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Cary synergy -explain this

66.87.115.89
Posted on February 14, 2017 at 20:18:34
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 Hi all. I have a Cary slp98p (stock). Recently it stopped working (no tube glow - no blue light on the front face). I'm thinking power supply - but if u have other ideas let me know.

Question 2: my amp has a 24k ohm load. The Cary is listed at 800 - but I saw John Atkinson saying it swung upward to around 8000 at low frequencies. Now the tricky part - I hooked my psaudio directstream direct to my amp. The DS has a flat 120 ohm impedance load. It seems as if the low end has really fleshed out. Do you feel the Cary and this particular amp have a synergy issue based on johns measurements? Is a 24k ohm load too low for the Cary? Thanks tim

 

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RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 05:20:05
The Dill
Audiophile

Posts: 2197
Location: Portland, Oregon
Joined: July 1, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 3, 2016
 Take the cover off the power supply and check to see if you blew a fuse.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 05:29:43
Uncle Mike
 But before you replace the fuse and power it up examine the internals for an obvious reason the fuse blew.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 05:43:19
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Agree w/ The Dill.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 11:08:55
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4842
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since: December 2, 2004
 I looked at Atkinson's measurements and they were slightly different from what you quoted. However there is a significant rise in the impedance at the low end and with a relatively low load amplifer (24 Kohm), the usual 10:1 rule breaks down to about 3-4:1. This defintely will affect the bass. Good products don't always make good marriages.



"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 11:19:56
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 Dang... I thought it said 8K at lower frequencies.... Yes.... I actually knew about the matching .... and saw 800K ... read articles that it worked well with lower impedance amps.... and it does sound nice.... but again - I was surprised at how much more bass I seem to get with the directstream going direct to the amp with the 120 ohm flat impedance - confirmed by Ted Smith....

Its crazy... you know - just when you think you have it all figured out - then this can of worms occurs and I start questioning everything!!! :)

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 11:22:08
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 I will do this.... I was out of the house... and the music was on.... I came back in - and nothing.... So - I know this occurred while it was playing... A nice day out - no thunder etc... but if there are fuses in there - I will check them out... hope they are not soldered in.....

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 16:54:18
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 low impedance 120 ohms going into a high impedance load (amp) is fine. The lower the better or more ability to drive a load.

You said: "Question 2: my amp has a 24k ohm load. The Cary is listed at 800"

You only mentioned the Cary which is now dead right? So when you compare "my amp" to the Carey what amp is that?


ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 15, 2017 at 16:59:23
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 The amp is a sunfire signature amp @ 24k ohm.

Let me be clear. The Cary preamp is down. I am using the psaudio directstream direct to the amp w no pre.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 18, 2017 at 09:17:06
jsm71
Audiophile

Posts: 1123
Location: Cincinnati OH
Joined: June 16, 2011
 tim, I also have the Cary SLP98P. When I first bought it I was running wih an older McIntosh SS amp. The age of the amp notwithstanding, all Mac SS amps have in input impedance of 20k, so you are in a similar territory.

A Stereophile review by Art Dudley back in 2004 showed the frequency responses at various loads in the measurment section of the review. He also pointed out that amps with lower input impedance might exhibit roll off at frequency extremes. Bass roll off is easier to judge.

I didn't feel that I was getting the full value from the preamp either and changed amps. I switched to a Sanders Magtech at that time and Roger Sanders changed the standard input impedance of 50k to 100k, similar to to what tube amps have. This preamp not surprisingly works great with Cary tube amps, all with input impedance of 100k.

I then due to a speaker change switched to a couple of non-Cary tube amps and the Cary was right at home. I now have Linear Tube Audio ZOTL040, which is a David Berning design. This tube amp has a 50K impedance setting, but the match is still wonderful.

From my experience I believe 100k is best, but 50K may also be an acceptable level. My ZOTL40 is the best amp I've ever owned and the bass blows away the other tube amps because of its linearity.

The Cary SLP98P is a very nice preamp and mine has survived 5 different amps. I also upgraded to NOS tubes a few years ago and that was a major improvement to the sound. I'm thinking of having Cary upgrade my caps and power supply diodes. They offer that now on their web site.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 18, 2017 at 10:21:50
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 Wow JSM. That pretty much ties to my experience. I found better bass hooking my dac direct. Dac has a 120 ohm flat impedance. Thanks a lot.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 18, 2017 at 11:06:52
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 One more thing what NOS tubes did you go with and what did they bring to the party?

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on February 19, 2017 at 20:13:10
jsm71
Audiophile

Posts: 1123
Location: Cincinnati OH
Joined: June 16, 2011
 In the line stage I'm using Slyvania 6SN7GT - VT-231 JAN RCA, blackplate greyglass. These are really nice tube tubes and helped with a more clear but more full sound. Just quality sound.

In the phono stage I have Telefunken 12AX7 smooth plate, diamond mark and Mazda 12AU7WA. These both really extended the highs nicely and created better imaging for LP play.

These tubes as a group really raised the sound quality over the stock tubes.

 

RE: Cary synergy -explain this, posted on March 1, 2017 at 13:53:47
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 Use your NOSE, too.
most of the time, a destructive event creates an AWFUL odor to go with it.
Too much is never enough

 

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