Carver M1.5t magnetic power amp

flatback · #1 08-13-2009, 06:19 PM

Someone loaned me this amp...its a stereo power amp for PA or home stereo, very hifi...it was sitting in here powering my stereo when this cat saw it and said I should try it with my bass. Even though its a weird plug arrangement, I plugged the Avalon U5 into it...the carver has nothing but power, no gain no on/off no nuthin, but man does it sound great. Quiet natural warm but uncolored . It is 2 rack spaces so I'm probably not gunna gig with it but...it sounded better then the U5 into the Focus lll thru the Wizzy 10 and a Harry Kolbe 12.
If I could figure out some way to hook it up and schlep it without putting it and the U5 into a 4 space rack I would.
Anybody know what a magnetic field amp is? in laymans terms? Anybody heard of this or played thru one?

robobass · #2 08-13-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flatback

...
Anybody know what a magnetic field amp is? in laymans terms? Anybody heard of this or played thru one?

Yeah, the name is just a lot of hookus - something to do with the power supply. I have a PM-600, which is a nice power amp for PA, Hi-Fi, or bass, and due to some creative design is lighter than what was typical in the early '80's when it was made. The company made good solid hardware, but their downfall was excessive marketing hype like "magnetic field", "sonic holography" and such. In the end it's a perfectly good power amp, but no toads to princesses here. (Especially not that Dutch babe on the Joe Farrell album!)

clink · #3 08-13-2009, 10:03 PM

I found this which may or may not be anything close to the truth, but: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/arc.../t-117433.html

A few years ago, I bought a TFM 35 at a garage sale for a buck or two!
It sounded very nice on my stereo and the sound of over $300 bucks sounded better in my paypal account a week later.

fdeck · #4 08-13-2009, 10:27 PM

Confirming what's on the AudioKarma website:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-69614.html

SCR regulated power supply, and Class-G power amp circuit. Probably a decent design.

MR PC · #5 08-13-2009, 11:04 PM

Me thinks that these don't fair well without line voltage regulation. As I recall, my bass playing buddies had problems with serious tone suck when the other players on the bandstand plugged their rigs in. The organ player hits a big chord, and the Carver gets left gasping for voltage....

Maybe better in the home stereo environment?

Mike Arnopol · #6 08-13-2009, 11:29 PM

I used a Carver 2.0 for years. Sounded great. Still in my basement. Durable, warm, tube-like sound. Not the last word in impact, but great for the weight. Gary Willis (one of my bass gods) used one for years. Maybe I should sell mine.

flatback · #7 08-14-2009, 11:14 PM

hey thanks,
yea it really isn't something to take out and hook up on a regular bassis...if at all, but the combo has a great sound.

i like super low noise amplification.
I have been running the U5 into the Focus and making the U5 the hottest signal and turning the preamp on the Focus way low and the power amp too. Sounds much better then what I was doing before.
It makes me start thinking about how the power section of the amp affects the sound and since I like the sound of the U5, what is the best way to power that? Is it the Focus? Or is there something that would augment the U5 better? and be smaller...
BTW when I run the U5, I never seem to have issues with phase or the need for the notch/HPF.

robgrow · #8 08-15-2009, 10:44 AM

The Carver magnetic field coil power amplifiers used a switching power supply. Switching power supplies were nothing new however, and Walter Woods amps have been using them since 1970. Bob Carver was very good at creating imaginative names for his products.

seamonkey · #9 08-17-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Arnopol

... Durable, warm, tube-like sound. ...

Carver did this on purpose. You can read a lot about it in articles, but essentially he added resistors in series with the output. He was able to convince audio experts in double blind tests with this technique.

synaesthesia · #10 08-17-2009, 02:19 PM

Bob Carver's designs go way back ... do you remember Phase Linear in the 70's?

I like Carver amps and have several of them, I buy them when I see them in good nick. My go to 1U power amp is a Carver PM300 bridged. I have been gigging and using them in monitoring in a multiband large studio speakers these since they came out and they are still going....

I can't disagree that some of the descriptors have a pseudo science whiff about them....but that already started with "Phase Linear"!

seamonkey · #11 08-17-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robobass

... "sonic holography" ...

From what I read.
A bit of the right signal is subtracted from the left, a bit of the left subtracted from the right - and you're left with better left/right separation. Doesn't mean much today with digital media.