Carver Pro ZR 1600 Digital Amp - Audition (Long)

[whell]

Let tne audition begin!

BACKGROUND

I've removed the Adcom GFA 535 that I had powering my RF-7's and moved that the power my center channel. Taking the place of the 535 is the Carver ZR 1600 digital amp. This is part of the latest "wave" in amplification, based on the Tripath chip design. In a nutshell, here is what Tripath is looking to do with their design:

"In Audio, Tripath is enabling personal computers to have home theater quality sound systems. In home and car sound systems, Tripath technology is enabling systems with more power in smaller, lighter configurations. Tripath has used its Digital Power Processing technology to create a new breed of digital audio amplifiers referred to as Class-T® amplifiers.

"Class-T® digital amplifiers provide the audio fidelity of traditional linear (Class-A/B) amplifiers with more than twice the power efficiency of these devices. This leads to higher levels of integration and smaller packages at the semiconductor level. At the system level, these advantages reduce the size of power supplies and heat sinks and significantly reduce the heat management challenges of today's dense, complex electronic systems. While pulse width modulated (PWM) switching amplifiers (Class-D) can also achieve similar power advantages, none have been able to do so without a significant compromise in audio fidelity. Hence Tripath's new designation, the Class-T® digital amplifier the new standard in audio performance and power efficiency."

So, while Tripath was looking to reduce amplifier current needs and also retain high fidelity, there has also been achieved an amplifier, in this Carver implementation as well as other products from other audio companies, amps that produce stunning and rewarding sonic results.

Carver Pro is licensing the Tripath design to create the core of their "ZR" product line. This line includes the 1600, as well as the 500 and the 1000. Both use the same basic core amplifier design. The differnce in implementation is on the addition at higher levels in the product line features which might appeal to sound engineers using these products and professional and commercial applications: Plug in modules for signal processing, input sensitivity adjustment, front panel controlled high pass filters, etc. The original design intent of these amplifiers was to service commerical sound applications. Carver Pro has indicated that they are entertaining the ideal of an implementation of this amp design for home use.

It must be noted on the version of this amp that I have placed in my system has been modified. The modifications are designed to make the amp more acceptable for home use: The pro phone jack imputs have been replaced with Vampire OFC RCA Jacks , 23GA Solid Silver Teflon hook-up wire directly to an IDC connector on the mainboard, which bypasses the input card (bypassing 5 or 6 op-amps that supported some of the pro audio features, but were reputed to add some graininess to the sound), reduced fan speed to significantely reduce the Fan noise level, and rewire outputs with Kimber 15 gauge OFC wire to NEW Cardas Copper Binding Posts. In the future, I many choose to replace the fan with a Papst or other fan designed to operate much more quietly. I did not do the mods myself, as my skills are limited in this regard, so I cannot comment on the relative complexity of the modification work.

SYSTEM

Mine is a system that for many would embody an incorrect approach to a "high end" sound system. For a variety of reasons, my primary system does double duty as a stereo and an HT system. In my opinion, it does both farily well, though it probably does neither extremely well. The system in use is described in my signature below.

My listening room is about 22' X 12', with an 8' ceiling. The room is carpeted, and includes 2 cloth covered couches. The walls are papered, and the paper has fabric conent with a texture that may serve to "deaden" the room more.

LISTENING

I will be adding to this section over time. I must say that my initial impressions are extrememly favorable. There, to me, is a dramatic difference in the performance of the 1600 versus my Adcom 535. The difference can best be described as like the difference between listening to a decent, not perfect, recording of a live performance, and then going to the live performnace.

So far, I have listened to Alison Krauss - So Long So Wrong, James Taylor - October Road, Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth. With each of these three recordings, I can safely say that there are characteristics of the recordings, as well as instrumentation, that I have not before noticed. What seems to be standing out to me right now are the placement of instruments and vocals on the sound stage. There is a much more defined (accurate?) sound stage than I have previously been aware of. Drums riffs travel much more distrincly across the sound stage. Cymbals suddenly have a much sweeter character to them: what used to sound more like a hiss now sounds like a shimmer. Krauss's and Taylor's vocals are the most stunning. (My wife even took notice of this, and just for "testing" sake, I chose not to tell her that I had made a change in the system.) Both singers are now "in the room with us". Both are noticablely forward of the other band members, and clearly distringuishable from their back up vocalists. Lovett's vocals, certainly now clearer and more distinctive than I am used to, did not seem to move forward in the soundstage as noticably, if at all.

I can't wait to hear more, as only 3 CD's don't make for much of a review. I was gone over the weekend, and will be traveling later this week. Tonight and tomorrow night become the next listening opportunities. I'll post more feedback as I can.

[ShapeShifter]

Mike,

Were the mods by authorized rep or third party? Wondering if there are any potential Warranty issues?

Wes

[ShapeShifter]

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[ShapeShifter]

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[whell]

These mods do not void the warranty. Carver Pro is actively participating with a number of 3rd parties in modding their ZR line, as this is deemed to be a good way to determine how best to implement the amp as an in home product.

[Audio Flynn]

Whell,

Can you post a link to some specs for this amp?

It seems like there are quite a few different design concepts using the TRIPATH.

[leok]

Tripath makes several chips and chipsets. The P6D uses an integrated approach with the logic and output transistors in a single package. Other approaches, enabling power levels chosen by the designer, use a seperate logic chip controlling output switching transistors (which themselves may be discrete or in 1 or multi-channel packages).

Leo

[whell]

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On 10/19/2004 9:38:49 AM Audio Flynn wrote:

Whell,

Can you post a link to some specs for this amp?

It seems like there are quite a few different design concepts using the TRIPATH.

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Here's a link to the Carver Pro web site:

http://www.carverpro.com/2003/products/zramps.html

You can view product manuals and schematics for the ZR series amps.

[whell]

Got some more one on one time with the ZR 1600 over the past couple of days. I'm off to Miami this AM to conduct a couple days of training, so while cooling my heels in the airport, now seems as good a time as any to share some observations.

Listening over the last couple of days: SACD James Taylor, JT; SACD Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic; CD Michael Buble; CD Alison Krauss, Everytime You Say Goodbye; CD George Benson, Big Boss Band; CD John Coltrane, Lush Life.

I continue to be impressed by what this amp is able to do, and the new character of sound that is coming from my system. I'm much more inclined now to listen to music and just sit back and enjoy it, where I must admit to being previously guilty of listening to my "system" as much as I was listening to the music.

One thing that has impressed me with this amp is what seems to be going on with the bass. Previous amps I have used have produced deep, substantial bass, but without much detail. What I'm noticing now, when listening to Krauss or JT for example, is that the bass is deep, not quite as "boomy", but I'm noticing the detail that the bass guitar or upright bass is producing. The "slap" of the strings on the upright bass is heard with the sting of the fingers on the strings and the vibratto of the strings as the note decays. I've never noticed this before with anything near the detail that the ZR is producing.

On the most recent listening session, as noted before, the sound stage is now wide AND tall. Coltrane is about 6 feet tall in my living room, Krause is just as tall, and is clearly standing center forward of the rest of Union Station. Steve Tyler is also standing tall and forward of his band mates, who seem to be distrincly placed across my living room. Each of the band's instruments are clearly defined in their own space. This is just so darn cool!

Big Boss Band is a nicely recorded (maybe a bit bright) recording, and the band is large and wide in my living room. Benson's guitar is clearly the lead instrument, but sax, piano and string solos are clearly placed with smoothness and detail.

One additional note about Krauss: to me, her voice has always sounded more breathy and thin, though none the less beautiful. Her voice now has substance and depth, which I've not heard before.

This amp seems to me to be the real deal. I'm enjpying the hell out of my music, more so than ever before.

[MrMcGoo]

minn_male_42 has the same amp and reports similar results with his KLF-30s.

I switched from a B&K ST 2140 to a Sunfire CG II with 225 watts. The bass improved in a similar manner. The RF-7s dip below 3 ohms in the bass frequencies. It takes a very good amp that can drive low impedances to get the best performance out of them.

Bill