[Graz]

I recently auditioned some RS-1's at a local hifi shop. The owner set me up & had the cans driven from the headphone jack of a Cary SLI-80... http://www.caryaudio.com/products/audio/sli80.shtml

I was astounded. Yea, the RS-1's are some great cans...but I was so impressed with the Cary driving it. I tried a few other cans out of this unit, and time and again I came away thoroughly impressed with Cary's ability to drive them. Strike that...impressed is a major understatement. It was more like an epiphany...like I gotta have this Cary unit NOW!

Any other Cary owners out there?

Peace,

Graz

 

[Teerawit]

Cary equipment was all over the place at the last big NY meet

 

[Len]

I've owned both the 300SEI and SLI-80. Both are outstanding headamps.

 

[bhd812]

I loaned out a cary for a week not to long ago and thought it was completely over priced and that was for the speaker section only. The headphone jack and output using grados and senn's wasent even worth its time for me to plug them in. Tha amp should cost maybe $1550 for the speaker section and the headphone section isnt even $500 worth of sound.

I love cary amps and my dream amp is a Cary v12 monoblocks which one day I will have. the slm series cary's are truely mid range heaven but the sli-80 is a waste of time! it just doesnt have the cary mid's but it has the overblown price.

 

[Oski]

I've owned the SLP-98 and SLP-50a.

 

[utep10]

I've owned an SLI-80 for about 8 months now. Were you listening to stock tubes? Tube rolling is a must as the stock tubes are *&^#%@.

I love the mid range and versatility of the amp.

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by utep10 I've owned an SLI-80 for about 8 months now. Were you listening to stock tubes? Tube rolling is a must as the stock tubes are *&^#%@. I love the mid range and versatility of the amp.

I guess they were (ruby I remember seeing)

I love cary's house sound! I mean I dream of really having v-12's one day!

I took a sli-80 for a week loan to see what my dynaudio 122's sound like with a decently powered amp. To be honest other the the louder more power range the sli-80 didnt even hold its ground to my diy $140 8 watt tube amp on the dynaudio's! there was no house sound or nothing I ever heard from a cary before..Infact My onkyo 601 home theater receiver fronted the cary.

I downloaded the owners book and read it threw 2 times and checked my connections to make sure I wasent making the mistake, Even when I returned the amp to the store I had them hook it up to the grand setup and it sounded the same as it did in my house..just dead, nothing, like blah!

On the headphone section it didnt have the power to take my senn's to a nice level (yes I do listen loudly) but even with the power it had It was still dry and dead.

On my grados the same thing, infact I would choose the ra-1 over it in terms of quality of sound (I think the ra-1 is just a $300 block of wood).

The xin sm3 was better by a wide margin using my meridian as a source and you all know I think the sm3 is a toy when hooked up to the meridian.

I dont know what was with the amp but others told me the sli-80 has a very non cary sound so I guess so. I really think Cary audio is a hallmark of tube amp hi-fi sound but the sli-80 wasent even worth its weight.

the front face of the amp was dis-colored to, Not something I would expect in any kind of somewhat decent metal use. the the front toggle switchs were big and when you flipped them there was a "tong" sound from the metal in the amp (it sounded heavy and cheap). the tubes looked cool all lit up and she was a heavy beast in herself to. the remote felt cheap beyond and the volume knob didnt feel any better niether.

I walked away from the that expience with the thought of it was a joke amp from the audio place to be truthful, like someone played a nasty joke on me. but I seen and heard one other sli-80 in a different setup and I could still hear its lifeless dead body in the system just as I heard when I had one on loan.

 

[geek707]

I am looking forward to being able to get one of these: Cary 300SE

 

[Len]

As a headphone amp, there is a stark contrast between bhd812's and my experience. I enjoyed the SLI-80 quite a lot as a headamp. I heard none of the lifelessness or dryness bhd812 reported when driving either Senn HD600 or AT W2002. And on my unit, the volume set at ~11 o'clock position was excrutiatingly (ear-drum-damagingly) loud. I've owned the RA-1 in year's past, and if memory serves me correctly, the SLI-80 absolutely trounces the Grado. Perhaps bhd812's unit had a bad resistor on the headphone circuit? There is no way four 6550 lacks power to drive any headphones.

As a speaker amp, I found the SLI-80 rather picky with what it would power adequetely. IME, the amp really wanted something with a linear impedance curve either hovering around 4 ohms or 8 ohms (and you had to select the correct output impedance on the rear panel of the amp). I had a Dynaudio Contour S.1.4 at the time, and the SLI-80 did not want anything to do with those speakers. I've never really understoood why Dynaudio makes speakers with such wild impedance swings. With Merlin TSMs, the SLI-80 fared MUCH better. I always preferred the triode (versus the ultralinear) circuit as I found triode mode more full and liquid.

One thing I agree with is the SLI-80 is not as warm or euphonic as most of Cary's line up. Some folks think this makes the SLI-80 better, while others prefer the classic tube sound that defines most of Cary's product offerings.

The Cary 300SEI is a better amp IMHO (though not in every aspect). But I'm a huge fan of DHT SETs, so I have a strong bias. The 300SEI has the normal dainty, flush-mounted toggle switches if you prefer

, although I personally had no qualms about the heavy duty toggles on the SLI-80. The volume control dials on both units are essentially the same (as with the SLP preamps), performing elegantly for me.

 

[Nightfall]

Billy,


I really think that something wasnt right about the Cary unit you checked out. My SLI-80 Signature is outstanding as a headamp, and also exceptional with those speakers I have used it with. Its power and flexibility make it almost unique in the class of tube based integrateds with quality headamp sections.
Please note that it is also the personal choice of Kevin Deal, noted tube guru, and audiophile legend, who owns Upscale Audio, the largest seller of Cary equipment (along with countless uber brands of gear). He feels it is the finest headphone amp he has heard, including the 300SEI, and listens to one along with Sennheiser 600's (I believe now upgraded to 650's) in his own personal office.
I will grant you that certain speakers do have much more affinity with tubes than others. Also, in a completely different audio class, I absolutely agree with your assessment of the Cary V12's as simply amazing and wonderful amps. If you're going to do that though, do it right, and get the V12R's. That kind of sound you could live with forever!


JC

 

[Graz]

Thanks for all the input. I'm really torn on this now with the conflicting opinions given...but all great input nonetheless.

I've engaged RS on a Raptor & I'm really thinking to go this direction for a tube headamp... But based on my headphone listening experience with the Cary and it's ability to potentially serve quite competently with a properly matched set of speakers...I'm having a tough time putting it entirely out of my mind.

My current speaker setup is basically a subset of my home theater rig. I'm using Kef Q-series at all 5 channels, with an SVS 20-39pci sub. A decent little Marantz AV receiver provides the power. For 2-channel audio, it's the Kef Q3's powered by the Marantz & tandemed with the SVS.

Surely the Cary would be at least some upgrade to my 2-channel audio world, and the plan would be to buy a nice pair of speakers that synergize will with the Cary. That's the dream anyway...

Peace,

Graz

 

[KShaft]

Yes, Im kinda surprised at bhd12s assesment of the cary. I havent yet heard a better headphone amp. This includes supras, MOH's (with the 04 module very damn good though...) preheads, hr-2s, etc.. etc.. they were all found lacking compared to the cary 300 sei I owned. That amp was truely incredible.
Ive gotta try the sli-80 one of these days. After I pay off some people and get an uber source maybe.......Of course I was using sophias and tung-sol and sylvania 6ns7s on my amp too. Definately opened it up and made it incredibly colorful.

k.s.

 

[KZEE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Len As a headphone amp, there is a stark contrast between bhd812's and my experience. I enjoyed the SLI-80 quite a lot as a headamp. I heard none of the lifelessness or dryness bhd812 reported when driving either Senn HD600 or AT W2002. And on my unit, the volume set at ~11 o'clock position was excrutiatingly (ear-drum-damagingly) loud. I've owned the RA-1 in year's past, and if memory serves me correctly, the SLI-80 absolutely trounces the Grado. Perhaps bhd812's unit had a bad resistor on the headphone circuit? There is no way four 6550 lacks power to drive any headphones. As a speaker amp, I found the SLI-80 rather picky with what it would power adequetely. IME, the amp really wanted something with a linear impedance curve either hovering around 4 ohms or 8 ohms (and you had to select the correct output impedance on the rear panel of the amp). I had a Dynaudio Contour S.1.4 at the time, and the SLI-80 did not want anything to do with those speakers. I've never really understoood why Dynaudio makes speakers with such wild impedance swings. With Merlin TSMs, the SLI-80 fared MUCH better. I always preferred the triode (versus the ultralinear) circuit as I found triode mode more full and liquid. One thing I agree with is the SLI-80 is not as warm or euphonic as most of Cary's line up. Some folks think this makes the SLI-80 better, while others prefer the classic tube sound that defines most of Cary's product offerings. The Cary 300SEI is a better amp IMHO (though not in every aspect). But I'm a huge fan of DHT SETs, so I have a strong bias. The 300SEI has the normal dainty, flush-mounted toggle switches if you prefer , although I personally had no qualms about the heavy duty toggles on the SLI-80. The volume control dials on both units are essentially the same (as with the SLP preamps), performing elegantly for me.

That was a very informative overview of the SLI-80 and 300SEI amps, Len. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, and thanks for being a bit more tactful in expressing those thoughts than another poster was in his post in this thread.

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KZEE That was a very informative overview of the SLI-80 and 300SEI amps, Len. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, and thanks for being a bit more tactful in expressing those thoughts than another poster was in his post in this thread.

What that supposed to mean?

I told you I love Cary audio products to the point I dream of them! just because I do means I should be more "tactful" with my words after I heard what I heard off the demo sli-80?


If there was any product I am going to lay it out on exactly what I hear its going to be a cary! that wasent a bashing or anything close to it.

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfall Billy, I really think that something wasnt right about the Cary unit you checked out. My SLI-80 Signature is outstanding as a headamp, and also exceptional with those speakers I have used it with. Its power and flexibility make it almost unique in the class of tube based integrateds with quality headamp sections. Please note that it is also the personal choice of Kevin Deal, noted tube guru, and audiophile legend, who owns Upscale Audio, the largest seller of Cary equipment (along with countless uber brands of gear). He feels it is the finest headphone amp he has heard, including the 300SEI, and listens to one along with Sennheiser 600's (I believe now upgraded to 650's) in his own personal office. I will grant you that certain speakers do have much more affinity with tubes than others. Also, in a completely different audio class, I absolutely agree with your assessment of the Cary V12's as simply amazing and wonderful amps. If you're going to do that though, do it right, and get the V12R's. That kind of sound you could live with forever! JC

To me the sound off the amp threw the speakers and the headphone out just was not rite to me (like I said I had the audio shop hook it up afterwards so I can listen to it again there to make sure it wasent something with me or my room.)
It was really forward sounding, bass was there but had no impact, no lushy tube sound but not to solid state niether...I dont know.

I will need to hear your sli-80 at the next and upcoming mich meet maybe?

As for the v12's There is a guy in Ill selling a pair of v12r's for $5500 or best offer...
I am short about $5000 and my own house..hahahaha

I would class A these and use my Balanced pre-amp when she arrives to..Omg Its a dream to have v12's of any type for me.

I Kissed a stereo v12 in a audio shop when no one was looking (it was a quick peck on her beautiful Red lips..I mean case (I really did, and I am proud of it.) i would seriously just sit in my chair and look at her all the time, maybe even sing her a lullaby before I tuck her into bed for the night. can you imagine 15 tubes lit up in the dark on each amp? Ok I need to stop...My heart is pumping threw my chest...hahahaha

You think I could sell my soul for $5500? Satan are you listening??? j/k