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REVIEW: Cary Audio Design Xciter Integrated Amplifier (Tube)

Model:	Xciter
Category:	Integrated Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$2750
Description:	Integrated tube amp with headphone section
Manufacturer URL:	Cary Audio Design
Model Picture:	View

Review by DannyB on December 27, 2008 at 11:06:58
IP Address: 71.75.236.148 Add Your Review
for the Xciter

Posted 27DEC2008

The CARY Audio Xciter

The Xciter is Cary Audio’s new integrated amplifier with an emphasis towards headphone amplification. It uses four 6L6 tubes for power along with two 12AX7s. Output is reported to be 5 watts, yes, that’s 5 watts. Burn in is recommended at a minimum of 100 hours. Price is $2750.

My main use for this unit is as a headphone amp as I realized using it for my 89db efficient Von Schweikert VR5s would not be realistic: boy was I wrong and delightfully surprised. See below. As a headphone amp it was excellent. My frame of reference is a Singlepower MPX3 SE Extreme, a Singlepower Supra, and a Grace M902. Headphones included the Grado HP2 and Senn HD650 along with an AKG K1000. The best summary that I can give is that the CARY sounded very similar to the Singlepower Supra but with the added power of the SE Extreme which is a great accomplishment. The Cary was perhaps a bit more detailed in the mid and lower midrange and excelled at the low end.

Tube rolling helped nicely. I tried some early version SED Winged C KT88s which complimented the amplifier nicely with the expected increase in output and a slightly improved bottom end. I then tried my Mullard EL34s XF1 version and woooo mama, what a glorious midrange. I ended up using Telefunkens for the two 12AX7s.

Here is the surprise; the little ~5 watt integrated amplifier put out more than enough satisfying power to drive my VR5s at all but the loudest of volumes. I’m still scratching my head. The bass was more than respectable. I am still amazed. Where this helps me is to consider using the Xciter in the summer months when my room gets too warm using my BAT VK75SE for amplification. The rest of the time it will serve as my primary headphone amp.

Summarily, I found the Xciter to be an amazing little, and very cute unit that serves both headphone and most speaker amplification requirements well. Dennis Had seems to have thought through the design of this product well and given his vast design experience, he has brought it all home with the Xciter. Take what I have to say with a grain of salt as Dennis is a personal friend. However, there were a couple of his products in the past on which I chose not to comment. I have no hesitation with the Xciter. It is a winner sonically and cosmetically and does well with what it is designed to do; connect the music to the listener while also being flexible in application and sound, the latter a result of endless tube rolling possibilities. Simply put, this is a very satisfying product that has found a home, my home 

Picture of the Xciter:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f24/official-thread-southern-charlotte-canfest-2009-a-360873/index8.html

Product Weakness:	5 watt output, give or take a little depending upon tube type. Yet it drives 89db speakers rather well so this is a minor limitation/weakness unless you have a difficult load to drive.
Product Strengths:	Excellent sonic quality with lots of tube rolling possibilities thanks to autobias.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: BAT VK75SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Sonic Euphoria passive
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Cary 306SACD, VPI custom stretch Aries
Speakers: Von Schweikert VR5
Cables/Interconnects: Acoustic Zen
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Varied
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Equi-Tech Balanced
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

[]

Follow Ups:

RE: (strong)REVIEW: Cary Audio Design Xciter Integrated Amplifier (Tube)(/strong) - django_gman 12:38:54 03/05/09 (0)
Does it have a remote?
A little info from Dennis Had - DannyB 19:41:24 12/30/08 (0)
I have been in contact with Dennis regarding more clarification regarding the Xciter. Dennis was kind enough to explain the following:

"In my mind I had a desire to design and produce a desk top compact triode amplifier with low power consumption and absolute glorious triode Cary sound. At the same time I was deep into the design of a stand alone DAC with USB computer compatibility. Therefore I chose the all time favorite mighty 6L6 beam power tube. The 6L6 along with a KT-88 wired in the triode mode has a very similar curve line as a 300B or 2A3. Keeping in mind light weight and compact, I chose a Toroidal power transformer and all aluminum chassis. The high voltage in the Xciter amplifier on the plate of the 6L6’s is only 300 VDC. Operating 6L6’s in the triode mode class A, push pull, at the modest 300 volt range will produce the 5 watts per channel. In this type of design I would not be surprised if the 6L6 output tubes last for 10 years or more. KT-88’s even longer. Never a tube problem. In fact the Xciter amp is designed to run 24/7 until the power company turns off your juice! Oh, on another note, I also discovered that running 6L6’s, KT-88’s or EL-34’s in triode with lower plate voltage yielded a sonic signature not too dissimilar to the 2A3 and 300B sound. You know …. The higher the voltage and power the more corrupt the sound. You know I stand for honesty and NO corruption. Power corrupts and higher power corrupts absolutely more!!!!!!!!!"
RE: (strong)REVIEW: Cary Audio Design Xciter Integrated Amplifier (Tube)(/strong) - SETdude 16:23:19 12/28/08 (0)
Seems like a nice amp. Thanks for the post.
For those of us who don't want to spend almost 3 grand - mbnx01 08:48:09 12/28/08 (2)
On a headphone/low power tube integrated:
- http://www.questforsound.com/amps/amps_sq84-V2.htm (Open in New Window)
- Don't be shy... tell us all about it! nt - bjh 10:15:42 12/28/08 (1)
  .
  
  Everything matters, don't forget to tweak your placebos!
  - RE: Don't be shy... tell us all about it! nt - mbnx01 12:45:05 12/28/08 (0)
    I had the previous model, before the 'V2'. It was a wonderful amp. Sounded great on headphones and sounded really good on efficient speakers. I sold it with the intent of getting a 'V2' version but got out of headphone listening.
    
    I've owned a lot of low-powered amps, I LOVED this one, especially with upgraded tubes. The seller was very nice to do business with.
    
    I saw one of these on agon recently, it went insanely cheap. I would have bought it if I'd seen before it sold.
Only available from Cary? - notop 07:21:01 12/28/08 (1)
I'm a Cary fan and have a pair of 93 db speakers that I would like to try with this amp.
Bill.
- RE: Only available from Cary? - DannyB 07:42:09 12/28/08 (0)
  Available from Cary dealers. My closest one is Drew of Moon Audio
  See below for the link.
  - Moon Audio (Open in New Window)
It's not cute. It's handsome ;-) - AbeCollins 18:26:14 12/27/08 (4)
Nice review DannyB . You beat me to it but I'll post a bit more once I have more time on my Cary Xciter.

I have the Xciter integrated coupled to my 91dB 6 0hm nom. Tannoys and it sounds wonderfully liquid with excellent 3 dimensional soundstage.... and so smooth yet very transparent. It doesn't offer the last word in wall shaking deep bass and impact but what do you expect for ~5wpc into "regular" speakers? Otherwise it's an incredible sounding vacuum tube integrated. I haven't tried the headphone section with mine but I'm not much of a headphone listener.

I wish I had a couple good subwoofers to take advantage of the Xciter's dual L/R sub outputs.

For my next trick, I'll try popping in a quad of inexpensive EL34's!
- RE: It's not cute. It's handsome ;-) - DSG 05:20:33 12/29/08 (1)
  Abe, what model Tannoy have you matched with the amp? Thanks.
  - RE: It's not cute. It's handsome ;-) - AbeCollins 09:07:23 12/29/08 (0)
    Two different sets of Tannoy speakers:
    
    Tannoy Definition D500 floor standers
    
    Tannoy Saturn S8LR bookshelf speakers
    
    Both models do OK with the little 5wpc Cary Xciter amp but I don't think I would make it my main amp. I prefer more power.
    
    Tannoy Definition D500
- RE: It's not cute. It's handsome ;-) - DannyB 19:06:39 12/27/08 (1)
  Hi Abe.
  I primarily got mine for headphone use and found it to be extremely capable in this respect easily holding its own with some of the better headphone amps available today. I am curious with how it compares to the 300 SEI as I have never heard that unit. It would be great if someone could eventually chime in on this regarding the headphone amplification sections of these two units and their are similarities and/or differences.
  
  Also, I am still very impressed with the Xciter's ability to function as an excellent integrated unit. I'll be anxiously awaiting your impressions especially after you do a little tube rolling as you mentioned above.
  - Here's a picture of my Cary Xciter integrated amp - AbeCollins 01:05:46 12/28/08 (0)
    Cary Audio Design Xciter 5wpc 6L6 based Integrated Amp

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Amplifier:	BAT VK75SE
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Sonic Euphoria passive
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Cary 306SACD, VPI custom stretch Aries
Speakers:	Von Schweikert VR5
Cables/Interconnects:	Acoustic Zen
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Varied
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Equi-Tech Balanced
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner