Cary Audio Xciter - Integrated Amp / Headphone Amp
Jan 12, 2009 at 7:53 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 26
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[size=large]New for Cary Audio is the Xciter - Integrated Amp / Headphone Amp.[/size]

Cary Audio Xciter - Integrated Amp / Headphone Amp Retail $2750
Call For Tube options.
In Store Listening Demo Available.

Look to see this at Can Fest 2009 in Charlotte North Carolina & National Head-Fi Meet Can Jam 2009 in LA, California

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Features:

5 watts per Channel, Single Ended Triode design, Pure Class A, Integrated Stereo Amplifier with 6L6 Power tubes and 12ax7 input tubes. 3 stereo input pairs. Standard with remote volume control. Metallic black chassis with clear coat finish. Silver or Black faceplate available. ZERO feedback design. Headphone output and Speaker binding posts. Subwoofer outputs for left and right channel.

You would think that a 5 watt channel amp would easily crumble under the strain of a pair of speakers, but during our review multiple speakers at different sensitivities where used. The amp never fluttered. An increase to 10 watts per channel is accomplished with the swap of the 6L6 tube to a KT88. We have Gold Lion and EAT KT88 tubes available as well as other options. The amp is self biasing and multiple power tube options are available. 6L6, EL34, 5881, 6550, KT88 and any other power tube with a matching pin arrangement.

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The stereo vacuum tube power amplifier has a great history at Cary Audio Design. The superb lineage of CAD power amplifiers and integrated amplifiers have consistently garnered fantastic reviews for stable power output, incredible value for the money and sound quality along with
‘Best Buy’ and ‘Class A’ ratings from magazines and reviewers worldwide. Building on this storied legacy, we are releasing the CAD Xciter Integrated stereo vacuum tube power amplifier. This innovative stereo power amplifier was conceived to be a small desktop integrated amp to be
companion to the new CAD Xciter Digitial to Analog Converter. In the Cary tradition, it features a gorgeous cabinet and has a subtle touch of translucent blue LED back lighting to complement the natural beauty of the vacuum tubes. Although it may be small in physical size it is imbued
with the full spirit of Cary Audio. Its 5 watts per channel in class A triode mode plays much bigger than you might expect and its sublime musicality is just what you would expect from Cary Audio. For headphone lovers, a standard ¼ inch diameter, 3 circuit output jack is conveniently
located on the front panel to pipe the music to your favorite set of cans. The circuitry is optimized to provide a good match for all high quality headphones. A front panel switch allows the user to select between the speakers or headphones. Additional features are the subwoofer
outputs - one for each channel, and the motorized remote control function for adjusting listening level and mute. You will absolutely enjoy listening to this lovely amplifier – it truly is an Xciter! The input circuit is a single-ended design with three (3) switched RCA stereo inputs per channel.
The vacuum tubes in each channel consist of one (1) 12AX7A (dual triode) for the input gain and for the driver stage and two (2) 6L6GC output power tubes. The filaments of the 12AX7A stages are direct heated with filtered and regulated 12 VDC for lower noise performance. The first
section of 12AX7A provides the low level preamp gain stage and the second section provides the phase inverter and differential driver stage. Both sections of the 12AX7A are operating in Class A with minimal feedback. The 6L6GC output tubes are configured as triodes and operated in a class A push-pull configuration and are continuously auto biased through cathode auto biasing circuitry. The laminate output transformers are customized to match the output circuit requirements and have a signal handling capacity well beyond the amplifiers demands to avoid any problems with linearity and saturation. Five-way Gold plated speaker binding posts provide reliable connection to your speakers. Frequency response at full rated output power is from 17 Hz to 23 kHz with less than 2% total harmonic distortion.

The circuitry for the entire amp is designed into a high-grade two-layer printed circuit board with extensive ground planes and heavy copper circuit traces on the power bus circuitry. Shielded coaxial cable is used for critical signal path component interfaces. This design approach imparts
an extremely clean layout and a very high performance level. A toroidal power transformer provides the foundation for a compact, yet high efficiency power supply. The power supply features seven (7) 100 micro farad low impedance low profile electrolytic capacitors which yields
an abundant total of 700 micro farads of energy storage and provides an excellent dynamic performance capability. The high voltage power bus is further enhanced with a power choke in a pi-L configuration for additional filtering to the preamp stage and with two (2) high speed .22 microfarad Kimber Kap polystyrene by-pass capacitors to further enhance the superb transient response characteristics under demanding musical passages.

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The CAD Xciter integrated Stereo Amplifier is the perfect match for the CAD Xciter Digital Analog Converter. Together, the companion Xciter tandem will beautify your office or listening room and deliver a no compromise musical listening experience in a small package.
 
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Jan 13, 2009 at 2:15 PM Post #2 of 26
Looks like a sweet package. It'd be crazy not to sub in Genalex KT-88 reissues in place of the 6L6; very curious to hear how this Cary sounds in comparison to the SEI300. I can't imagine a Cary tube amp NOT sounding sweet, and with the added heft & freq. extension of the KT-88, this should be a fantastic tube headphone amp (I tried the Gold Lion KT-88s in my Leben CS600... now KT-77 reissues are in there... they're really fantastic tubes & good to know you carry them, Drubrew!). The only thing I'm not crazy about is the cursive font of the Xciter moniker... but I'm vain.
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I hope to listen to this amp one day, soon!
 
Jan 13, 2009 at 3:55 PM Post #3 of 26
My thoughts exactly. I'm going to try and do a long review as time permits with all kinds of tubes and phones. So far I have these tubes to try.
Stock Cary (chinese) 6L6
Electro Harmonix 6L6 Vacuum Tubes
Electro Harmonix KT88 Vacuum Tubes
Sylvania NOS 6L6GTB green Label Vacuum Tubes
Tung-sol 6L6GC-STR Vacuum Tubes
EAT KT-88 Diamond Ultra Premium Vacuum Tubes
Gold Lion KT88 Vacuum Tubes

Stock Cary (chinese) 12ax7
Sylvania NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
GE NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
Philips NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
EAT Cool Valve ECC803S (12AX7) Ultra Premium Vacuum Tube

And I'm sure I have some others laying around.

I will have both the Xciter and Cad 300SEI at the Charlotte Can Fest 2009 and National Can Jam Meet.
 
Moon Audio Stay updated on Moon Audio at their sponsor profile on Head-Fi.
 
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Jan 13, 2009 at 4:01 PM Post #4 of 26
Wow! What a sweet system...
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Xciter DAC and headphone amplifier.
 
Jan 14, 2009 at 3:30 AM Post #6 of 26
Quote:

Originally Posted by drubrew /img/forum/go_quote.gif
My thoughts exactly. I'm going to try and do a long review as time permits with all kinds of tubes and phones. So far I have these tubes to try.
Stock Cary (chinese) 6L6
Electro Harmonix 6L6 Vacuum Tubes
Electro Harmonix KT88 Vacuum Tubes
Sylvania NOS 6L6GTB green Label Vacuum Tubes
Tung-sol 6L6GC-STR Vacuum Tubes
EAT KT-88 Diamond Ultra Premium Vacuum Tubes
Gold Lion KT88 Vacuum Tubes

Stock Cary (chinese) 12ax7
Sylvania NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
GE NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
Philips NOS 12ax7 Vacuum Tubes
EAT Cool Valve ECC803S (12AX7) Ultra Premium Vacuum Tube



Awesome. I'll look forward to your tube reviews. As for the 6L6 family, my favorites were the Sylvania 6L6GB black plates and Sylvania 5932 dual black plates (which are military spec'd 6L6WGA)... but I still prefer the KT-77s or KT-88s, which seem to me the best compromise between the linear balance of the 6L6 family and the midrange-y lushness of the EL-34s.

Well, I'll keep my eyes peeled, Drew.
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Feb 12, 2009 at 6:45 PM Post #15 of 26
Hi Drew,

A quick question about the subwoofer outputs on the Xciter amp:

I see from the Xciter user manual on the Cary web site that the speaker outputs are switched off when the headphone output is activated, but the manual doesn't say anything about whether the subwoofer outputs are also switched off. Do you happen know?

*ADDED*
OK, make that a couple of questions:

Also, as far as I can tell, the subwoofer outputs are full range, i.e. no low pass crossover. If that's correct, are they just preamp outputs? If so, that could present some interesting options for bi-amping, or for second zone speakers, in addition to subwoofer applications.
 

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