[Skylab]

Well, trying to figure out what the issue with the Cary's headphone out, I made some measurements, and itt's very interesting. The headphone out seems to high-pass filter it's output below 100 HZ, with what seems like a 12db per octave filter. So while 100 HZ output is fairly strong, by 50 Hz the output is greatly reduced.

Now what I am trying to figure out is WHY they did this. I have to assume it was intentional, so maybe they were covering up for some weakness? Very odd, and very unfortunate. I think it could be an outstanding headphone amp if they didn;t do this - the sound above the bass is excellent. But you can't remove the bass without making the music sound thin, as Mark and I have both found.

I also measured the preamp's output, and of course, there is no such roll-off - there is very strong bass, with VERY strong output at 25 Hz, and fairly strong output at 20Hz.

So while I am in love with it as a pre-amp, and it's staying in my system, I've moved the Decware CSP-2 into my main hi-fi to serve as my headphone amp. I had been using the Darkvoive 337, but there is no room for it along with the Cary - the CSP-2 fits because of it's narrow-but-deep design.

 

[Audio Addict]

You might want to give Cary a call and talk with them and maybe they can make a change to this for not too large of a charge. If it is that good above the bass, Cary might be able to resolve the issue. I am sure it was all a trade off as someone typically buying the unit isn't buying it for its headphone output.

 

[Skylab]

Thanks, Steve - that's a good idea. Now that I really know what's going on, I am going to do that.

 

[mrarroyo]

The idea of contacting Cary is a very good one, hope they can resolve the issue and make the headphone out as good as the pre-amp. Good luck.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Addict /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to give Cary a call and talk with them and maybe they can make a change to this for not too large of a charge. If it is that good above the bass, Cary might be able to resolve the issue. I am sure it was all a trade off as someone typically buying the unit isn't buying it for its headphone output.

That sounds like a great Idea, I bet you can get a hold of Dennis pretty easily!

I think they went to enough trouble to add a separate headphone section, that would like to know that it is useless to someone fussy enough to want a $7000.00 pre-amp.

 

[Drag0n]

For the price of the Cary, the whole thing should be excellent, and it lacks as a headphone amp miserably.
I would compare it to a B52 as a preamp, and if its that close, id get that so i would have an excellent preamp and also headphone amp as well.

 

[Skylab]

I agree in the main. The Cary is so good as a preamp I am keeping it, but its headphone amp is not good enough to be usable, due to the very obviously rolled off bass. That is a shame.

The B52, IIRC, does not have a phase splitter to send a unbalanced input to the balanced preamp outputs, and as such, was not a good choice for me (someone please correct me if I am wrong on that).

Anyway, I love the Cary, and it's here to stay. For what I paid (since I got it used), it's well worth it for me, and I have plenty of headphone amps

 

[Drag0n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyway, I love the Cary, and it's here to stay. For what I paid (since I got it used), it's well worth it for me, and I have plenty of headphone amps

 

[newtocans]

I have a Slp 05 for a pre amp . It's amazing once u do some tube rolling
Of nos black plate tubes . Depends on your taste USA made tubes are a great as long as THIER black plates IMO .

 

[Roasty]

reviving an old thread..

placed an order for the SLP-05 with ultimate upgrade a few days ago. according to Billy @ Cary, my unit is being sent out today. really looking forward to it!

I'll probably use it with the stock tubes for a bit, but I know the itch will come soon. Just wanted to check if anyone here has tried rolling more tubes in this preamp since the last post in 2013.. any new recommendations?

I asked Billy and he suggested to have the 6 line stage tubes matched, and the two tubes for the headphone out can be changed separately (and of different make). so, 6 and 2 tubes at a time.

*edit attaching an image for those who haven't seen the pre before.

 

[Aeonyx]

reviving an old thread..

placed an order for the SLP-05 with ultimate upgrade a few days ago. according to Billy @ Cary, my unit is being sent out today. really looking forward to it!

I'll probably use it with the stock tubes for a bit, but I know the itch will come soon. Just wanted to check if anyone here has tried rolling more tubes in this preamp since the last post in 2013.. any new recommendations?

I asked Billy and he suggested to have the 6 line stage tubes matched, and the two tubes for the headphone out can be changed separately (and of different make). so, 6 and 2 tubes at a time.

*edit attaching an image for those who haven't seen the pre before.

I've been looking into these recently as well. What made you choose the SLP-05 over a PrimaLuna Evo 400 preamp?

 

[Roasty]

I've been looking into these recently as well. What made you choose the SLP-05 over a PrimaLuna Evo 400 preamp?

I was actually quite happy with the evo 400 pre during the time I had it (about 1.5 years) but recently demoed an atma-sphere mp3 which took the Abyss 1266 TC to another level. I couldn't get over the sound; lovely mids and low end and really good staging/imaging. made me really want to up the game for my preamp section.

I would've bought the Atma-Sphere Mp3 but there was a persistent hum/noise, even after changing out tubes, cords etc and even with my speakers setup.

was seriously contemplating a Backert labs rhythm 1.4 (latest revision) but I don't have a local distributor where I'm at, and ultimately it would have been a relatively high cost blind buy with no aftersales local support. also, after some posts on the speaker amp thread, I decided against it due to the reasons above, and in part as it was a single ended topology preamp.

I initially dismissed the slp-05 due to the high gain and was worried I would get hum/hiss. emailed cary audio and Billy Wright responded, assuring me I'd love the pre and that it would be dead quiet (I've also read some reviews saying its a surprisingly quiet component despite the high gain). although it's also a blind buy, I do have a local distributor here and he seems friendly and responsive thus far.

I'll chime back in once I get it!

 

[Aeonyx]

I was actually quite happy with the evo 400 pre during the time I had it (about 1.5 years) but recently demoed an atma-sphere mp3 which took the Abyss 1266 TC to another level. I couldn't get over the sound; lovely mids and low end and really good staging/imaging. made me really want to up the game for my preamp section.

I would've bought the Atma-Sphere Mp3 but there was a persistent hum/noise, even after changing out tubes, cords etc and even with my speakers setup.

was seriously contemplating a Backert labs rhythm 1.4 (latest revision) but I don't have a local distributor where I'm at, and ultimately it would have been a relatively high cost blind buy with no aftersales local support. also, after some posts on the speaker amp thread, I decided against it due to the reasons above, and in part as it was a single ended topology preamp.

I initially dismissed the slp-05 due to the high gain and was worried I would get hum/hiss. emailed cary audio and Billy Wright responded, assuring me I'd love the pre and that it would be dead quiet (I've also read some reviews saying its a surprisingly quiet component despite the high gain). although it's also a blind buy, I do have a local distributor here and he seems friendly and responsive thus far.

I'll chime back in once I get it!

Excited to hear your thoughts! I'm in the market and the SLP-05 and Evo 400 are my shortlist

 

[Roasty]

Excited to hear your thoughts! I'm in the market and the SLP-05 and Evo 400 are my shortlist

i got the SLP-05 in a couple of days ago.

as mentioned in previous posts in this thread, the headphone amp section is really quite bad. near unusable, especially if you have other amps to compare it to. it is quite a sad thing, especially as i was hoping it would be good enough to use with my Focal headphones which are totally not demanding at all. I think it is safe to say it may well be the worst headphone amp i've ever tried before. lack of bass, mids, weight and sounds severely thin and sharp. i rolled the stock EH tubes out and tried some NOS Tung Sol 6SN7GTB tall boys (which imo are bang for buck and well-balanced) and still the same thing. Cary should/could have done better on the headphone amp section, or, even just completely left it out altogether; may have saved some cost there if they had simply not included it.

as a pre though.. well that's a totally different story. i'm still using the stock 6sn7 tubes for now, but have changed the rectifier to a NOS Mullard F32 GZ34 tube and it is sounding great! the change in rectifier really brought out the low end and midbass. Bass notes extend down super low; quite possibly the lowest i've heard from the Abyss 1266. Mid range is slightly forward. Top end, for now, seems a bit clinical still; am hoping NOS 6sn7 Sylvania black plate tubes will round off the top end for me. I have some ways to go before i hit the recommended 100 hrs or so. Some folks on Agon forum have mentioned it may take even longer due to the caps from the ultimate upgrade.

between this and the Atma-Sphere MP3, to be honest, i'd have been happy with either one. The Cary pre is dead silent, and very holographic. Staging is wider and there is more stuff thrown farther out front too. Unfortunately, the MP3 was not completely quiet in my system and i couldnt get rid of the background hum and faint hiss. The MP3 has an enjoyable low end (but a bit bloomy and boomy and less controlled) but the top end is notably rolled off. Some may find this a more "musical" sounding preamp; very warm overall and generally agreeable sound signature. As it is now, i'd say the SLP-05 is neutral from upper mids upwards, and just slightly warm in the mids and bass.

from an aesthetic stand point, I think the cary is tough to beat. old school cool and such an amazing paint job.

 

[Roasty]

the NOS Sylvania 6sn7 tubes came in today. popped them into the pre and let them warm up for a bit. they were truly a great recommendation from Dale @ vacuumtubes.net!

The top end is much more to my liking now. harshness is gone and it sounds a lot more natural and balanced, pulling the upper mids back and more in line with the mids and bass. the low end is super!

solidifies my thoughts that a good pre is one of the most important parts of the system.

a few pics of the pre before the tube change.