That was far beyond the price range of the average consumer back then because it was built to please the most discriminating audiophiles, yet you didn't exactly have to be rich to afford it (see Macintosh, did I spell it right? No? Well, probably because I don't have one!) Thanks to my vintage receiver collecting hobby, I now have many others to readily compare it to. Colorado Springs Mobile Mechanic

None . .

I've owned my m500t for 24 years with no problems. I bought it new in 1985 and will never part with it! Anyone who claims that this amplifier is noisy or unreliable is insane. | www.columbusdrywallpros.com

Lacks punch and clarity in the high end

That year I was in my junior year of collegue and all my buddies were impressed with the speaker. They all thought the were high end speakers. I just replied to each that they were only "KLH". Lafayette emergency roadside Truck Repair

None . .

I have had my m500t for 24 yrs no problems ever,purchased new in 1985 and will never part with it! Any one who says this amp is noisy or unreliable is crazy, Radiator Repair Service

none . .

I owned 2 Carver monoblock Silver 7t's. Each were 1500w true rms amps. I purchased 6 Cerwin Vega VF-15'S TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE AMPS. Each amp was rated 400W Continuous at 100 true RMS ( I like pure sound and yes, being a drummer, I love it loud). Within 1 year, I blew the tweeters, the mid ranges and melted the crossovers. Having a 5 year warrenty, i sent all damaged equipment to CV headquarters. Within a week of receiving them, I got a call from the CV headquarters. After introducing herself to me, She said this exact quote: "WHAT in the hell are you powering 6 of our best speakers and blow everything but the woofers. My god, I've never seen crossovers melted this bad." I told her I had Carver Silver 7t's. She told me that they would replace all that was damaged, but told me that the 5 year warranty with me was a one time deal, that they would not replace anything from me again.

I know own 2 M500t's along with a Carver Pro Logic Audio/Video Pre-Amp / Tuner CT-28V, With a SD/A-360 Carousel CD Player and 2 CV VF12 Speakers. I monoblocked the amps. THE pros, playing around 10w gives clear, precise sound quality. Cons. The CV are rated at 75 rms, they in no way can handle the power my amps are putting out, and if you do, it overheats the amps. They need the freedom to pump what they are rated for. Will be getting Carver or Khlips speakers. You can't own top of the line amps without high end speakers if your an audiophile. Just my opinion

Okay... doubt anyone will read this, as I just happened onto this site by mistake. Regarding the Carver M 500 T; I found the range and humor of the reviews entertaining. There is such a rich audio history following Bob Carver; on the one hand superaudio hero to the parriah of the industry. Google the interesting carreer overview awhile back in Stereophile. I've owned a pair of m 500T's for twenty years, running them mono into JBL l200's and they are well worth their price. They do warm up but never becomming unstable. I was told that in mono they are actually Class A up to 35 watts, but that's what an engineer at Carver once told me. I've heard some amazing systems and these amps a fast, dynamic, and accurate. The "T" mode refers to the transfer of function Carver was attempting to duplicate with a Mark Levinson amp, back in the days when ML owned the company. Supposedly there is a huge difference between T and the M 500, but I never heard the M 500. The M500 T also has an on-off switch which is very handy. Here is the kicker. I recently acquired a Music Reference M% MK III and Oh My God. The single output tube in the line stage amounts to sound I never heard using the Carver C2 preamp. From top to bottom, the sound is beyond radically better, and that's what a Stereophile Class B rating and $1500 in 1992 dollars will score you. Bottom line... the M 500 T is an amazing amp and my friends thought it would have blown up long ago. Cheers!

I have had my m500t for 24 yrs no problems ever,purchased new in 1985 and will never part with it! Any one who says this amp is noisy or unreliable is crazy,

This 500t worked great until it overheated some years ago and shorted out. I sent it back to Carver in Lynwood ,Washington, in the original box with the correct packaging to be repaired, It was and it was returned to me. When it heats up, it still continues to cut out. Now, and I mean just a few minutes ago, even with a pancake fan cooling the boards, it just shorted out again..The burned spots in the circut boards were jumped across to bypass the burns in them instead of being replaced.. Now I fear the amp is toast....I also have the C-1 Preamp.The first pair of speakers I purchased with the system , I blew up in the first 20 minutes of use.. Now I have a old set of Polks...

Beautiful and LOTS of power.

None really.

I have owned many, many high quality amplifiers, both tube & solid state. This is the best amp I have owned. Lots of clean power. Beautiful looks. Runs cool. Great sound.

Similar Products Used:

Mac, DBX, Audio Dynamics, Ceratec.

Makes CD's sound warm and almost analog
Looks great

Lacks punch and clarity in the high end
Unnaturally colors the sound

I found a Carver M500T coupled with a Carver C1 preamp for sale locally on craigslist for $350. After reading reviews here and on other sites I had to check it out. I brought my trusty old Kenwood KA-9100 Integrated Amplifier along for comparison purposes. (Note: The Kenwood is rated at 95W RMS x2 and was purchased for $160). The speakers used for this comparison were JBL L100T's. I used the Carver M500T to drive the JBL's for my first listening. It sounded really good. Nice sound stage, more than ample power etc. Then I connected my Kenwood and listened to the same track. Compared to the Carver, the Kenwood sounded much more clean and clear. The highs sparkled in a way that would make any audio enthusiast smile. I'm currently looking for a pair of JBL L100T's for my own listening. In Carver's defense, the M500T did make the music sound more warm and analog, but like some reviewers pointed out it didn't sound pure and lacked punch in the high end. In conclusion, I liked the Carver, but it couldn't keep up with an older, cheaper integrated amplifier with 2.5x less power.