I have owned MANY "HI END" CDP,s ..Cyrus, A $10.000.00 Meredian CDP and a Mcintosh CDP and I can Honestly say that the 390t BLOWS them ALL away I Truly believe to find a "Noticeably difference in sound you would have to spend AT LEAST $7000-$10.000 Carver equipment is Superior to most Hi End audio the ONLY reason Carver Seems to take a "Bad Rap' is because Bob Carver kept his prices Down.IF he would have priced his equipment two times the price it would Command the same prices as Mark levinson ,Krell, ETC Carver is Second to None.The 390t has two 6dj tubes that operate at 25% so you are getting Very smooth hi end while at the same time a Punch bass . A fantastic CDP

The Carver SD/A 390t is by far the best sounding and functioning 5-disc cd player I've had the pleasure of owning. The unit features linear single bit D/A conversion for increased sonic defenition and detail. It has two 6DJ8 vacuum tubes in the final output stage, providing very low static and transient distortion while providing extremely high dynamic headroom. Carvers "Soft EQ" circuit prevents the loss of front to back depth imaging as well as the extreme brightness associated with cd recordings. A "Level File" feature adds the convenience of memorizing up to 100 discs to play back at optimum volume levels.When the SDA 390's vacuum tubes warm up to their low 25% capacity, the music is incredibly warm and detailed. Nothing but stars for this one!

Exceptionally clean sound, looks great, Soft EQ function

Display can be a bit small from a distance

I have owned this machine for over a year now, and I have never failed to be impressed with it. I don't know if the sound is truly influenced by the tube output, or if it is just that this is a high quality CD player anyway, but the sound is first rate. The "soft EQ" function is pretty cool, too, it is useful for those early CDs that we all have where the mastering was real poor. This function emphasizes certain frequencies and cuts other, making older CDs sound much better. But beware, it can make any newer CD sound kindof muddy - it should not be used except when needed.

I must admit that I am still in love with that traditional Carver look - the wide black metal chassis with the rack handles. I hope that when Carver reorganizes they keep true to this style - I don't want to have to replace all my Carver stuff!

Ease of use, beaufitul sound stage and sound quality

Carver is no longer around, rack style front panel does not blend well with other components

First I need to point out that I own the SDA 490t which is the single disc version of the 390t.

The sound stange, depth and clarity of music coming from this player is simply beautiful. I was not expecting much of a change replacing a basic Yamaha 5 disc changer with a ten yr old CD player. I was wrong, thew difference in sound stage is huge. Music is opened up, sounds a lot more natural and realistic. Smooth and warm, a pleasure to listen to. Some CD's that sounded harsh, or dull on the Yamaha are now much more open and clean sounding.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha CDC-565, Sony ES