else I think.

[jrflanne]

I used to have a Carver amp/preamp combo. I forgot which model but the amp had something like 200 wpc. I ran a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's with it and I thought the Carver stuff performed very well.

[whell]

You might also consider the Carver Pro line of Digital Amps. These are made by Phoenix Gold, who bought the rights to use the Carver name, so no real relation to the Carver of old. These amps are targetted at the professional market, but are being snapped up by home audio and HT enthusiasts because the sound is nothing short of spectacular. I'm using the ZR 1600 right now with my Klipsch RF-7's and love the results. Lots of info out there on the web about upgrades and mods for these amps that really make these amps sing.