More Lightstar info

I found this off-site...ray

LYNNWOOD, Wash., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Carver Corporation (Nasdaq: CAVR),
one of the most recognized brands in consumer audio, today announced its line-
up of new products scheduled for introduction at this season's Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 9-12, 1997. The annual show is
expected to draw over 150,000 industry and retail leaders from around the
world. The cornerstone of Carver's presence this year is a 1,200 square foot
product demonstration center to showcase the company's array of audio
products.
"We are committed to staying on the leading edge and we're eager to see
the reaction from the industry to our newest products," said Jim Croft, vice
president of research and development for Carver Corporation. "CES provides
us with the perfect opportunity to showcase our most exciting, new-for-97
products." Three of these innovational products include:

A-753x Three-Channel Amplifier with Magnified Current Design and Power
Steering (THX-certified). The new Carver three-channel A-753x enables a vast
base of two-channel amplifier owners to power up into advanced home theater
listening. With three identical 250 Watt Magnified Current/Total Direct
Coupled power amplifers, the A-753x is ideal for upgrading any system for
Dolby Digital or DTS listening.
A-500x Two-Channel Amplifier with Magnified Current Design (THX-
certified). The second two-channel design to feature Carver's new Magnetic
Current and Total Direct Coupling technologies, the A-500x is the successor to
Carver's acclaimed TFM-35x, a Stereophile magazine "Recommended Component,"
AudioVideo International "Product of the Year" and the industry's best-selling
separate amplifier (according to EIA statistics). Able to deliver twice the
continuous voltage and current of conventional, non-Magnified current
amplifiers, the new A-500x incorporates technology lessons learned during the
development of Carver's Lightstar Reference amplifier project.

Lightstar 2.0 Advanced Technology Power Amplifier
Fi/The Magazine of Music & Sound summed up Carver's original Lightstar
amplifier as "evidence that Carver Corporation has made a strong commitment to
first-rate build quality, as well as to engineering innovation." With
Lightstar-inspired technology now in place throughout Carver's traditional
amplifier line, the company has developed a number of improvements including a
vastly faster Digital Transformer, increased bass capability and improved,
sustained, dynamic power capability. The resulting Lightstar 2.0 retains its
predecessor's hallmark neutrality with any loudspeaker load, yet is priced at
nearly 40 percent below the cost of the original model.

"Additional announcements are pending," Croft said, "given the company's
committment to develop the most innovative, highest quality consumer audio
products." Croft will be on hand for interviews during the four-day event.
The company's products will be on display at Booth No. D4323 in the Hilton
Ballroom, at the Las Vegas Hilton.
For more than 15 years, Carver Corporation has been one of the most
recognized brands in consumer audio. The company designs, develops,
manufactures and markets high-fidelity audio components to the mid- to high-
end audio entertainment systems market. Carver's line of consumer audio
products is carried in a broad range of audio outlets nationwide, including
Circuit City. Key products are produced in the USA at Carver's advanced
facility in Lynnwood, Washington. See http://www.carver.com.


i found this off site

ray

Thanks.

Tubes rule, but the Lightstar ain't bad.

That is all, carry on.

Tubes rule, but the Lightstar ain't bad.

That is all, carry on.

Hmmm.... Here you go Jesse


It is important to point out, too, that no tube amplifier of any known and practical sort could equal the performance of the Lightstar 2.0 in many important areas. First of all, only a few special tube designs have an output impedance low enough to be anything like neutral. Amplifiers in the 1-ohm-or-more (or even 0.5 ohm) range just won't be flat into real-world speakers. The sound may be nice, but it cannot be truthful, unless one uses a speaker that has been explicitly designed for use with the particular amplifier. (The behavior of tube amps can also change with level so that the non-neutrality itself is level-dependent.)

Second, no tube amplifier can offer this kind of power and current capability - or at least none that is a practical domestic device. Real-world tube amps aren't even close, and even those monsters with nominal high power (and enormous price) cannot match the Lightstar 2.0's current capabilities.

Third, no tube amplifier that I am aware of is this quiet, although some are fairly close at the noise-at -1-watt level. (None that I am aware of has a competitive figure for noise below full output.)

Certainly many people have found some special midrange magic in tube circuits, and, for small-signal purposes - recording equipment, preamps - tubes have remarkable properties (e.g., distortion going to zero as signal goes to zero). But, for amplifiers playing into contemporary speakers, it is hard to see how tube amplifiers can compete, especially if economic considerations are allowed, or, indeed, even if price is no object.

I'll keep my Lightstars. But I did dig that rig you brought to CF'08. It Rocked!!!

ray

I am convinced that the best mating is tube pre-amps with solid state power amps. You don't have to play the funny games with the output impedance of a SS power amp to get the tube sound with such a setup.

My recent trip to Santa Fe to help Reese bi-amp his Plats (actually Originals upgraded with Plat ribbon & crossover) convinced me of that After removing the crossover and time aligning the woofers to the ribbon and taking care or the ribbon anomalies with parametric equalizers, the combination of his Sunfire Vacuum Tube Preamplifier (or his C-19) with the silver-t amps (two 7s and two 9s) was magical on those Plats.

the combination of his Sunfire Vacuum Tube Preamplifier (or his C-19) with the silver-t amps (two 7s and two 9s) was magical on those Plats.

Dam! Would love to see some pictures of that set-up!!!

Here's one of the rig.

Reese Rig.JPG (380.65 KiB) Viewed 846 times

Here's one of the upgraded Plat.

Reese Amazing.JPG (218.19 KiB) Viewed 846 times

Wow! That looks like it was a job wiring all that in. I hope the cabinet pulled out! That looks Awesome! I bet the neighbors love it also!!! Great Job! I'm sitting here looking at my "little" TFM-15cb looking back at those pictures > I have to go outside and cry now.
Thanks Bill!

Wow! That looks like it was a job wiring all that in. I hope the cabinet pulled out! That looks Awesome! I bet the neighbors love it also!!! Great Job! I'm sitting here looking at my "little" TFM-15cb looking back at those pictures > I have to go outside and cry now.
Thanks Bill!

see if this helps with the crying.



cell phone camera....sorry

hope that helps

ray

And, no, the unit does not pull out and just has a few access holes in the back!

WOW! Thats some nice setup and Bi-amped with 7`s and 9`s holy moley. That has got ot be utterly Incerdible.

I still cry and just stare at mine every day I walk through my door.....

amazings 002.jpg (77.91 KiB) Viewed 777 times

amazings 001.jpg (92.01 KiB) Viewed 777 times

Steve, you need to get those ALSs away from the wall!

Beautiful setups, guys~

I have to agree with Bill D on the fact that SS amps and Tube pre`s do sound very,very nice. That being said however I am also a Huge fan of Pasive Pre`s and have gone that direction as less is more. Less electronics between the source and the speakers is pure heaven! JMHO