Carver Amazing speakers - history, version differences?

ALS series:

ALS "originals" - 1-4 ohm, 4 12" honeycomb woofers & 2 30" ribbons
ASL Silver - 6 ohm - 3 12" woofers & 48" ribbon
ALS Platinum - 8 ohm - 4 12" woofers - 60" ribbon - dual binding posts
ALS Platinum MkIV - 8 ohm - 4 12" woofers - 60" ribbon - adjustable pots on x-over

Re-foaming the woofers is not a good option. Replacements are still available and cheaper than re-foaming.

Difficult to sell unless it's to someone that has heard a set and has the room for them.

What happened to the new surrounds? James?

ALS series:

ALS "originals" - 1-4 ohm, 4 12" honeycomb woofers & 2 30" ribbons
ASL Silver - 6 ohm - 3 12" woofers & 48" ribbon
ALS Platinum - 8 ohm - 4 12" woofers - 60" ribbon - dual binding posts
ALS Platinum MkIV - 8 ohm - 4 12" woofers - 60" ribbon - adjustable pots on x-over

Re-foaming the woofers is not a good option. Replacements are still available and cheaper than re-foaming.

Difficult to sell unless it's to someone that has heard a set and has the room for them.

Thank you Skip, your posts answered 99% of my questions.
The dynavox site is gone but the drivers are still available from Ada. I got quotes from her on the WP-1220 and the SW-1220FL.
I am not sure which is for the originals, but they are both $50 each.

To replace all of the woofers will cost $400+. This means that unless I can get the speakers for around $200 they are most likely not worth it. I will never be able to resell them and recoup.

Don't buy them with the intent to re-sell. I've got close to three grand in mine after replacing the woofers, aquiring a spare set of ribbons and x-overs, rebuilding two ribbons, and buying high quality caps to re-build a set of the x-overs. Could I sell them for $3,000+? Probably not. Could I find a set of speakers that sound nearly as good for $3,000? Definantly not.

Don't buy them with the intent to re-sell. I've got close to three grand in mine after replacing the woofers, aquiring a spare set of ribbons and x-overs, rebuilding two ribbons, and buying high quality caps to re-build a set of the x-overs. Could I sell them for $3,000+? Probably not. Could I find a set of speakers that sound nearly as good for $3,000? Definantly not.

I agree with Skip. You don't buy these to resell. You buy them to enjoy. Bought my Plat 4's new in early to mid ninety's. Still in use today as main speakers. Just recently planning on replacing them as my mains. Took almost 20 years before I could jusify replacing with the Legacy Whisper XD's at almost 10 times the list price! The Amazings are wonderful speakers. They need plenty of power and room to breathe to sound their best in my opinion. However, when those two criteria are meet, they were and still are a sonic bargain. The only remaining issue to resolve is the WAF!

Don

Thanks guys for the advice. After some agonizing, I ultimately decided to walk away from the deal. The guy selling them was a very nice guy.

I wasn't sure if I can ever get them to sound right and WAF is uncertain. In the recent past, my wife had already asked me to remove certain vintage ALTECs and Klipsch speakers from the house. VOTTs and Klipschorns were easy sells. I thought that I can get the Amazings, play around and then sell them if I cannot make them work. That does not seem to be the case.

It appears at this point these speakers are a money pit. I cannot justify new woofers, crossover rebuilds and then stuck with them.

I should mention that if anyone in the Forum is interested in these speakers, these Original Amazings are in the Chicago area and are in fantastic cosmetic shape. I will try to put you in contact with the owner. I like them to go to someone who is a genuine Carver enthusiasts and not a fair weather dabbler like myself.

As you can see I tend to save things especially things like this.

My subscription to Stereo Review December 1986 (I bought my pair of ALS's that summer)



"A Special Test Report" by Julian Hirsch

Notice the 6 woofers

do you have a set of these?
with the square woofers.....

do you have a set of these?
with the square woofers.....

No mine has the 4-12's but I tell you what....when that magazine showed up in the mail it was what made me take off the covers on mine for the first time!

Those are the only ones with the 6 woofers I have seen.

(maybe I better read that article again since I haven't for over 20 years)