Very powerfull and clean sound. It sold new for about $700.00, well worth the money. Impeccable reliability.

Mid fi case build. The on/off thump when power was applied was annoying, before remedied.

I purchased the M 1.0 T amp along with a carver ct seven preamp over ten years ago . I made a circuit modification to null the on/off thump when power was applide. The circuit schematic was supplied by carver corp. After the in expensive circuit to eliviate the on/off thump was applied, I could not ask for more for the money. The M 1.0 T is a very powerfull and clean amplifier which to this day sounds better than many amps costing much more. The M 1.0 T was attacked by many of the wealthy audiofile class for it claim of sounding as well as a very expensive tube amp of great acclaim. The truth is that it rivals many amps costing much more. It uses a magnetic field (switch mode power supply) which many high end audiofiles don''t like. The M 1.0 T does not sound as beautifull as the esoteric high end amps from Mark Levinson and Krell, but it is a very very clean and powerfull amp.

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Can''t justify spending money on something else when I''m very pleased with this product

Power, cool running, very precise.

Signal cable output configuration. I am also running STAX SR-40s directly connected to one amp, and wiring can be dicey.

My shell-like ears are as sensitive and delicate as anyone''s, and I have yet to be anything but thrilled with my M-1.0ts. My configuration seems to be somewhat different from most of the reviewers in that only one of them is bridged for mono, the one that drives a mono subwoofer in a bi-amped system fed through the electronic crossover in the Carver DPL 20 from a Carver C-4000 preamp. The other one drives two Vandersteen 1Bs above 80Hz. First of all, anyone who claims not to hear the bass output had better check either their frequency perception or the surrounds of their bass drivers. My preference is classical, and the bass of the great Bach organ preludes and fugues will loosen the nails from the boards of the house with this system played at moderate levels with tone controls defeated. The tympani blasts of the Elgar Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 by Solti with the London Philharmonic also will set your diaphragm a-quivering. With the Vandersteens, midrange tonal detail and soundstage imaging are outstanding, nearly independant of speaker placement. Overall frequency response and dynamic range are very nearly perfect, and with a slight tweaking of the C-4000s Peak Unlimiter I can duplicate just about any system I have heard at three times the price. Unlike others, I do not seem to notice the turn-off thump. Also, there is no audible hum while the input signal is not present unless my ear is within about eight inches of the speaker. When I bridged the one amp for the sub-woofer I was kind of afraid to hook it up because of the power, claimed by Carver to clip at 1000 watts! It really is overkill, and I notice that when I turn on the amps, there is a sudden dimming of the lights from the power surge. Overall I am delighted with my amps. For the price I could not even approach such performance elsewhere.

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Hafler, ESS, Dynaco and various Macs

High headroom, cool running, accuracy, excessive unnecissary power

One of my two pops at shuttoff

There was a day when I considered myself an AUDIOPHILE. I then married, had childeren and no longer had the time or money to study, eat, sleep, dream, basically everthing audio equipment. I had more technical answers ten years ago than I do now but here goes ...... One thing I do know about you and myself is that we have a short term memory when it comes to sound. After reading some of these reviews I can just about guess who''s got that little emblem on the back of their truck that shows the little boy peeing on the other make of truck''s emblem!! I''ve had a pair of 1.0ts for about 12 years now running bridged and in series with (2) pair of American Acoustic D9500Es. (Carver CT7 Preamp/Tuner, Technics SH-8065 33 band EQ, Carver DTL-3200 CD Player, Onkyo TAR-240 Cass. Deck, Pioneer PL-516/Sure M105E) I am completely satisfied with the M1.0ts as they are troopers with more power than imaginable (especially bridged) & sound great from one end of the spectrum to the other. My system has been in 3 different homes/rooms and has sounded different every time. The bass was always deep and tight but better than ever in it''s resting place. Surprise, surprise!! If your 1.0ts don''t have bass then you have other problems. (My CD player isn''t skipping because my CDs are dirty) No doubt about it, they can''t be rivaled by more power for the buck. As you can see my system isn''t all the best. There are times when I used my EQ and times when I don''t (as my taste/ears need a change). I have found these amps to be extremely powerful, cool running at all levels and very clean. My speakers are rated @ 4/8 ohms and 206rms/412peak watts. At twice their recommended power they play effortlessly. I believe this is testimony to clean power. My home consists of 5 different systems. This one in my bedroom, Carver in the office, Harmon Kardon Living Room Home theater, Onkyo to Kitchen, exterior speakers, old Technics in the garage. Every system sounds different and I can enjoy each for what they''re best at. The M1.0ts are unbeatable. Their sound is clean, warm, detailed and lifelike at any level and come highly recomended by me. If you can only afford so much but wish you could have the very best, than the M1.0t is the amp for you.

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Citation, Harmon Kardon, other Carver ...

Dynamics, stable under difficult loads, bass extension, price

pops and cracks when turning on and off (only sometimes on the 1.0t and always on the 4.0t silver seven)

I have a large system, basically:
MAIN DANCE SETUP/THAT DOUBLES AS THE SYSTEM SUBWOOFER WHEN I SHUT DOWN THE MID-HIGHS .-Carver amps(M4.0T of aprox 1200W@ 8ohm mono for the sub, and M1.0 of 225Wx2 for the mid-high) for my biamplified JBL/EV disco system (Triplechamber banbpass 2x15" sub plus mid high consisting on 10" JBL horn and electrovoice mid tratrix horn plus EV horn tweeter)
MAIN SPEAKERS .- Nakamichi PA7E STASIS (a threshold STASIS) 225Wx2 powering a pair of the INFINITY IRS 9 KAPPA
SMALL SPEAKERS .- B&W Nautilus 804 for Home theatre mains
Two NIKKO 150Wx2@8ohm for center and rear channels (B&W 602)
I can tell you that with such a large system and my house´s poor earth, I break an amplifier every year or two. And you know which one goes to the help of the speaker without amp: THE CARVERS (I use the disco system the least)
I CAN SAY that non the PA7 STASIS OR the KRELL can drive the 9 KAPPAS to their fullest ( the can be as low as 1ohm) both of them protect or distort when driven very hard on the Kappas. But not the 1.t , it´s like the NIKKO´s you can drive it to headroom and nothing will happen, sure it will sound a little compressed but..... so will be my ears at 110db. It is no match to both KRELL/STASIS amps at mid levels but the price may be 1/4 so...
When driving the horn highs of my disco system the 1.t is AWESOME you CAN¨T stand the non distorted sound coming out from the speakers (I can mesure it as my meter tops at 126db but it is a minimun od 130)
ALL said can apply to the 4.0t silver seven BUT it sounds richer and fuller then the other megabuck amps. HOW CAN BOB CARVER MAKE A LIGHT AMP HAVE BETTHER BASS THAN UNITS THAT WEIGHT OVER 80POUNDS AND THAT HAVE 4X33MF CONDENSORS ?
I don´t knoe but he does.
FOR THE MONEY THEY ARE UNBEATABLE

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Carver 4.0t silver seven, Nakamichi PA7 Stasis, Krell KAV-250a

Pure, clean power!

Pop at shutdown.

All I can say, after reading these conflicting reviews, is try this amp running some M&K satellites and subwoofer, the sound makes me warm and fuzzy!
I have been shopping around for home theater components and have thought about upgrading the amp, but I can't bring myself to part with the Carver! I think I may go with some monoblocks to power the rear and center speakers and keep the Carver for my music listening pleasure. I have had this amp for over 12 years and it hasn't let me down yet!
I have to agree with a couple of the previous reviews. If you are lacking definition in your sound, or are having a thin bottom end, take a good long look at your speakers. Power is one thing, but if you don't have the speakers to deliver the goods, you are cheating yourself.

Give me a while I'm Still thinking.

This space is to small.
Highs are raspy and cause fatigue, The mids are directional and thin. The base is muddy lacking articulation.

I too thought the Carver was a Kick butt amp but as time went on and I gained more experience. I came to the conclusion that the 1.0 was lacking somthing.
Whats worse every one I know that has owned
a Carveer amp has had some kind of failure happen to it.
No tunes are the worst tunes! I had the opportunity to go to a Stereophile traded show in Miami with a few friends of mine. This was the beginig of the end for the Carver.
After moving to Atlanta I went to an audio store
with a friend to check out an A/V system and from another room I heard somthing. WOW, it was punchy and dinamic.
It was a Krell system.

I fell in love with the Krell KAV 250. I got one and got rid of the Carver and have never regretted it.
One of my best freinds in Miami has an Acurus amp and it is remarkable as well but for far less than the krell.


Bottom line is don't lock yourself in to a state of mind where you wont learn or accept the truth or your ears.
I thought that mine was the best but know I know better.
Mine still is not the best but it is better than it was.
Preamp-Melos
CD drive-Audio Alchemy DDS III
D/A parasound 1600
Amp-Krell KAV 250
Speakers-PSB Stratus Gold'-i's

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Carver M200, Krell KAV 250, Acurus A100 and A200.

Great headroom, power, and sound from a relatively low-priced amp.

Occasional strange crackling and popping during power-up/down. Slight hum internally when running cold.

I bought my M1.0t used when I was still in grad school in '89. The previous owner traded it in for another Carver amp with more continuous power, but nearly identical dynamic power... I still have it in the new millenium and still like it. It has a nice sweet sound, and has great imaging and bass when your speakers are properly placed. It has performed well with low impedence speakers - even when driven quite hard. I've listened to various friends amps in my system and placed it in others'. I'm happy enough with this old workhorse to keep it. I now have the means to buy most whatever I'd like, but find it difficult to justify the cost relative to what I have.

Unlimited, clean, distortion-free power.

The noisy shutdown

Well, realizing that any review of audio products is a qualitative pysco-acoustic experience, I'm offering my 2 cents worth.
I've had two 1.0t's almost from the day they became available. They're bridged and I run them thru a Carver C1 preamp. I've tried several CD players, but settled on the Carver DTL 200. I'm using a pair of proto-type speakers (TDC 20's) from an old east-coast company called Tech Hi-Fi that was based near Boston College (I understand that they're out of business now, too bad). The speakers have 2 two 10" woofers; two 5" squakers, and two 1 1/2" tweeters each. They're rated at 750 watts.

In order not to dim my lights when I crank it up, I have a dedicated 15 amp line just for the amps. I run it all through a fusable power grid.

Because there is so much available power, I couldn't get the volume (attenuater, ugh) beyond 10 o'clock. As with any power source, be it electronic or mechanical, if it is not running in it's "breathing zone" (you car hot-rodders know what I'm talking about) you will not realize the true capacity of the unit. So, about 10 years ago, I called Bob Carver and he advised me to install 6 db gain reduction in the line.

That allowed me to get the volume up to 12 o'clock (just about where recommebnded to make full use of the headroom)and when I really feel nuts close to 2 o'clock.

Man, what a difference!!! Great before...astounding after!!

Whether listening to the Mobile Fidelity Gold CD of Dark Side of the Moon or Paradise Theater, or Supertramp, or Lizst, or Bjoerling, or Bach the sounds that these amps produce is mind-boggling. My buddy can't believe the power of bass, definition of mid-range, and sweetness of high frequency that these amps produce at a fraction of the cost of his big Mac's.

Just bought a pair of OHM Walsh 4's. Can't wait to get them back from the factory upgrade.

If you're just a plain old ordinary person looking for great sound and don't have to have the most expensive equipment out there (for bragging rights, or ego trips) then I highly recommend these amps, if you can find them.

Of course, amps alone do not make a system.

Thanks for listening.

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Too many to name

I used to have this amplifier and thought it was quite good. However, once I purchased a Yamaha MX-1, I could tell what I was missing in clarity and sweetness. This amp may be good for rock, pop, or country music. However, for classical 8what I listen to most) it`s terrible. Now I own a Parasound HCA 2205 and look forward to hearing what else I`m missing that I don`t get with the Yamaha amp. The Carver 1.0 also gave me headaches when turning off and on. I held my breath every time and I had a number of loud pops (transients) happen that simply were eliminated when I bought the Yamaha.

Lots of Power, True Warrior

Doesn't cost at least $3,000

I have owned a pair of the 1.0t for more than 12 years and they have been nothing but true warriors. The reviews here that indicate this amp lacks bass or 'sucks' need to have the rest of their equipment checked as i can tell you and so will my neighbors that this amp 'rocks'. I have a pair of them which are bridged mono and hooked up to a pair of Polk Audio SDA-SRS speakers. These amps have never had a failure of any kind which is a true testament to their quality. The 1.0t was specifically designed to sound like a Conrad Johnson Premier 5 which in ABX double blind tests so called 'golden ear' audiophiles couldn't tell them apart (read the white paper on it), so Carver must have gotten something right. I have experienced no hums, or extraneous noise eminating from them either ( i did have the pop fixed). The only true way to tell electronic gear apart is in an ABX double blind test, period.

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Adcom GFA-555