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Top Ranked Products from Carver Audio.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
jhaan92
(AudioPhile)
Review Date
August 24, 2009Overall Rating
 5 of 5
Value Rating
 4 of 5
Used product for
More than 1 year |
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Review 1 of 35
Price Paid:
$0.00 Summary:
I bought my original m-400 cube off ebay a little more than a year ago, but I remember when my parents had the cube with the "t" mod. A fantastic little piece of equipment, it is always nice to see the dumb look on people's faces when you tell them that is the power amplifier, and it does 200 watts RMS. Most don't believe me, but they soon come around.
While I need to get mine rebuilt, I have heard other standard m-400 cubes, and they are a great amplifier, and do very little to color the sound. I believe that they easily exceed the rated specifications from Carver, and with such a compact size, and weigh very little (only 10 lbs), what is not to love? They don't require any real ventilation, have no noisy fans, and can handle very demanding power loads.
Drawbacks:
Spring loaded speaker terminals-should have used binding posts
Parts, like the Magnetic Field Coil-are extremely hard to come by.
Strengths:
Very compact
Weigh very little
Pack a serious power punch
Impressed Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review
Need I say more? They also make great mono amplifiers for subwoofer applications.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
automaticmojo
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
December 30, 2007Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
More than 1 year Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1.00 votes
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Review 2 of 35
Price Paid:
$287.00
from Ebay Summary:
To add to my earlier 2 reviews, I recently sent my M400t, to Hi-Tech Audio (www.carveraudiorepair.com) to have all the capacitors replaced, along with the triac, check for cold solder joints, and calibrated as well. I wasn't having any major probelms, but wanted to avoid then in the future. Not cheap, at $289 w/shipping-but well worth it. It takes about 20+ more hours for the amp to break in, they run it at full power for 24 hours before shipping
After this break in I can't believe how much this amp has opened up!! WOW is all I can say. The clarity in the midrange and highs is now truely astounding. The low end response was always good, but it is now truely amazing!! Even my wife, who is not by any means an audiophile asked what I had done to my stereo. She thought I had done something to the speakers. The bass control had to go down a notch!
Perhaps many of the earlier negative reviews had to do with a M-400 either not adjusted right, or some sort of componet failing, or failure. On my M400t, they did notice some slight leakage on one cap (channel, or supply, I can't remeber).
A friend recently brought over a recapped, and broken in Onkyo Integra M-504 to compare, and he was astounded. While the Onkyo had similiar mids and highs, the M-400 had a much cleaner and tighter bass response. He is now currently looking on Ebay for a M-400t to refurb/rebuild for his office system.
Hopefully, this may shed some more light on this small, but wonderful amp.
If you have a M400t (or otherwise) and really want to see what it can do, give HI-Tech Audio a try.!! Strengths:
As mentioned earlier. Weaknesses:
Spring clips, and RCA hookups, for an extra $, get them replaced. A new power cord helps as well. Similar Products Used:
Same as mentioned earlier
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Rating
Reviewed by:
automaticmojo
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
October 17, 2006Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
More than 1 year Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
3.00 votes
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Review 3 of 35
Price Paid:
$287.00
from Ebay Summary:
I wrote a review on this amp in 2002, giving it favorable reviews. It still amazes me how many people don't understand this little amp, or perhaps more importantly the amp/speaker relationship. As with any purchase, you need to go into it with some knowledge of what you have as far as equipment, and how to best maximize their performance. If you don't know, look here, or get some knowledgable help. Obviously, given the sheer #'s that were produced of these amps, means the product has merit. And by saying "it's junk" it just plain ignorant.
My experience shows certain amps sound great with a particulair range of speakers, and sound terrible with other, regardless of who makes it. And with the Carver M400 (mines a "t"), it performs best with efficient speakers such as Klipsch, JBL etc. The one exception I have found are Maggies (and Wharfdales-strangley enough) , it really makes them come alive and sing! My freind, who has a pair, was so impressed with the M-400t when we hooked it up to his Maggies, he went right out and snached a M-400 on Ebay as well.
My point it is, if it doesn't work in your setup, either find some speakers that can get the best out of this amp, or sell it and find an amp that does work well with your setup, instead of calling something junk, because you weren't willing to experiment.
Audio enjoyment is a hobby, like anything else, and hit's and misses are all part of it. I wouldn't have it any other way!! Enjoy!! Strengths:
Compact, toruble free for being 20+ years old. Weaknesses:
Spring loaded speaker hookups. Similar Products Used:
To numerious to count.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
Billy
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
April 13, 2006Overall Rating
5 of 5
Value Rating
5 of 5
Used product for
More than 1 year |
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Review 4 of 35
Price Paid:
$400.00 Summary:
Purchased new in 1980, the first year they came out. Crisp, clean, clear sound no matter how high the power level or how inexpensive the speakers. A truly amazing design in a 7" cube box that emits no heat at all.
Sounds perfect after 26 years of heavy use, although my neighbors might have a different opinion of the sound level !
If you want small size, loads of power, clean sound, and years of trouble-free use, then this is a great buy. Strengths:
Everything. Weaknesses:
None.
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Rating
Reviewed by:
MJAB
(Audio Enthusiast)
Review Date
July 17, 2005Overall Rating
4 of 5
Value Rating
4 of 5
Used product for
3 Months to 1 year Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1.00 votes
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Review 5 of 35
Price Paid:
$0.00
from Anywhere (a gift) Summary:
Well, me again (saw my other reviews?)I do not pretend to be an expert, but what moves me into this "sound madness" is my passion for music (and sound, of course). Yes, it was a gift from my uncle (do not ask me where he got it). I using them with a pair of Polk RT25i (see Bob Reina review article in Stereophile), a NAD C521 CD player and a Creek OBH10 volume control in one of my house´rooms. As I have another two systems I was able to compare it with them, although it was an unfair comparison (Jolida 202A, Parasound HCA1000A and NAD T743 A/V receiver). But, at last, it is not so bad as many said. For a 24 years old little amp it sounds clear, well balanced an relatively powerful (but not so for a 200 w/ch spec). I have a Yamaha 12/4fx mixer and a pair or Shure KSM27, so I hooked the Carver to testing it as monitoring amplifier with the Polks, and I was surprised about its ability to bring clear sound, with enough detailed highs and low noise (apart from the normal "buzz" produced by the the amp power supply); it can not substitute my Roland active studio monitors but, in an emergency, it can be used for this task. On the technical side, a good technitian, friend of mine but not aware to good sound (in fact it doesn´t care about good sound) revised it and said that is an incredible piece of electronic engineering, despite of good or not good sound. In sum, just give it a break an you will find that this strange cube is not so crappy. Strengths:
It has 24 years old and still works...what else you want? Weaknesses:
You can´t compare it with actual electronics, but maybe its 200w/ch are not so real... Similar Products Used:
Jolida 202, Parasound HCA1000A, NAD T743
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