[Rensek]

Bob Carver was active in the 19 oatcakes, not the 2000s…
.

Oh, thanks!!! Yeah, Rob Curver with 19 oatcakes. ok. That was a great band. I loved their last album.

 

[Ableza]

And sorry, it was more like 35 years ago. My how time flies.

 

[Rensek]

In all seriousness, I just know the name as being on expensive tube amps. Thanks for the info @Ableza more high fi history for me to learn.

35 years ago I was just learning to talk, still learning that one.

 

[Ableza]

In all seriousness, I just know the name as being on expensive tube amps. Thanks for the info @Ableza more high fi history for me to learn.

35 years ago I was just learning to talk, still learning that one.

35 years ago was one year after I got out of the military...

In any case the story is Phase Linear amplifier designer Bob Carver was challenged by Stereophile to recreate the sound of some high-end Conrad Johnson (I believe it was) tube amps with cheap solid state electronics. He succeeded, proving only that it could be done, but making many audiophiles of the day question their choices.

 

[GearMe]

Who....oh Bob, yeah I love Bob, Bob Curver right, yeah, I've heard lots of his stuff. Man that thing he made that one time was great, of course I knew that.... Hey what Rob Carver model was that again.... What issue of stereophile was it 200.......

https://www.stereophile.com/content/carver-challenge

Gotta love Bob...Phase Linear 400 was my first Amp -- ORT would've loved it!

 

[bcowen]

He wasn't as uncontent as he appears. I wanted to insert another picture where he looks happier but somehow that was upside down after uploading...



Don't know why it does that, it shows properly on the screen before uploading.



There. Managed to fix it.

He looks much more content when you're not holding him upside down.

 

[bcowen]

Now there is a bad idea!

I am very deep into some woodworking today so I sent my wife out to buy up some Balvenie before the price starts changing. I am making every attempt to customize a stereo rack to fit specific Schiit gear and a couple other pieces of tube gear if I have room. Some of the shelves for said rack: 3/4 inch solid cherry with a bit of clear danish oil. They are the perfect width to accommodate a Freya plus, Gungnir, Mjolnir, and hopefully a Sol on top.

You keep your Schiit gear outside? Interesting idea. What if it rains? A Synergistic Research electron-tunneled tarp perhaps?

 

[Roy G. Biv]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/carver-challenge

That was an interesting read. Thanks for posting!

 

[yonson]

LOL, yeah, we've been playing with something recently that sounds really good balanced, but super ass-y single-ended, and have tried a bunch of tricks to de-ass it, including changing the power supply significantly, and it's still pretty ass-y. That one probably won't make it out the door. Unless we find the ass.

I know this would just add another part number that you probably wouldn't want to do, how about removing the SE completely, add an additional balanced input and just offer it balanced only, especially if it does sound really good!

 

[Paladin79]

You keep your Schiit gear outside? Interesting idea. What if it rains? A Synergistic Research electron-tunneled tarp perhaps?

Lol just a few shelves. I was trying to keep kitten tracks off the finish and besides the weather was glorious.

 

[valiant66]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/carver-challenge

Gotta love Bob...

Awwww... Sonic Holography... Takes me back. I remember listening to his gear here in Calgary and quite enjoying it (I believe K & W Audio carried it at the time (and are still in business)). And that article was a godsend, really bumped up sales.

And WOW! Namechecking Visicalc! Now that, my friends, is the 19 oatcakes!!I
.

 

[Ripper2860]

Gotta dust-off my CT-7 Sonic Holography Pre-amp/Tuner and give it a run.

 

[artur9]

Bob Carver was active in the 19 oatcakes, not the 2000s…
.

He's still doing stuff.


Here's Stereophile writing about the Carver Challenge: https://www.stereophile.com/content/carver-challenge

There's this ad/video of Carver going into an audio store and kind of having a party that I saw a while ago but couldn't find just now. It's almost a cross of the famous Robert Plant video and something a bit more gonzo.

 

[AudioGal]

https://www.stereophile.com/content/carver-challenge

Gotta love Bob...Phase Linear 400 was my first Amp -- ORT would've loved it!

Oooohhhhh!!!! The Phase Linear 400s and P-L 700s were popular in the early days of large concert sound systems. Brings back memories. Both the P-L amps and the McIntosh MC2300 had beautiful VU meters!

 

[leafy7382]

Short answer: it's largely BS, but with some surprises.

I covered this in the Asgard 3 chapter, and in the Bifrost 2 chapter. I was surprised at the effect a power supply change had on the sound. I was also super-surprised how different Unison USB sounded from other USB solutions. Both of these are not really measurable phenomena. And there are still days when I think I'm just fooling myself.

The only thing we do that would fall under the uber-pretentious term "voicing" would be in the tweaking of Continuity, which has a dramatic effect on the sound and on the measurements. I can make something sound more or less tubey by changing a few resistors with Continuity. But once that's set, that's set.

Beyond that, sure, we change things if it sounds like butt during development. And I like that term a lot better than "voicing." De-ass-ifying is a more accurate description of what we do.

If by tweaking a resistor you get different levels of tube-ness, how possible would it be to offer a switch that cycles through different resistor value to tone the tube-ness?