Carver Amazing Speakers

[mavava]

Hello people,

I just got used Carver speakers. I never had chance to hear Carver speakers and I really like the sound. But after five minutes of playing, both speakers stop working. Any idea why? Is there any fuse or something like that?
I'm going to appriciate any help.
Thanks
Nash

[JohnMichael]

What amp are you using to drive the speakers? Sounds like an amp went into a protective mode if they both stopped working.

[mavava]

Yamaha HTR-5890...but receiver working with other speakers.
Look like I blow speakers...I'm so sad. They sounded very good

[Feanor]

Yamaha HTR-5890...but receiver working with other speakers.
Look like I blow speakers...I'm so sad. They sounded very good

JM's point is that your particular receiver might not like these particular speakers -- without either being permanently damaged. The receiver might be able to shut itself down if it senses the speakers are drawing too much current for it to handle.

Look for fuses on the Carver and change them with new, identical ones. And/or borrow another, preferably high-grade receiver or amplifier and try the speakers again.

[JohnMichael]

Yamaha HTR-5890...but receiver working with other speakers.
Look like I blow speakers...I'm so sad. They sounded very good


I have a hard time thinking you blew both speakers. I think the speakers are causing your receiver to shut down. Try the Carvers alone with the receiver if you had others hooked up. Also make sure the Carver's are wired properly. If you know someone who might have a more powerful amp ask them if they could bring that over and see if the Carver's will work. I had a neighbor who owned a pair and they seemed very durable.

[Woochifer]

JM got it right. It sounds like your receiver has gone into the protection mode. The Carvers are great speakers, but they are also very demanding on amps. First thing you need to do is go into your receiver's setup menu and set the impedance to the lower setting. Even after doing that, you probably need an outboard amp to keep the receiver from constantly shutting down given how much of a load the Carvers put on your system.

[mavava]

I tryed with another receiver and...still. I tryed to connect one Cerwin Vega to left chanel and Carver to another. Still...Vega works, Carver not. Actualy, when I put my ear close to speaker. I can hear very...very low sound.
I have only one option left, as Feanor says, look for the speaker fuses. Those speakers are different shape. Like two doors. I'm not sure, this speakers have any fuse? Doesen't look they have it.

Thank You to all good people tryed to help me
Nash

[Rock789]

check on the crossover for the fuses...

[Florian]

That speaker requires serious amplification along the lines of over 500 watts into 8ohms, and not from AV Receivers ;-) Let me know if you sell them.

Cheers

[basite]

yeah, get more power,
non receiver power, and definately not yamaha power...
is your amp hot when the speakers stop playing?
or it could be that you blew a fuse, because the amp clipped...
in this case, search fuse, replace it, and get more power...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[mavava]

Unfortenately, I don't have anything more powerful then Yamaha.
Any afordable sugustion?
I'm going to look for fuse(s) I'm really looking forward to hear this speakers.
Thanks
Nash

[audio_dude]

if you can hear a faint sound it means that the amp can BARELY power the speakers, like the others said, get a better amp.

[mavava]

I don't know much about amp. Can you list some of amp. which going to enough powerful for this speakers? Then I can ask friends to borow and test speakers.
Yamaha, what I have, has 140w rms per chanel....what else I can looking for?

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Unfortenately, I don't have anything more powerful then Yamaha.
Any afordable sugustion?
I'm going to look for fuse(s) I'm really looking forward to hear this speakers.
Thanks
Nash

It is a very rugged (especially for home use) Pro DJ amp that is 450 watts RMS/average continuous output into 8 ohms stereo. I don't think that amp would have a problem. If your budget is tight than it might do the trick. Near 500 watts per channel with just .1% distortion is great for only about $300 or so. The only real downside at that price is the active fan it uses for cooling is a little bit noisy but not at all audible during most listening situations. Personally, I don't care about the fan noise. My PC has six cooling fans that are much louder and they are barely audible when you have music, movies, or games going.

If you decide to go that route and run into an annoying 60hz hum problem get ground loop isolators to kill that right away. I'm using RCA ground loop isolators from Radio Shack and a coax type isolator from Axiom. An RCA isolator connects between your source and your amp. A coax isolator connects between the cable in and the input on your cable box if you have one. Here are the links.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214&cp=&sr=1&origkw=Ground+Loop+Isolator&kw=ground+loop+isolator&parentPage=search

http://axiomaudio.com/groundisolator.html

[audio_dude]

good idea robert, i was going to look up a behringher myself for this thread, but looks like i was beat...

and someone with a personal experience with it, even better!

[Robert-The-Rambler]

good idea robert, i was going to look up a behringher myself for this thread, but looks like i was beat...

and someone with a personal experience with it, even better!

I love them absolutely. I just ordered 4 of them on monday from this little place in Brooklyn, NY called Focus Camera. The website is focuscamera.com and they currently have the lowest price on the net at just about $260 plus shipping and tax if you are in NY. Anyhow they sound so good for the money it is ridiculous. When I get my last four that will bring my total to 8 of them in my home theater.(I use 8 because I have two speakers for every channel, four is enough for good sound) I ordered 4 for the rears that so that all the channels will have identical sonic characteristics and equivalent gain so I don't have to get crazy fiddling with volume settings.(I know you don't "need" 900 watts for every rear channel) Anyhow hang in there when and if you order because especially if you want several of these it seems that everybody is having trouble stocking these. I emailed Focus about my order so we will see what happens. When they had the 2 I ordered a few months ago they came right away. Oh, you will need to get RCA to 1/4" adapters to connect RCA cables to EP2500s. They only have 1/4" connectors. Luckily Radio Shack has them for just a few dollars each adapter. Enjoy.

[mavava]

Thanks people. You are helping me to understand more. Now I know why low sound from speakers. Now I know what I looking for. I don't really care about fan noise! Let's listen music!
Thanks one more time!

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Thanks people. You are helping me to understand more. Now I know why low sound from speakers. Now I know what I looking for. I don't really care about fan noise! Let's listen music!
Thanks one more time!

I guess they were not backordered. Woohoo!!! Good luck.

[Feanor]

Thanks people. You are helping me to understand more. Now I know why low sound from speakers. Now I know what I looking for. I don't really care about fan noise! Let's listen music!
Thanks one more time!

Some people recommend the EP1500 because it is Class AB unlike the EP2500 which has Class H. See a discussion of amplifier classes ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_amplifier#Classification_of_amplifier_s tages_by_common_terminal

If 450 watts/ch at 4 ohms, or 700 at 2, isn't enough for the Carvers then you do indeed have some other probem.

[Florian]

Not to sound like a snoby jack ass, but the behringer will tickle the carver ;-) Its not in the same quality class. IF you do like the speakers and can give them the equipment needed then i would look for eloctrocompaniant **damn name, please look up correct spelling**, carver silver seven, Plinius etc.....

[Feanor]

Not to sound like a snoby jack ass, but the behringer will tickle the carver ;-) Its not in the same quality class. IF you do like the speakers and can give them the equipment needed then i would look for eloctrocompaniant **damn name, please look up correct spelling**, carver silver seven, Plinius etc.....

We know how you are. :) The fact is, though, that a brand new Behringer will deliver more power for less money than even long-used versions of the likes of Electrocompaniet.

[Florian]

We know how you are. :) The fact is, though, that a brand new Behringer will deliver more power for less money than even long-used versions of the likes of Electrocompaniet.

Maybe you should choose it over your current gear for the Maggies. More power and better controll. Dont worry about sound quality.

[basite]

the electrocompaniets look really sweet, but are quite expensive...
maybe you could consider this one...

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=VISP331&variation=SIL

it's not really expensive ($1k), weighs about 19 kgs, has 160,000 µF current reserve, and thereby it delivers plenty of power too...
but when money is no object, take the electrocompaniets, or a mcintosh or a krell or so...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[mavava]

I think, I'm going to take Behringer EP2500. It's about $300 and it's new. AND....what is very important! I can hide that much from my wife! Soon as I get pay check! LOL

[mavava]

I have another question:
What is better?:
TWO pairs of Magnepan MG-I or ONE pair of Carver Amazing Speakers?
I have chance to buy two pairs of Magnepan MG-I for $150
Or should I have all of them and take a chance to got killed of my wife? LOL

[Dusty Chalk]

Kevlar, dude. And leather, just in case she decides to use a knife.

And a really attentive attention span.

[Blue Meanie]

I have another question:
What is better?:
TWO pairs of Magnepan MG-I or ONE pair of Carver Amazing Speakers?
I have chance to buy two pairs of Magnepan MG-I for $150
Or should I have all of them and take a chance to got killed of my wife? LOL

One pair of Carver Amazings is better. But I'd also grab the 2 pairs of old Maggies for $150!

Jeff

[Florian]

The Carver will beat the Maggie, but only when driven right. Otherwise the Maggie with a more afforable amp will win..

[Nimue]

I'm British, don't know Carvers but the problem you mention sounds more wiring, don't think u've blown ur speakers. More details please.

All that's good to u and urs.=)

[Mr Peabody]

I tried to find some info on the Carver ALS and read a very interesting article in Stereophile. Nothing was said about fuses. But if you read the article you will see that there are many versions or generations of the same model out there. I found the article fascinating,especially to learn of the woofer design Bob did. I didn't see anything that would answer why no sound is coming from yours. The writer mentioned he easily destroyed a binding post but it's doubtful you'd mess up both at the same time. Even if you blew them, I'd think you'd get some sound, a rattle from the woofer or something. These are supposed to come with a sort of EQ or sound shaping control box, be sure to check all your connections. A store I worked at drove these speaker with Carver amps and Kenwood, so your Yamaha would at least give you sound. I have to say the Kenwood gear did cause blown drivers. At the time of the Stereophile article they weren't very favorable toward them. To my then untrained ear, I remember they didn't sound so bad with Carver gear. I do remember the bass being as described in the article, loose and lacking detail.

If some one is selling Maggies at $150.00 they must have just took them out of some guys living room and he is hot on their trail. I think with your equipment and from what I've read of the Amazing, you'd be better off with the Maggies. Carver is still supporting the speakers though with updates and service, so if you are dedicated to them, contact Carver to see what can be done. I don't have Carver's info but a Google search should hook you up.

[Robert-The-Rambler]

I tried to find out more about the Carver speakers and it looks like they claim to be 6ohms I believe. Sometimes that is not entirely accurate anyway because I had DCM KX12 Series 2 speakers that claimed to be 8ohms but a Sony amp that could only drive 8ohms years ago crashed and burned trying to drive the DCMs. When I opened the enclosure up the woofer was actually 4ohms so having 8ohms nominal resistance was probably not true. Funny thing is I think I heard that DCM is or was a budget line of Carver speakers. Anyhow, the Behringer EP2500 will handle down to 2ohms so if he goes that route it will work just fine.