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Carver amp service and update


Pete H

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Has anyone here used the Carver service out of Washington?  I have 3 M200's that all work but due to their age I'm thinking about having all three serviced, caps replaced, update the speaker connectors and inputs.  I'm open to any qualified place or person doing this but wanted to get some input from others that have already done this.

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@Pete H  I've not personally used them but there are many great techs on www.thecarversite.com who repair these and are awesome.   I rebuilt my M200t some years back, which I've since sold, but it was an outstanding amplifier.  There are some "updates/upgrades" for it that take it to the next level in performance.  Nothing crazy like the M-1.0t MkII Opt 002 but still a little better.  One of my two upstairs systems is a highly modified Carver C-1 with the BillD mods & remote control, an M-1.0t Mk II Opt 002 (460wpc) and DTL-200 CD player (mainly for looks).

 

You might join that site and see who they recommend.

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Pete, check with @jjptkd he is a Carver guy and lives in the Carver part of the world. He has experience with a few different service providers and talks to all those Carver people.

I have a M 1.5t that needs service but never seem to get around to doing it, just sits there looking sad, still sounds good but has a slight crackle at time. Keep us posted on who you go with and how they do.

 

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3 minutes ago, MookieStl said:

Pete, check with @jjptkd he is a Carver guy and lives in the Carver part of the world. He has experience with a few different service providers and talks to all those Carver people.

I have a M 1.5t that need service but never seem to get around to doing it, just sits there looking sad. Keep us posted on who you go with and how they do.

 

I'm the same way about not getting around to it but my winter goal is to get the Carvers done as well as the Sansui and be good to go.  I knew there were some Carver guys on the site and figured they will eventually chime in.  I use these 200's running bookshelf speakers and have used them on the top end of some actives and they have never disappointed me.  

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26 minutes ago, Pete H said:

I'm the same way about not getting around to it but my winter goal is to get the Carvers done as well as the Sansui and be good to go.  I knew there were some Carver guys on the site and figured they will eventually chime in.  I use these 200's running bookshelf speakers and have used them on the top end of some actives and they have never disappointed me.  

I have five TFM-15s and they never let me down. Plenty of power for most applications. 

Actually MKP (More Klipsch Please) goes by the alias of MCP on the Carver website. He's mysterious like that. @MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE

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3 hours ago, Pete H said:

Has anyone here used the Carver service out of Washington?  I have 3 M200's that all work but due to their age I'm thinking about having all three serviced, caps replaced, update the speaker connectors and inputs.  I'm open to any qualified place or person doing this but wanted to get some input from others that have already done this.

I've never had anything sent out to Roland (Hi-Tech Audio) but I understand he does fine work. Never heard any bad from the guys over at the Carver site. 

There are some guys that do repair and mods to gear on the Carver site. I met a couple of them a few years back at a Carver gathering down in Virginia. All very nice guys that do it for the love of the Carvers. One guy bought his fresh Carver Silver 9t's that the one guys did for him. We powered my KP-362's that I bought down for the day. I wish they would have put more power to them.

Anyway there is a waiting list for these guys.

 

1 hour ago, MookieStl said:

Actually MKP (More Klipsch Please) goes by the alias of MCP on the Carver website. He's mysterious like that.

🤣🤣 mysterious.... 

 

Later 

 

MKP

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1 hour ago, MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE said:

 

 One guy bought his fresh Carver Silver 9t's that the one guys did for him. We powered my KP-362's that I bought down for the day. I wish they would have put more power to them.

 

Later 

 

MKP

A pair of those should have been plenty for your 362's, unless the boss went too. She has a tendency to twist the volume knob to the right.

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On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 7:57 AM, MookieStl said:

Pete, check with @jjptkd he is a Carver guy and lives in the Carver part of the world. He has experience with a few different service providers and talks to all those Carver people.

I have a M 1.5t that needs service but never seem to get around to doing it, just sits there looking sad, still sounds good but has a slight crackle at time. Keep us posted on who you go with and how they do.

 

Honestly haven't been on any of the Carver forums for quite some time, hardly get a chance to browse through here any more. 

 

Bill Flannery of "Flannery's Vintage Audio" specializes in Sunfire equipment only, I've asked him a few times over the years if he'd ever consider other brands for repair but he has told me he stays plenty busy doing his thing and doesn't anticipate things will change any time soon.

 

Rolland at Hi-Tech in OR is the "authorized" Carver repair center from what I understand but have seen several people on eBay lately either offering repair service or selling refurbished amplifiers, some for seemingly very reasonable prices. If I were in the position of wanting refurbished Carver gear of a common model i'd likely pick up one that has been gone through already and either keep my old amp as a stand by or sell it to make up some of the cost of the new one.

 

Here are a couple serviced 1.5t's for around $500 each on eBay right now, think it would be hard to have one serviced at that price if you include round trip shipping cost plus having the ability to sell the one you have to possibly make up half the cost if not more seems like a no-brainer to me. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carver-M1-5t-Amplifier-Refreshed/293400060187?hash=item445001a11b:g:vKcAAOSw-mtd3Lv0

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carver-M1-5T-Amplifier-Beautiful-Professionally-Upgraded-with-Warranty/153778599806?hash=item23cdeb377e:g:49YAAOSwdz9eB9St

 

 

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Here's the quote i received. 

 

Listed below are the service details and available updates for the M-200t amplifiers. Please call if you have any questions or shoot us your number and we will be happy call you on our dime,

 

Thank you so much,

Rolland

Chassis Refresh M-200t

  • Repair all issues
  • Touchup all poor solder 
  • Replace 100% of the electrolytic capacitors throughout the entire chassis
  • Upgrade the high rail power supply capacitors 15KUF 63V 105C UCC
  • Calibrate to factory specifications 
  • One year parts and labor on all work performed
  • Cost $299.00 plus return shipping

Modification for sonic improvements to the midrange and upper octaves* 

  • Polypropylene bypass capacitors in the signal path $65.00 (Optional)* 
  • Low noise op amp $65.00 (optional)* 
  • 5 Way Binding posts $85.00 (Optional)
  • Chassis mount lug type RCA $65.00 (Optional)

Carver Service / Hi-Tech Audio

2241 Loop Road

Stevenson, WA 98648

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On 1/4/2020 at 12:21 AM, Randyh said:

the servicing is give or take the actual value of these amps --400$ , now if nothing is wrong with these amps , why service them as this servicing includes the Repair of all issues /basically a flat rate repair when the amps fail

That's where I'm at with it as well.  I didn't expect it to be that much and I may look at replacing the caps myself on 1 of the units to see if it makes a difference but not sending them in for that $$

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  • 4 weeks later...

I recently used Hi-tech audio to refurbish a Carver M1.5t amp in the fall of 2019 and yes it was expensive.  I shipped it to them and there was a 12-14 week waiting period before they could get to it and it took another 4 weeks to actually refurbish and have shipped to me.  Service was very friendly and I had a couple of phone calls with them to discuss the options once they were ready to work on it.

 

Was it worth it?  I think so.  Since I've gotten it back I've been driving a pair of Martin Logan Quest electrostatic speakers.  It is driving them effortlessly and has really opened up the sound that I can get out of those speakers.  I also have a pair of Boston Acoustics A400s that I'm itching to give it a try on.  Seems to have endless power.  Here's what I currently have for a system, bargain basement heaven :)

 

Carver C-3 Preamp

Carver M1.5T Amplifier  

Rega Planar 2 Turntable

Denon DCD-1520 CD Player 

Nakamichi CR2A Tape Deck

Hafler Iris Tuner

Martin Logan Quest speakers

Edited by greyfeld
correct errors
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  • 4 weeks later...
On 2/25/2020 at 8:53 PM, rplace said:

I had 4 Carver TFM 25s overhauled by Many Moons audio, Could not be happier. Paul is a forum member.

 

 

I've used Paul in the past and would absolutely use him again.  Very thorough.

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