BOB CARVER - CHERRY 180 MONOBLOCKS (PR)

An Impeccable Statement of Both Form and Function

Bob Carver's Cherry 180 Monoblocks are Extremely Powerful and a Breeze to Set Up

Bob Carver's smaller pair of monoblock amplifiers, the Cherry 180s, are just as spectacular-sounding as the Black Beauties, but just have a little less power output for those of us without the most difficult-to-drive loudspeakers. After all, 200 watts per channel from six KT- 88s per side is certainly a lot of power, especially when it’s coming from an all-tube design such as the Cherry 180. Not only are these amplifiers visually stunning, they are examples of American-made workmanship that give new meaning to the saying "pride of ownership." Cool running; switchable negative feedback settings; extremely long-lasting tube life; no tube matching needed; all point-to-point hand-wired. We’ll put these amplifiers up against anything under ten grand in a heartbeat! In fact, we encourage you to do the same. They come with a money-back guarantee. Yet, from what we’ve been hearing, the Cherry 180s won’t be coming back!

"I am very excited about the [Cherry 180] amplifiers. Designed by a legend, they offer a no-nonsense approach, with money spent in the right places. We could talk in circles about parts and topology choices, sure. But in the end, these amplifiers do everything well, volunteering a sensory experience that normally commands a higher price. Indeed, this is a tube lover’s pair of amplifiers. They provide more than enough power to drive all but the most inefficient speakers, and boast an extraordinary level of refinement. The ability to drive low-impedance loads, as well as the option to change feedback and alter the amps’ character to suit personal tastes, are bonuses. If there’s a better pair of 200-watt-per-channel tube amplifiers out there for this kind of money, I haven’t heard them yet. The Carver VTA180M monobocks richly deserve an Exceptional Value Award for 2012."
– Tone Audio

From a listening perspective this amplifier provides a warm, rich sound with a sumptuous and enveloping sound stage, a great front to back depth of field, and very tight, pin-point imaging within that larger acoustic space. A special current feedback circuit allows the amplifier to “listen to the room” via feedback from the speakers acting as microphones (using the law of reciprocity). The room-speaker-amplifier interaction provides a sense of believable ambiance and acoustic space that is thoroughly realistic and quite enjoyable. Additionally, the transformer output impedance allows the signal to follow the impedance curve of the speaker system, allowing more voltage to be delivered to the loudspeaker at very low frequencies – providing an exceptional and satisfying low end response.

Tone Audio