I drive a pair of Klipsch la scala's (2002) modified with German upgrade crossovers,($550) and the result is absolutely riveting acoustics, also utilizing a pair of Klipsch subbies on top of the La Scala's.(12in x 2 passive radiaters in each). Anyway not only is the sound deliniative and silky, but the neighbours have aquired my taste in music for some reason.

First, i have the TFM-55x, which is the second version of the TFM 55. The TFM-55x had only 200 models built, and are extremely rare, and drive over 750 watts a channel!. Well first, i got this amp for free for my DJ setup to drive both of my MTX BLUE THUNDERS in a a ground shaker enclosure. I got my TFM-55x with a Carver CT-27v Pre amp and a Akai Digital Computer EQ. They just sound amazing and i have never had the over heating problems. I only have blow the fuse once when it was at a place with a power power supply. I would recommend any one to buy this amp.

This thing has deep reserves of power. If you're lucky enough to own one (even second-hand), do yourself a favor and pick up a really good set of speakers to pair it with and put the whole setup in a good room. You'll be glad you did.

Even if you don't take full advantage of the TFM-35, it'll still make any moderately decent pair of speakers sound better thanks to the extra headroom.

The 'level' knob on the front is also pretty handy for a setup that sometimes has limited pre-amp level control (I don't always use the mixer). It effectively acts as a volume control by controlling the outputs.

It also has its own power switch - again, useful when a pre-amp isn't being used to control the system.

The TFM-35 doesn't offer balanced inputs, which would certainly help in electrically-noisy environments as well as feed a cleaner signal to the amp. Be that as it may, the unbalanced inputs are still good. The noise floor of the amp is still really low as it is.

Reviewing the TFM-35 (non-X)... Picked mine up in '99 from a friend that said it wasn't working at all. It lit up and the relays clicked on, but it refused to play any sound and the meters wouldn't move. It definitely looked like it had seen better days since there were scratches and dings all over it. However, knowing that it might be a simple fix, I snapped it up for $120, popped the top, and found that the RCA inputs broke away from the circuit board. 20 minutes of soldering later, and I had a working TFM-35!

I'm now using it to power a pair of un-amped Event 20/20 direct field monitors. It gets fed by bunch of computer audio gear (primarily from an M-Audio Delta 66 in my PC) routed through a Mackie 1402VLZ. There have been other amps that powered this setup, but none have sounded as nice as the TFM-35.

I'm not sure this amp will get another home before it's fully retired. If it does, it'll be powering a home-theater setup once I pick up a few more of these babies.

POWER. POWER. POWER. great dynamics, imaging and soundfield depth. A real serious addition to any set-up. It can run any speaker you'd care to run and make it ROCK.

Carver is out of business. Repairs must be done by CCR or High-Tech Audio, They are getting more expensive as time goes on. A TFM-55 will get more on fleabay than it did new.

I'm running a Carver System comprised of a C-19 (tubed) Preamp, SDA/490t CD(tubed) player, TX-11 FM tuner, 2(a bridged pair) TFM-55 power amps feeding a pair of Silver Edition Amazing Loudspeakers. A DBX 120X driving a Carver M500t(700 watts bridged) to a pair of 18"subs in a dipole arrangement handles movie lows. Peripherals include a Technics SL-1900b turntable, a DBX 3BX range expander, Tascam CC-222 MkII CD/cassette recorder, Optimus DCC-2000 DDC recorder, and a Nakamichi Dragon.

Once I added the TFM-55s, my system came alive. Like on the street there is no sustitute for power, hosepower or watts. At 1000watts bridged, this is the BIG DOG set-up. Anything less....is. Power from the godz, dynamic, rhythmic, and precise. Depth of the TFM-55 soundstage is breathtaking, and the precision of the image has to be heard to be believed. Strings and female voices take on life.

If you have marginal source material(rap and other low-life (c)rap) this kind of quality amplifier with show it in grand detail. I have a Telarc LP of Eric Kunzel directing the 1812 overture. The cannon shots were recorded at Baldwin-Wallace and the TFM-55 take you there on that fine spring day. You can feel the shots deep in your chest...that's power and only the TFM-55 can deliver.

Playing a DCC LP copy of Van Halen(the 1st one) I can hear Mike's fingers on the strings of his bass and Eddie sliding the pick BETWEEN the strings during his hammer runs on 'You Really Got Me' and 'Running with The Devil'. Alex pounds the drums like a madman and Diamond Dave is out front and insane. A direct-to-disc of Girls, Girls, Girls, the Crue is at their best. Vince's voice is clear and stable in the middle of the room and Tommy Lee's drumming is off the hook, fast, hard and convincing. Nikki and Mik sound like they're in the room with you. The recording is melodic, articulate and well rounded. Imaging is stable and the soundstage is grand.

On Sentmental Journey, The Chairman does what Frank does best...voice a song. No one does it better and these are some of his best. He's fronting The Duke and they rock the house. His voice is great, out front....I can see him sitting at the mic with a Kool burnnig between his fingers. Carver's TFM-55 takes you there.

The TFM-55 only gets warm to the touch when they're pushed hard, that means more than 112db for a long time. If you can find them they are worth every cent paid. The Carver Amazing Loudspeaker is known to be a tad inefficient and a bit difficult for some lesser amplifiers. The TFM-55 was designed to run hard into low impedence loads with power to spare and it makes my Silver Amazings come alive. 5 stars very highly recommended.

Customer Service

Customer service was great when the company was in business. Deal with one of Bob Carver's companies, they know about customer service

Similar Products Used:

Krell, Madrigal, Wilson, Polk.

POWER!

Heats up with high loads.

My brother perchesed the tfm-45 with it almost the exact same thing along with the carver c-11 with other peices of carver equipment all for $75. I have owned this for little over a year now and it is amazing it has blown every pair of speakers i have hooked up to it, mostly i hooked up 300-500 watt wal-mart speakers. untill i finally bought 4 800 watt Legacy with 4 350 piezo watt tweeters. I blew the side fo the box off with them. I traded the speakers with my brother for the amp. Also a friend i have own a tfm-55. All this happended after his g/f smashed it with a baceball bat and i fixed it. had to add a few fans inside it to keep it cool. powering those speakers it heated up and would kick off. but i fixed that problem.

I would highly recomend this amp. Still sounds GREAT.

Similar Products Used:

TFM-45, C-11

look great, with a classical edge. lotsa' power

none

I have the TFM-55X and TFM-35X...they've been in boxes since 1999. From what I remember though, they sound pretty great pushing my Klipsch CF-4 speakers. Great range, sound good with classical music and you can't push them over the edge! I had them bi-amped last, with the 55X driving the mids/lows and the 35X driving the highs. Just getting ready to set it up this way again. Was going to ask if anyone saw any drawbacks in setting them up this way, but I guess this isn't a discussion board.

Power

I have only owned this amp. Also a common problem with a cold solder, amp warms up slowly, 1 channed at a time. I had it repaired only to have it recur...

I love this amplifier. I bought it years ago to power some Bose 901's, and it was a huge upgrade over a receiver. But when I hooked it up to a pair of Paradigm 100v2 I was really impressed. In fact, I wonder how two would sound, bi-amped.

Similar Products Used:

none-Unless you count Sony, which makes very poor sounding receivers, at least the cheap ones.........

Power, warmth, realiblity and price

Company out of biz, kinda far to ship to WA to get fix, specially if you live in Hong Kong

I took a chance by buying this amp, specially higher then the suggested used retail price, but I had a system that was overly bright, specially with the Denon amp which killed one of my ear. Let me tell ya, Denon POA 5200 and Paradigm is a poor match, & I don't care how bright you like your music.

Despit this TFM 55X model is for HT, but I litsen to mainly music and I tell ya the music is smooth like sill. It lost a bit of grip in the process but is all worth it. Even the company is out of biz, compare to other amp I have hear, I still baffle at how cheape you can get you hands on one.

I am planning to put a PHY-HPTW37 external tweeter on it to extend the high frenquency. I have been waiting for this for a whole year, it should complete my system.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR 4800, POA 5200, BGW This review is for the 55X model

Lightweight,twin-meters,dimmer.(Appearance)
Film sound,clarity,warmth,power.(Sound)

Company shut down.

I can hardly find any Japanese made receiver providing
good power amplification circuit.Maybe budget constraints.
I just couldn't bear the bright yet uncontrollable sound
from my Pioneer Receiver TX-938,which claimed having 100watts X 5 channel.
Happen to snatch two TFM-55 from a enthusiast who is
upgrading his system.After connecting two TFM-55 to my front
and rear speakers.The difference is so significant that I'm
really touched.The power,stability,clarity,and the most
important of all:It just perform comfortably at a immense
high volume.The experience in watching "Saving Private Ryan"
can be totally different when compare these power amps with the Receiver.I just couldn't wait to hunt for the third set,
to connect to my center channel and later to the center
surround.
What do astonished me is that it is very light.Around
8Kg per set.And the heat dissipated during high output is
much lesser compared with the conventional amp.They are ,
for me,really a bargain buy.
However,I do have difficultly in sourcing these amps
again.Maybe any friends here who do know any availability
of these amps,I'll appreciate you can drop me a mail.
As for these amps,they have exceeded my expectation.
You can hardly find any serious contender at this price
and performance range.Not to mention its useful and cute
meter.
Happy listening.

Similar Products Used:

First time upgrade from purely Receiver to separate by adding two TFM-55 Power Amp.Buying second hand at US$216/set.

Carver Rocks!!!!!!

Possibly non existant base.

I grew up as a New Yorker in the hills of Vermont (circa 1960 to 1980) surrounded by people who appreciated music and could afford high-end audio equipment. I personally played instruments, sang and was involved in community theatre.

I knew when I was babysitting for a doctor in 1978 and the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan were hotter than ever that I NEEDED CARVER AUDIO EQUIPMENT. At that time I was 15 years old. In 1990 I purchased a TFM 55 Amp, C-5 Pre-amp and a TX 11-A Asymetrical Tuner.

My only regrets are that I am having a problem finding the superior speakers needed to optimize my investment as Carver Equipment ate my first four $800/pr 10B and $550/pr 5jr Polks for breakfast 10 years ago. I am truly lost and would appreciate the feedback on adding another TFM 55 and purchasing the right speakers for these monsters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your stereo is only as good as its weakest component!!!!! Carver Rocks!!!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Harmon Karden, Denon