Carver C-500 Laboratory Standard Amplifier

Anybody have any experiance with this amplifier? Looks a lot like the Phase Linear amps.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Carver-C-500-Labora ... 27b944cb41

BillD has one I think ?

Never even heard of it before, much less heard it.

See my avatar. It's a brute. 250WPC RMS into 8Ω, 454WPC RMS into 4Ω Damping factor over 1000 at 20 Hz Slew rate 80V/µsec. THD < 0.05%. S/N > 100dB

Oh, it sounds good too.

I believe it was Bob's first amp when he started Carver Corporation hence it's similarity to the Phase Linear 400 Series 2.

Pretty much the same except for 50 more Watts per channel.

How would you compare it, sound wise, to your M-500t? Well, I guess in your case before and after the mods?

The damping factor on that amp puts even most newer amps to shame. I would have to think that, depending on your speakers of course, that it would seem far more powerful then its rated output, especially when compared to the m-500. The way I understand it, watts are like horsepower and damping factor is like torque.

Well, it has that unmodified solid state sound. Absolutely no coloration. Like a straight wire with gain. I think that's why Bob labelled it Laboratory Standard. I power a pair of M&K speakers in my office with it. They aren't much of a load for it to handle.