Bob Carver Crimson 275 Tube Power Amplifier
Ample Power to Drive Almost Any Speaker and Full, Sweet, Warm Tube Sound That Makes Music Sing: Bob Carver Crimson 275 Stereo Amplifier Features Incredible Warranty and DC Restorer Circuit
There's nothing like the sound of tubes – a fact iconic audio designer Bob Caver knows as well as anyone. Responsible for some of the most revered valve designs in the history of high-end audio, Carver marries beautiful, sweet-sounding tube performance with stop-you-in-your-tracks value in the Crimson 275 Stereo amplifier.
Inspired by its Crimson 350 sibling and hand-built in the U.S.A., this gorgeous powerhouse is fueled by the same Tung-Sol KT120 tubes as Carver's monoblock amps. It plays with a richness, fullness, warmth, and boldness that take you to the edge of the studio (or concert) stage.
Nominally rated at 75Wpc, Crimson 275 Stereo actually delivers 100RMS/channel into four ohms – enough power to let you hear (and feel) your music. A DC restorer circuit, exclusive to Bob Carver designs, keeps the output tubes running cool and prolongs their life to a near-unbelievable 25 years. It also means you will never need bias adjustments. No wonder 275 Stereo comes with an ironclad five-year manufacturer's warranty on operation, parts, and tubes!
Akin to the company's Model 350, Crimson 275 Stereo listens to the room – a trait often referred to as the "speaker-microphone effect." Facilitated by a special current feedback loop, the amplifier can hear the room's reverb and unique sonic signature. By design, 275 Stereo uses the speaker as a microphone by using the speaker in reverse (the theorem of reciprocity) to listen to the room, thereby allowing a portion of the room acoustic to be expressed through the main speakers. As such, the room becomes an integral part of the music in a way solid-state amps do not permit.
The resulting sound feels more majestic and realistic, and the soundstage larger and more compelling.
Stellar stability with any pair of loudspeakers, transformers with interleaved windings on adamantine steel with pure-nickel center sections, a ridiculous signal-to-noise ratio (110dB) that bests that of most transistor amplifiers, and a built-in meter on the front panel further raise the stakes of a tube amplifier whose features, quality, support, and sonics belie its price. Our 100% Music Direct Satisfaction Guarantee gives you every reason to audition it in your own home.
"Swiftly, the amp proved to be robust, coherent, commanding, and substantial, so as to suggest no likelihood of it meeting a budget speaker system it couldn't drive.... [The] Bob Carver Crimson 275 displayed handsome—nay, irresistible—styling.... Compact, finished to perfection—this is one clean-looking, shelf-friendly component."
—Ken Kessler, SoundStage! Hi-Fi
Carver's Unique U.S.A.-Made Output Transformer and the Solution to Magnetostriction
For some time now, Bob Carver has been working on a novel approach to manufacturing an output transformer. All transformers suffer from magnetostriction. This occurs when transformer noise is caused by a phenomenon that then causes a piece of magnetic sheet steel to extend itself when magnetized. When the magnetization gets taken away, it goes back to its original condition.
To minimize the effect, quality transformers use a special steel alloy. Bob has come up with an alloy that, along with its magnetic nature and his proprietary winding technique, increases the efficiency and provides his company two options: 1) Increase the power by using a larger version of the new design and sell the amplifier for $3,500 with a 150Wpc output; or, 2) Take the path Carver chose, which is to use a smaller and lighter U.S.A.-made version that still provides up to 90Wpc and allows the price to be kept lower.
Specifications:
Rated Power:
4Ω 75 Watts Per Channel
8Ω 75 Watts Per Channel
16Ω 60 Watts Per Channel
Frequency Response: +0, -3dB from 16Hz to 35kHz.; Flat 20Hz – 20kHz ±0.25dB
Distortion: Less than 1.0%
Power Bandwidth: 24 Hz to 28 kHz without filters
Line Inputs: Gold-plated RCAs
Speaker Outputs: Gold-plated 5-way binding posts
Input Impedance: 100 Kohms (RCA)
Gain: 29 dB (8 ohms)
Tube Complement: One 12AX7, two 12AT7s, four KT120s
Hum and Noise: Better than 100 dB below 75 Watts, A-weighted.
Bias: Rear panel potentiometer adjust, front panel meter
Output Transformers: Interleaved windings, super wide-band, low leakage inductance, proprietary design
Source Impedance: 1.7 ohms
Color: Sparkle Burgundy Red
Dimensions (WHD): 14" x 7" x 9.5"
Weight: 19 lbs.
Country of Origin: United States of America
Chassis and Tube Warranty: 5 years
