This review is for the TFM-35. I purchased it for $180 from a local pawnshop near Tampa, FL. I have to tell you, I always thought Carver amps were un-appealing and unattractive. I changed the Trimpot right away (check out tntaudio.com) and am always blown away by this cheap part change for 5 bucks and 3 soldier joints. I have had numerous amps from the likes of Adcom, Speakercraft, Linn, Onkyo, SAE, and Rotel. I am currently bi-amping my Sapphire ST2's with the TFM-35 (highs) and my Rotel RB-990BX (lows). That should tell you exactly what this amp is good at from my last statement. It is a superb amplifier for the higher frequencies, but is somewhat lacking in the lower frequencies. When you take the cover off, you will see 2 tiny 10000 uf caps. Probably a lot of the reason it sucks with the boom boom.
If you are using a subwoofer, or if you would be using this amp for standmount/ bookshelf speakers and you only have a few hundred to spend, I would say it should be on your short-short list for reviews. Definitely change the Trimpots or pay your local Mr. fix it guy 20-30 bucks to do it. It takes a 680 ohm trimpot, but my local electronics store didn't have a 680, so I got a 1K ohm, or 1000 ohm, pot.

Designed by legendary audio man Bob Carver and built in Japan.
I use 2 of TFM 25s in my home theater set up. My Denon 1000W/ch 7.1 receiver is some what thin in lows. I by pass front channel of Denon receiver and use these to drive my front R&L channel. They really re-colored my home theater system witth huge dynamic range. Listening music with my home theater system became much more enjoyable. They sound much warmer than my Denon receiver. My units were serviced for all capacitor replacements to play another 25 years. Great musical instrument, I love them.

When you get the power conditioning sorted, this is a great little amp, and I'm sure it would kick the tail of many a newer amp. After solving power conditioning issue, excellent tranparency, very good soundstage width and depth. Plenty of punch (although not as much as my monoblocks. Excellent at resolving detail. Very musical - Rather than being too analytical this amp is very slightly on the warm side off neutral.

Without power conditioning adressed, it will not perform as well as it should.

I've been using the Carver TFM for about a year now. Its primarily used for everyday listening. My setup has my Yamaha RX-Z9 acting as a multichannel processor, and all my sources are connected through it. I then run an ARC preamp through a loop into the Z9. This disengages the z9's internal preamp section for the front channels. I then have my TFM-25 connected on Mains 1 output, and this drives my front channle speakers. For critical listening I also have a pair of ARC Classic 120 tube monoblocks. My general impressions of the TFM-25 have been mixed. I liked some aspects of its performnaqce but was not impressed with others. One glaring flaw I noticed was a flattened soundstage without much front-to-back depth. Another less than impressive trait is that it seems to lack a little transparency. It also seemed to be suffering from slightly uneven power output, with the right channel being a little weaker. Nevertheless it had redeeming qualities. I lived with it like this up until about three weeks ago. A problem I've recognized in my area is that of power. There seems to be a fair amount of interference, probably due to the power stations nearby (I live in Redondo Beach and those of you familiar with the area know that it is littered with giant pylons). I've been sort of a skeptic when it comes to power conditioning, and use pretty basic fair surge protectors. I recently came across a used MIT Z-stabilizer V.1. Its not something to plug sources etc into, but rather it plugs directly into the wall socket and creates a bridge to filter all impurities out of the circuit. I then fired up the system, and literally couldn't believe my ears. The ssystem was literally tranformed, most especially the TFM-25. Gone was the slight imbalance in channels. The improvements were vast in transparency. The bass became tighter. The soundstage more focused, and the suddenly there was much more front-to-back depth. Its still not as good as the ARC monoblocks, but it is now a seriously good little amp. My guess is that the reason for the transformation due to power conditioning comes down to the unique Carver magnetic field technology, which would probably make it more prone to problems with bad power.

Similar Products Used:

ARC Classic 120 tube monoblocks, Counterpoint SA-220, Yamaha RX-Z9 (Reciever/processor) Denon 3700 (reciever)

Reliability. Poorly engineered.

Nothing but trouble. I bought the thing new with the Carver C-11 pre-amp, Carver DPL-33 surround, and Klipsh speakers. I've had the thing to the shop six times because of distortion in the right channel. It keeps coming back. The DPL-33 is crap also as the remote for my Panasonic TV continually shuts it off everytime I adjust the volume on my TV. I must have a a few dirty potentiometers on the C-11 as you hear scratchy sounds everytime one of them is moved.

Similar Products Used:

DPL-33 Surround and C-11 Preamp.

Warm Sound, Clean Sound

Could be more powerfull.

I own a Carver TFM-24 Amp, which is the same as the Carver TFM-25 Amp without the analog WATT meters. The specifications and sonic characteristics are the same. I, also, have a Carver M-1.0T Amp. The TFM-24 in my system is a very good amp sonically and value wise. It is clearly less powerfull than the M-1.0t. Sonically the TFM-24 has a little warmer sound. I like the TFM-24 a lot, but with expensive inefficient speakers the M-1.0t is by far my preference. The TFM-24 simply does not have as much power as the M-1.0t. This probabbly would not be as apparent with efficient speakers. The M-1.0t has a more laid back sound. Considering the type of speakers that I use the M-1.0t is my preference. By the way I use one Carver CT-Seven Pre Amp and split the output signal ( Left and Right Channels) to each of the above mentioned Amps. I use Precise Monitor 10 speakers for the front left and right speakers. I use Bose 501 for the rear left and right speakers. The Precise Monitor 10 speakers are much less efficient than the Bose 501 speakers. I have used both amps to each set of speakers to reach my opinion and conclusion. The M-1.0t sounds a little better with the Bose 501 speakers, and a lot better with the Precise Monitor 10 speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Sunfire, Mark Levinson, Krell

Smooth,low distortion ,extra clean, awesome realistic deep base, and clarity that is first rate.

Not a single flaw!!

I must say that I stumbled on a fantastic deal. I purchased This unit from a friend who upgraded to a new system. Now he wants to buy it back from me because the speakers he has cant be driven as well and sound as well as they did before he sold the TFM-25 to me. Needless to say I have heard several new amps costing in the thousands, sure they sound great but I smile when a realize I paid just a few hundred dollars for a unit that sounds just as good and in most cases better than the new technology. If anyone can get their hands on one of these from e-bay or any other source for a few hundred bucks consider it your lucky day. I am in search of one more possibly two more to round out my system. The TFM-25 is a unit that can grow into the most discriminating systems for the future including home theater. I could write a book on my experiance with this unit but I think you get the idea. I use this unit for home theater applications but I found that I enjoy it even more when I listen to cd's. Music just seems to have so much more depth and will have you pulling out your old cd collection to discover what you have been missing. The old saying holds true, "They dont make them like they use to!"

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Adcom, Yamaha, Sony ES.

Warm sounding. Sonically perfect when used with the right equipment.

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Smooth sounding amp. Sounds great when used with similiar Carver products ie, Carver C-5 preamp. Almost impossible to drive to clipping!

VU needle meeters, plenty of power, solid quality, super clean.

Meter lights burn out. thats it

I drove 2 hrs each way in 1990 to purchase this amp for 626.00(plus tax) lol I replaced a Harmon Kardon pm665 integrated amp and briefly thought I had made a mistake. I found out when I brought home new speakers I could not have been more wrong...my tfm25 was able to match all the warmth and detail of my HK but is able to produce much,MUCH more sound. Great smooth bass to clean highs this amp has yet to clip. I have run this amp with several pair of speakers over the years and it tested them all. This is a top notch amp and the quality is outstanding..it is the one piece of equipment I have yet to replace. Find one in good shape and you have a wonderful amp for the casual listener to the discriminating audiophile.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 2325, HKpm665

Exeptional Power,Reliability,Cosmetically Classy Design,and above all the best bang for the buck.

None

I bought this amp back in 1990. I sold my two Carver 1.0's to aquire it. The thing I noticed first was that it sounded so much better than my faithful 1.0's. The sound was fuller and much warmer than the others . I was not a big fan of the analog meters at first,but when people saw my system for the first time the thing that caught their eye were those meters.The whole design change from the previous amps was definitely a plus. It always had enough power for most conventional speakers , but when I purchased my Carver Silver Series speakers,I found myself compelled to buy another TFM-25 and bridge them.
I have stuck with this amp over the years because when Bob Carver left the company back in the early 90's,the overall performance and quality left with him. After his departure,the slew of amps that filled the Carver brochures were all flawed in one way or another. The attention to detail, as well as the Carver magic were gone. The craftsmanship of the amp, inside and out was cheapened up,thus referring to the mountain of bad reviews about the newer amp series. As a Carver faithful audioman for over 10 years I strongly suggest that anyone interested in Carver products stay with the stuff that was designed and created by the man himself,(circa 1993).
This amp is a lasting tribute to the man (Bob Carver) ,and his dedication to quality power, and unparalleled craftsmanship that made the Carver name a force to be reckoned with in the Audio world.
The TFM-25 is rated at a respectable 225 watts @8ohms.And the amps wattage bridged is 350 watts. Ohm loads don't seem to bother the amp one bit, and runs quite cool to the touch. If you can pick one up I strongly reccomend it. The current going rate on ebay and other sites is between $350-425. Go get one , you won't regret it .

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo, Hafler, Adcom, HK

Exceptional reliability and performance.Could not agree more with statements made about older Carver components.

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I couldn't agree more with the other reviewers.I also might add that when i purchased this unit in 1990 i wrote Bob Carver to express satisfaction,3 weeks later a letter from the man himself wrote back and stated:Scott today my smile is extra wide,thanks for taking the time to write.Since the company was sold[have heard its back under bob's management]products were not up to par.I had to send my TFM55 back for service while under warranty and was fixed i might say to my satisfaction after 5 weeks.I hope to see the Phoenix rise from the ashes.

Similar Products Used:

Acurus,TFM45,TFM55,SAE2600