Sunfire amp owners

[bigbang]

Tell me about your exprerience past or present with these amps. A Cinema Grand would be perfect power and physical size for my center and rear surrounds.

However I have reservations due to the reviews I've seen. I know he allows for greater distortion levels that are supposed to be inaudible. Are they?

I'm basically looking for an amp that does NOT color the sound. I would not be using the (I forget what he called them) ouputs that have a resistor or the like in line.

My main amps are very "un-colored" and I'm in the camp that any well designed amp that has low distortion and no intentional coloration of the sound (like tubes or stuff to try and duplicate the tube sound), should not be able to be identified in abx blind testing. I proudly admit to not being able to distinguish cable a from b from x unless there is physically something wrong (or different to a detrimental effect. ie too long/small cable) between the cables.

So would the Carver amps pass this test, or do they have their own sonic signature?

What other options are out there that are 200 or more watts per channel @ 8ohms for three channels for under 2k? Needs to be under 50 pounds and less than 18" deep including binding posts.

 

[enrique]

Tell me about your exprerience past or present with these amps. A Cinema Grand would be perfect power and physical size for my center and rear surrounds.

However I have reservations due to the reviews I've seen. I know he allows for greater distortion levels that are supposed to be inaudible. Are they?

I'm basically looking for an amp that does NOT color the sound. I would not be using the (I forget what he called them) ouputs that have a resistor or the like in line.

My main amps are very "un-colored" and I'm in the camp that any well designed amp that has low distortion and no intentional coloration of the sound (like tubes or stuff to try and duplicate the tube sound), should not be able to be identified in abx blind testing. I proudly admit to not being able to distinguish cable a from b from x unless there is physically something wrong (or different to a detrimental effect. ie too long/small cable) between the cables.

So would the Carver amps pass this test, or do they have their own sonic signature?

What other options are out there that are 200 or more watts per channel @ 8ohms for three channels for under 2k? Needs to be under 50 pounds and less than 18" deep including binding posts.

I can only give you my experience with a sunfire 300x2 amp.I only had it for a week before i sent it back.Now i dont know if i gave it enough time but a week should of been enough.I did not like how it sounded,my receiver alone w/o the amp sounded better than with it.I've heard that sunfire amps do have their own signature sound and after my experience i tend to agree.But thats not to say they are'nt good.I think you still would have to hear for yourself to decide.

 

[erick.s]

I'm running a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have no complaints. I've run numerous amps in the past (Sunfire, Acurus, Rotel, Parasound, Sherbourn, Anthem, Adcom - I think that's all of them) and I like the Sunfire the best. Of course my personal preference is very subjective but I don't find the Sunfire inaccurate. It's enjoyable to listen to with no discernable overemphasis or underemphasis on the sound. It will play as loud as I could ever want it without strain, it never gets more than slightly warm, and is light and easy to move around, plus it looks cool in my rack.

 

[rmk]

D-Sonic

You should check out the Magnum 3 channel

http://www.d-sonic.net/

 

[cfrizz]

Another very happy Sunfire user here. I absolutely love mine. I think it is a very neutural amp & does just what it is supposed to do.

I also love the fact that I have a 5 channel amp that I can actually lift!

Hopefully it is the last amp I will ever need. If not, I'll just get another one from Audiogon!

 

[bigbang]

I can only give you my experience with a sunfire 300x2 amp.I only had it for a week before i sent it back.Now i dont know if i gave it enough time but a week should of been enough.I did not like how it sounded,my receiver alone w/o the amp sounded better than with it.I've heard that sunfire amps do have their own signature sound and after my experience i tend to agree.But thats not to say they are'nt good.I think you still would have to hear for yourself to decide.

What was your receiver/spkrs at the time?

You would descriibe the color of the sunfire as?

Thanks!

 

[bigbang]

I'm running a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have no complaints. I've run numerous amps in the past (Sunfire, Acurus, Rotel, Parasound, Sherbourn, Anthem, Adcom - I think that's all of them) and I like the Sunfire the best. Of course my personal preference is very subjective but I don't find the Sunfire inaccurate. .

Speakers being used?

Thanks!

 

[rumble]

What other options are out there that are 200 or more watts per channel @ 8ohms for three channels for under 2k? Needs to be under 50 pounds and less than 18" deep including binding posts.

Adcom gfa-5503 if you can handle an extra 7 pounds over your weight limit.

 

[bigbang]

Adcom gfa-5503 if you can handle an extra 7 pounds over your weight limit.

I can. And I might. I'll keep my eyes peeled!

 

[rmk]

Amps

I have had several Sunfire amps the current being a Signature 400/5. It is paired with Revel Ultima speakers and I find the amp is neutral, clean and very powerful. I am replacing it with a new Axiom digital amp as I have added two surround speakers for a 7.1 config and wanted to give the new digital amps a try. My backup is getting another Sunfire (TGA 74000) or a D-Sonic digital pending my feelings about the Axiom.

 

[itschris]

Love my Sunfires. Cinema Grand 5 channels. I've driven the crap out of these with huge Martin Logans (owned by a roomate at the time) on both the current and the voltage outputs and was never able to run them down and never once heard it clip. I think they're great amps. A lot of people dislike the whole Bob Carver persona thing in the industry. Don't know why, but I can tell you from personal ownership I'd buy these agin.

 

[EJD]

No experience with the Sunfire myself, but you may want to check out:

Acurus 200x3
Aragon 8008x3 (although this is over 50lbs)
Rotel 993
B&K Reference 200.3

All of these are on Audiogon right now.

 

[erick.s]

Speakers being used?

Thanks!

Definitive Technology BP7000sc mains
Definitive Technology CLR3000 center
Definitive Technology BPX side surrounds
Definitive Technology BP2X rear surrounds

I have also listened to the Sunfire driving Missions, B&Ws, Martin Logans, Quads, Sonus Fabers, and Vienna Acoustics (that I can remember - I'm sure I've heard the amp driving others as well) and have liked the smoothness of the amp in all cases over other brands I've heard driving the same speakers.

 

[nelson57]

I'm using the Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 also, and not only is it a solid cool running amp that powers my Paradigm setup with ease, I also found Sunfire's customer service to be top notch.

 

[codexp3]

Worried about what reviews? All the reviews I've seen have been positve. HomeTheater Mag loved it! I don't own one, but I always liked Carver. Go to hometheatermag.com and check their review.

 

[noshortcuts]

Sunfire TGA-7400

I am new to Sunfire (and high(ish)-end audio for the matter) and got a great deal from an installer with a unit that didn't fit someone's system.

I run it with the new Onkyo PR-SC885 Pro (awesome unit) and Salk SongTowers and SongCenter. I'll be adding 4 in-wall surrounds soon.

I like that the TGA-7400 has balanced XLR outputs, runs COOL, is very powerful, and sounds incredible. For fun, I hooked it up as Carver suggests trying: biwiring the front speakers so that current-outs run the bass and voltage-outs run the highs. Since I haven't played with other hook ups, I can't say if it makes an audible difference over other hook-ups.

Now if only it could be smaller, lighter, and cost less.