CECAA850:

KMV:

Yea, I've read good reviews/comments on Carvers, unfortunately, they're no longer made as you stated above.

It's hard for me to think of them as being vintage when I bought them new .

I guess you are now.........

Vintage!!!!

Groomlakearea51:

CECAA850:

KMV:

Yea, I've read good reviews/comments on Carvers, unfortunately, they're no longer made as you stated above.

It's hard for me to think of them as being vintage when I bought them new .

I guess you are now.........

Vintage!!!!

1957 WAS a good year.

KMV,

Where are you located?  Maybe someone on the forum with vintage SS gear that lives in your general area would be willing to let you demo your CIII's with their setup.  If you are anywhere near the Orlando, FL area, I  have a 70's Marantz 2252b receiver and an early 80's NAD setup(pre,amp,tuner).  Both are very warm sounding with my Forte's and Quartet's.  If you are near me, drop on by for a test drive.

Bill

Pass Labs amplifiers would be an excellent option IMHO if you can audition any. An older model Pass Labs Aleph 30 reproduced sound on my friends KHorns that were serious competition for some McIntosh MC275, MC240 and Lamm tube amplifiers (that he also owned at the same time).

mike tn

I live in Schaumburg, IL (northwest suburbs of Chicago).  Thanks for the offer Bill, unfortunately, I'm pretty far away.

Hopy you are enjoying the warm weather in Orlando

Pass Labs.  I couldn't find their dealers locations online (I guess the are undergoing some changes or something, IDK).  But yea, I'd definitely like to give them a try based on the reviewes I've read (whenever their dealer location webpage is finished I guess)

Colin,

Horns and Tubes definitely make a match, but I'd like to stay away from tubes.  Unfortunately, my laziness would not match well tubes.

KMV:

at a store near my house.  This store also carried the entire Klipsch Heritage series.

db101:

Class D amplifiers (sometimes wrongly called digital amplifiers) have a reputation for sounding incredibly tube like. Two of the most highly regarded of these come from Red Wine Audio (which are battery powered) and Nu-Force Audio, these may be worth auditioning fi you're after a tube like sound.

I guess the essence of Class D amps consists of switching the input signal to PWM (whether it be analog or digital).  Thus, a Class D amp would probably more appropriately be classified as digital (regardless of the input signal being switched).  But who cares, digital... analog... paper... plastic... it's the sound that matters.  Since all my sources are digital (CD Player, DVD, etc), a Class D Digital amp would be more appropriate for me?  This way, rather than going through two phases of DAC (i.e. CD player AND Class D amp), it'll only occur once.

I'm think maybe the new NAD M2 Direct Digital Amp might be nice?

SWL:

KMV:

at a store near my house.  This store also carried the entire Klipsch Heritage series.

Ahh, Simply Stereo I presume?

Haha, yea

KMV,

I have a vintage Harmon Kardon 430 twin powered unit that you could check out if you'd like. There are a few guys here that dig the combo.

El cheapo and sounds very good.

I have recently built a pair of Cornscalas, which have similar bass characteristics as the Cornwalls.  I currently have an Adcom 454II amplifier with a passive preamplifier.   I found a good match that gives a more relaxed high end is to use a carbon based potentiometers for the attenuation with a solid state amp.  Various brands of potentiometer from Alps to Radio Shack giver different tonal qualities.  My Alps based passive gives a laid back hight end, but keeps the bass tight.  With the cheaper RS based passive, I loose some bass tightness, but an ever more laid back high end.

Good luck on your search for amp nirvana!  You will love the Cornwalls.

How 'bout a Sansui AU-9900, fully restored, mint condition, new caps, full service adjusted, etc.... Serious ss and will make a tube amp owner question their "faith"..... I just so happen to have one.... just sitting around.... not doing anything.... shiny.... lot's of serious knobs.... Just waiting for a new home.....

Courtesy of The Hypno-Toad Subliminal Message Service!