Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Sound By Singer

Summary:
My system is composed of the following:
Pre-amp - Audible Illusions M3A w/ Gold Phono Preamp
Speakers - B&W 805
Speaker Cables(Bi-wired) - XLO Signature $ Audioquest Clear
Turntable - VPI TNT Mk 3.5
Phono Cartridge - Benz Micro Ruby H
Interconnects - Audioquest Lapis
CD/DVD - CAL 20

I consider most of my equipment as "Best Buys" but the Cary 572SE is simply the best value that I got for my money. It is not expensive as the Cary 300 or 805 SET amps but performs as well in most listening situations. Support from Cary is also the best! When I had some problems with the output tubes, they were replaced promptly and was even given a pair for free by Dennis Had(the President) who personally communicated and attended to me via email. I think Dennis is the best and most accommodating head of any high end company. When it comes to SET amp design and products, Cary can't be beat!

Strengths:
Non-fatiguing sound. Can listen for hours without desiring to turn it off.Very musical. Superb soundstaging and imaging. Excellent bass for a low power amp. Low hum and background noise. Well built and solid construction.

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
B&K M200 Sonata Monoblocks

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Audio Connections

Summary:
The absolute best thing i have ever bought.Every thing starts with this Tube amp.I dont even need more power it,ll drive anything.WITH EASE!

Strengths:
Well, it,s the best amp in the world for the price. I have 87 sensitivity speakers and they drive them with EASE!!!enough said.BASS is excellent HIGHS outstanding, there,s no amp better PERIOD......

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
NONE

Price Paid:  $1300.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
Associated Equipment:

Ah! Tjoeb! 4000 CD player
Cary SLP-94P preamp
Soliloquy 5.3 speakers
TMC white and yellow interconnects and speaker cables

This is my first tube amp. My entire system has been assembled over the last year with an eye toward economy and compatibility. When I was a child in the 1960's, my father had a great setup of Dynaco separates that he built from kits, plus AR 2A speakers and the original AR turntable that he put on a shelf on the wall. That system sounded great at all levels, and as my kids got old enough, I began hankering for a top-notch system to replace the Bryston 3B amp/HK Citation 25 pre/Phillips CD/Canton minis and C-V subwoofer system I'd had for over 10 years. After choosing the Soliloquy speakers (with the idea that I would be matching them with SET amps) I chose the Cary 572s based on the reviews I'd read here and in the audio press.

The amps are of very high build quality, and are very substantial. They kick out a pretty high amount of heat, so be careful where you have them situated. Also, I've gone through a few of the 572 power tubes in the last 6 months. Might have been that the two it came with were on their way out, but one of the replacements went too. I suspect that how you manage the on/off cycle has a lot to do with this. I was leaving them in the on/standby mode overnight. Now I am trying turning them off almost every night, unless I am sure I'll be listening to them in the morning.

The sound these make is wonderful. Grain-free, smooth highs, sweet midrange with timbre and presence, and an authoritative low-end that isn't timid. In my system they are far more than adequate for my listening room (26' by 20' with a 15' cathedral ceiling). I cannot turn the volume control past 9 o'clock without inducing pain, so I cannot testify to their ability to recover from clipping, which I understand is excellent. They are non-fatiguing and represent a huge improvement over the venerable Bryston 3B solid-state amp they replaced.

One of the toggle switches broke off during shipping. I shipped the unit to Cary for repair and they turned it around in short order. They don't respond to email very quickly, but their service itself is timely and professional.

I recommend these amps to anyone who wants to discover the joys of SET amplification and wants to get an audiophile experieince on a budget. I listen to rock, jazz, classical and folk music, and all are reproduced in my system with realism and a you-are-there presence.

Strengths:
Air, space, dynamics, bass weight, build quality, midrange, soundstage

Weaknesses:
They generate a lot of heat--on hot days the a/c in my great room can't cope. Also, tube life is not great.

Similar Products Used:
Bryston 3B, Harmon-Kardon, Dynaco tube

Price Paid:  $1795.00 from http://www.jeffssoundvalues.com

Summary:
Associated equipment:
Amplifiers: Cary CAD 572 SE monoblocks (chrome chassis)
Preamplifier: Cary CAD 98 SLP w/ outboard power supply
CD player: Cary CAD CD 303
Turntable: Linn Axis w/ Basik and Grado Platinum Ref.
Phono Pre: Lehmann Black Cube
Speakers: BC Acoustique Nil's 93 dB/m
First of all, these monoblocks are a thing of beauty. The imaging is precise and well defined, throwing a very wide soundstage. Vocals are lifelike with tight bass response, devoid of the always nasty hanging bass notes. At 20 wpc, these monoblocks deliver more than enough power for my listening needs. At ½ volume, these monoblocks deliver volume at live concert levels in my listening room.

Strengths:
Detail, imaging, bass response, vocals, looks, build quality, value. Switchable between 4 and 8 ohms.

Weaknesses:
None so far.

Price Paid:  $1700.00 from audio web

Summary:
A POWER RATING OF 20 WATTS CAN BE VERY MISLEADING,WHEN IT COMES TO A TUBE AMP DESIGNED AS WELL AS THIS ONE.THE CARY 572 FILLED MY ROOM WITH A RICHNESS THAT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED FROM ANY SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER WITH UP TO 3 TIMES THE POWER RATING OF THE 572.A WELL EXECUTED SINGLE ENDED TRIODE TUBE DESIGN IS THE MOST NATURAL SOUNDING AMPLIFYING DEVICE ON THE PLANET TO THESE EARS...PERIOD... I WAS SICK AND TIRED OF READING ALL THE HYPE ABOUT THE CARY SOUND,BUT AFTER I SAT AND LISTENED I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUSS IS ALL ABOUT....IF SWEET MIDRANGE AND CLEAR NATURAL TONES WITHOUT SOFT TUBEY COLORED CHARACTERS ARE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THIS MAY BE THE AMP FOR YOU...IT IS NOT THE BEST AMP THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM THE CARY CAMP BUT I WOULD HAVE TO SPEND TWICE AS MUCH TO FIND BETTER AND THIS AMP ALREADY TAKES ME THERE... EQUIPMENT:TURNTABLE TECHNICS SP10MKII,SOLILOQUY 5.3 SPEAKERS,MELOS 333 PREAMP,PERPUTUAL TECH P3 DAC.PIONEER 606 DVD,JPS LABS CABLES AND INTERCONNECTS

Strengths:
superb build quality

Weaknesses:
needs to be matched with speakers that are reasonalbly efficient

Similar Products Used:
conrad johnson,rogue,sonic frontiers,joule,