Head-Fi.org › Forums › Summit-Fi (High-End Audio) › High-end Audio Forum › CARY CAD-88SEI
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

CARY CAD-88SEI

post #1 of 11
3/2/10 at 3:11am
Thread Starter 
Anyone here heard this amp? I've managed to find one locally for a good price; I will probably collect it tonight.

From the limited info I've managed to dig up online, apparently this is a SET integrated amp with KT88s (like the 300SEI except with KT88s instead of 300b). The original retail price (in the late 90s) was $3000 I think. These are the only pictures of it I've been able to find:



Here is manual: http://www.caryaudio.com/pdfs/manual...e/cad88sei.pdf

How would this compare with the 300SEI or SLI-80? Anyone want to guess how it would go with K1000 or other headphones?
Reply
post #2 of 11
3/2/10 at 11:48pm
Thread Starter 
I got it from the seller last night (unfortunately mine doesn't come with the gold face plate ). Almost broke my back lugging it home. Immediately replaced the stock KT88s with genalex goldlion reissues and spent the whole morning listening to my K1000 out of the amp. Nothing short of stunning. It does some things better than my KGSS-OmegaII rig.
Reply
post #3 of 11
3/3/10 at 5:45am
Interesting. I'd like to read a more profound comparison with KGSS/O2.
Reply
post #4 of 11
3/3/10 at 9:22am
interesting all the KT88 amps I have heard including the SLI80 were push pull and after a while became fatiguing. I'd rather the 300b true triode over a pentode tube used in triode mode.

Glad you like the amp and after you brief assessment I'd be interested to hear this one as it is single ended. Given the watt rating at 20 it is pentode only and there is no option to run the amp in triode mode?
Reply
post #5 of 11
3/3/10 at 10:12am
wow, nice Jon.
Reply
post #6 of 11
3/3/10 at 10:57am
that's a nice score, XXII.

(btw, sorry for gong off-topic, but where can I find used high-end gear in HK - whether online or physical stores? HK is audiophile crazy, and I've got to believe there is a massive second hand market. I just don't know where to look. Looking for things like high-end DACs, maybe speakers, etc. If anyone knows, please PM me).
Reply
post #7 of 11
3/3/10 at 2:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimP View Post
that's a nice score, XXII.

(btw, sorry for gong off-topic, but where can I find used high-end gear in HK - whether online or physical stores? HK is audiophile crazy, and I've got to believe there is a massive second hand market. I just don't know where to look. Looking for things like high-end DACs, maybe speakers, etc. If anyone knows, please PM me).
me neither. pm me please also? thanks
Reply
post #8 of 11
3/3/10 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 
^ I'll send you both a pm in a sec.
Reply
post #9 of 11
3/3/10 at 10:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by brat View Post
Interesting. I'd like to read a more profound comparison with KGSS/O2.
To elaborate a bit more:

KGSS+O2 has the incredible bass control, almost bottomless amount of detail and imaging/headstage a la Darth Nut review. On the other hand the 88SEI+K1000 has the realistic soundstage the K1000s are famed for, beautiful highs, and I suspect the KT88s give added impact and control to the bass.

The superiority of the KGSS+O2 was most clear when I listened to the Art of Fugue SACD (pentatone). The 88SEI+K1000 simply didn't have enough detail or good enough imaging to pull it off whereas this recording sounds incredible on the KGSS+O2: It gives each "line" (I don't know the technical term -- sorry!) of the fugue it's own space yet somehow makes all the discrete parts seem coherent.

I hope this makes sense!

The 88SEI also sounds very very good with the K340 (also out of the speaker outputs). I haven't tried the headphones out that much but from a brief impression, they didn't seem to do that well with HF-2s.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jp11801 View Post
interesting all the KT88 amps I have heard including the SLI80 were push pull and after a while became fatiguing. I'd rather the 300b true triode over a pentode tube used in triode mode.

Glad you like the amp and after you brief assessment I'd be interested to hear this one as it is single ended. Given the watt rating at 20 it is pentode only and there is no option to run the amp in triode mode?
This is my first real tube amp so I can't really make any comparison -- of course this amp is a lot cheaper compared to the 300SEI and also I think in general, KT88s are cheaper than 300B.

I don't quite follow your last part: are you saying that since it outputs 20W it must be operating as a pentode? There's no switch to change any modes.
Reply
post #10 of 11
3/4/10 at 11:17pm
Some KT88 amps like the SLI 80 I believe allow the user to switch between pentode and triode mode. While I am not technically adept, a pentode can be used in full pentode mode or can be used as a triode. Pentodes tend to be more upfront and reactive while triodes tend to sound more musical or lusher. I tend to prefer triode but I have never heard a kt88 in signal ended (not push pull) mode. If the amp were operating in as a triode it would output a lot less than 20 watts. This is not inherently a good or bad thing just a preference thing.

Previously I owned a KT88 amp that was push pull, two kt88s per channel and I greatly preferred triode mode. There was a greater sense of space and richer mids but the bass was not as good and dynamics were not as good as well. There are trade offs in most amps.

Now a 211, GM70 or 845 tube that is a horse of another colour.
Reply
post #11 of 11
3/6/10 at 2:38am
Thread Starter 
^ Thanks for the info. So I guess my amp is not a SET amp but just a SE amp . I suspect the extra power from not operating as a triode might be helping the bass though.

To elaborate more on HF-2 impressions. I just realized why they sounded strange when I first listened to them, the soundstage was the largest I've ever heard on the HF-2s and I was kind of put off by this. Might be the Brimar cv1988 tubes that I got with the amp that is doing this. I've ordered some tubes and will tube roll when they arrive.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: High-end Audio Forum
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Summit-Fi (High-End Audio) › High-end Audio Forum › CARY CAD-88SEI