New Bob Carver Crimson 275 Stereo Vacuum Tube Amplifier-Taking orders.$2495 Shipped. Made in USA.

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My amp finally shipped out and should arrive by Thursday the 17th. They shipped it UPS ground. I would have thought they might have expedited the shipping since it took so long but no it is shipping the slowest possible way.
 
The most important thing is that it arrives undamaged. Way too much carelessness among our major carriers nowadays.
 
I received it yesterday and connected it to my main system down stairs in place of my McIntosh MC352. I picked 3 LPs to test with.
John Klemmer Touch - Original MFSL release in 1978 which still plays flawlessly.
Led Zeppelin I - Atlantic release in late 90s - This is one of the best re-issues of this album I have been told
Steely Dan Aja - Cisco Release

The John Klemmer album revealed details on the cymbals and percussion not heard before. John's Sax played clean with full authority. Drums and Bass revealed full authority and detail. Best I have ever heard this record.

Led Zeppelin I - Good Times Bad Times blew me away, this amp can play loud and is equally at home with Rock & Roll along with Jazz. Robert Plants voice never sounded better and John Bonham's drums slammed you against the wall. The triplets in the Bass Drum revealed every kick.

Steely Dan Aja - Probably the best I have ever heard this record as well. In the song Aja Wayne Shorter's Sax is in your face and never sounded better to me. Every detail of the mix of this album is revealed.

I do not intend to keep this amp in this particular system as I purchased it for my office system but it is temping to keep it there. It is a great sounding amplifier.

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However with digital sources it reveals the short comings of digital. This amp sounds its best with analog sources at least on my system.

Thanks for the review. I will start seriously looking for a new tube amp this summer and these are on my radar. This is good to know stuff since 90% of my listening is vinyl.

:beerchug:
 
I received it yesterday and connected it to my main system down stairs in place of my McIntosh MC352. I picked 3 LPs to test with.
John Klemmer Touch - Original MFSL release in 1978 which still plays flawlessly.
Led Zeppelin I - Atlantic release in late 90s - This is one of the best re-issues of this album I have been told
Steely Dan Aja - Cisco Release

The John Klemmer album revealed details on the cymbals and percussion not heard before. John's Sax played clean with full authority. Drums and Bass revealed full authority and detail. Best I have ever heard this record.

Led Zeppelin I - Good Times Bad Times blew me away, this amp can play loud and is equally at home with Rock & Roll along with Jazz. Robert Plants voice never sounded better and John Bonham's drums slammed you against the wall. The triplets in the Bass Drum revealed every kick.

Steely Dan Aja - Probably the best I have ever heard this record as well. In the song Aja Wayne Shorter's Sax is in your face and never sounded better to me. Every detail of the mix of this album is revealed.

I do not intend to keep this amp in this particular system as I purchased it for my office system but it is temping to keep it there. It is a great sounding amplifier.

View attachment 1389132

View attachment 1389133

How's the noise floor?
 
Since the release of the Crimson 275, I have been selling it with a satisfaction guarantee. Full refund with no restocking fee. Return it for any reason or no reason at all. Refund the same day it returns.

I have sold a lot of Crimson 275s since this thread began. They have been used in a huge variety of system configurations in the customers homes. Customers really enjoy them and they don't return them. I get many calls and Emails from happy customers. Just received an email today from a customer in Switzerland who is enjoying his 275. I'll paste it.

Hi Jim
Thank you very much for sending me the
wonderful Crimson 275. I had some time to
listen to my new music gear constellation.
Here is a little feedback: (but please forgive my bad english)
––––––––––
The very nice made amp has a wonderful glitter paintwork,
I think it’s signed by Bob Carver's hand!? I like how it looks!

First of all, the small size catches the eye.
Even the weight is only about half of my old one
Tube amplifier.
But I do not fool about the weight! All that matters is the sound.

To put the tubes into this amp is a children's game!
Plug in. Biascheck (was already accurate) - finished!
No eternal screw with the multimeter.

Let's go, I'm curious!
––––––––––
First I listened to my all-time favorites
Pink Floyd, Wish you were here, Shine on you Crazy Diamond.
super detailed resolution: the sparkling stars at the beginning. Beautifully spatial.
The transition and beginning "Welcome to the Machine" is almost scary.
Wow.

Bowie's Space Oddity
It almost makes me cry, goose bupms!

Beatles, CAN, Silver Apples, Clapton, The Who, Hendrix, Joplin
What should I say: I have never heard them any better.
And I really listen to this kind of music since long time.

Time to test some newer music:
Flaming Lips "Free Radicals“
OK, that blows you away! I hope that's what my speakers endure ;-)

Max Richter, Sleep, Dream 1: Hypnotic!

Marc Robot is one of my favorite musicians
I have seen him about 10 times on stage.
However, the sound has never been as accurate as in my sound room.

Meldody Gardot, awesome! There sound worlds open.
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Whether psychedelic, jazz, classical, pop, electronic.
The transparent resolution, stage-image and the tonal spectrum is awesome!

I was a little bit skeptical about this "listen to the room" function.
My listening room is quite small.
But the spatial representation is really much, much better
clearer and more spacious than with my old amplifier.

The bass is very crisp, bone-dry and goes very deep.
My old amp (Destiny Experience) was more of a roar in the room.
The bass with the 275 does not hang in the corner.
It’s somehow more physical present.

The mids are very good and lively, I would say the amp has liquid, golden mids, very nice!
The heights airy and precise but without the ears aching peak.
––––––––––

Size and weight apparently do not matter, when a genius head builds an amp!
Small device - gigantic sound!

It's incredibly fun to enjoy the sound.
There is such a vitality into music

I can fully recommend the Bob Carver Crimson 275!
An amazing device I love it!


Jim, I would like to thank you very much!
And please greet Bob Carver and Frank Malitz from me.
The Bob Carver Crimson 275 amplifier is awesome!
Christoph
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What does this mean?
Good question. The gentleman in the letter is from Switzerland. I have a Crimson 275 that was traded up for a pair of Crimson 350 mono blocks. Mike Shaw received 100% of the retail price for the he paid for the 275 toward the 350s. This creates a preowned 275 unit at a discount. This amp still has 57 months of warranty remaining and looks like new. $1950
 
What does this mean?

Well, he had been going through his favorite artists and describing how they sounded. "Meldody Gardot" sounded like a name, so I googled it and it looks like he slightly misspelled Melody Gardot, who is a young American jazz singer who toured through Switzerland last year. Assuming he next meant to say: "Their sound worlds opened." or "They sound worlds apart" [from previous listenings on lesser amps].
 
The McIntosh Mc 275 puts out 90 watts and it weighs A Gazillion pounds. Very beefy power Transformer. The Magnetization is minimized. Is this Carver Amp Class C ??? C as in Carver. Bob has always been such an amazing innovator. Look what he pulls out of his hat !!!
 
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