The Carver C-19 is a unique design, both in terms of its features and its circuitry. It's most notable feature is its vacuum tube output stage. In every respect, it is a solid state pre-amp, however, both the Main Output and Phono Amp stage utilize vacuum tube 'buffers' that create that coveted organic feel in the music signal. This preamp is considered a flagship of the Carver era, and there's many reasons to accept this status. Close attention to detail and the preservation of the fidelity of the source material is what this preamp is all about. The signal stages are meticulously designed to preserve the music signal and reject all other forms of interference and coloration. The gain stages are capacitive coupled, but to avoid any non-linearities, the coupling is also compensated with differential filters and bypass circuits. The result is a preamp with many options, such as Spectral Tilt, adjustable Gain, 2 processor loops, and Left and Right tone controls, without compromising its design goal, which is a faithful but musical preamp for vintage and modern media.
The preamp runs hot, so 30 or so years after operation, it needs a lot of attention. The unit has many electrolytic capacitors that need to be replaced, and much of the solder joints are stressed and need to be reflowed. The Main Power Supply regulator circuits also need to be updated and usually, completely reflowed. The circuit boards are double layered, and very thick, so while the solder and board itself are typically in decent shape, the traces and contacts start to fail after time. The unit is difficult to rework because of the double layers and tremendously thick cladded vias. DIY projects and repairs often end in tears - this unit is not recommended for beginners!
All consumable parts are replaced, solder joints reflowed where needed, dials and knobs are reconditioned, unit is cleaned inside and out. All functions tested and verified. Any needed repairs or mods are included in the restore cost except cruel and unusual damage, such as missing or broken RCA connectors or excessive corrosion.
New RCA jacks shown at the Main Output 1 and 2:
Inside after restore (the silicone rings on the vacuum tubes are not typical, client provided)
Restore Cost: $550
New RCA Jacks (per pair): $50
New Tubes: *Quote Only
Comes with Nelion Audio 3 year parts and labor warranty.
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