I started with a pair of ALS-III's for use as front speakers in my HT/music system. Pid about $800 each. They replaced M&K Satellites that I was very fond of for 7 years. Imaging, clarity, dynamics, etc. were excellent. I bought a second pair at $700 each for rear channels. Tremendous for use with 5.1 although I doubt too many people are using 4 Carvers for HT. BTW I use a Sonus Faber Center that matches the Carvers very well.
The power requirements were awesome. I upgraded to a Cinepro 3K6 amp with some improvement over Carver Amps (A760 and the 3 channel whose model no. ecapes me).

I installed a 20 amp dedicated circuit for my system and could really drive the
ALS-III's. Tripped the breaker once with a Telarc DTS "Big Picture" CD during the "Twister" Soundtrack. The CinePro 3K fan was in use maybe 20% of the tome. Far too often!

I found a solution taht tok the AL-III's from excellent to awesome! Audio Extreme "AudioXtrem@aol.com" (owner Rudi Blianca a well respected ribbon expert on the Speaker Builder DIY news Group)makes an active crossover that eliminates the power hungry passive crossover in the Carvers. It requires bi-amping the Carvers. The difference was quantum. With this crossover and a bi-amp configuration efficincy is advertised as at least 3 dB better. I think it was closer to 6 dB!! My amp now runs cool with little fan actuation. The bass is much much better (tighter amd more defined). The ribbons seem even more detailed. My wife, a perrenial skeptic, agrees. Rudi calims (and I believe) that a good 100 Watt per channel amp will work fine with his crossover.

The crossover costs about $350. A good 100 watt amp can be had used for less than $400. To anyone considering upgrading to a mammoth amp (as I did), consider this alternative, sonically it blows away the high power alternative. Had I known this before I upgraded my amp, I would have saved considerable money.

This was hands down the best upgrade I ever made in the Speaker dept. I would not trade the Carvers with active crossovers for any other planar speakers less than $10K. I have listened to top of the line Martin Logans, McIntintosh, and Apogees. Nothing is close.

These speakers are simply amazing!! They will fill your room with sound and yet still provide the imaging of a pair of headphones. The distinct clarity of each new sound even at high volumes is impressive. I purchased these for myself as a graduation present and I hope to have them for a very long time. I have powered them with a Carver A500x (400 watts/channel) and this is just adequate in my opinion. The next size Carver (A760 I believe) at 600 watts per channel would probably be optimal. These speakers are power hungry. It is amazing to watch the power meter on my amp jump for those mid-range guitar and vocal hits instead of the bass drum. I highly reccomend these speakers!! I don't believe there exists a comparable speaker in this price range.

Beautiful Music

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These speakers reproduce beautiful music. For those of you who complain of bass response, all you need is an adequate preamp and amp. These speakers deserve a fine amplification system, and you will be greatly rewarded if you equip them well.

If any of you are considering a sub because of the bass response, I can assure you that all you need is a better amp or preamp for tight, powerful bass. Don't waste your money or musical performance on a sub!

These speakers are EXCELLENT for any kind of music. If you can find a pair, buy them.

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OLD AR's, OLD Altec Lansings, and more

incredible soundstage, clarity, detail, speed. separate controls for bass Q, midrange and high.

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These speakers are definitely the most satisfing that i have ever owned. like a previous reviewer, i have not shopped for speakers since buying these - 1994! i have listened to other fine speakers since only to think "thank god i have the carvers"!

after blowing a carver tfm-55 recently, i purchased an odyssey stratos 150. anyone looking for an amp to power their carvers should try the stratos (odysseyaudio.com and see the reviews here at audio review). believe me when i say that the carver amp PALES in comparison to the stratos. i agree with the previous reviewer who stated that bi-amping did not work well for him. wiht the stratos you definitely don't need to consider bi-amping. my owners manual states that it is preferale to use a single amp, although the design is perfect for bi-amping.

someone said that the bass was weak? jsut get an adequate amp - a single amp. again - the stratos produces a tight, strong bass, much better than the tfm - 55 which was great.
you have to remember that many recordings have WEAK bass and that your equipment will only give you what is on the recording unless you enhance with loudness/equilization, etc. when the bass is in the recording the carvers, teamed with the right amp will knock you down.

i noticed that carver is due to release the AL- V in a few months. 300w @ 8 ohm, 48 in ribbon with 12" woofer, if i recall. price? about $5000! MAN, I'M GLAD I HAVE MY AL-lll's!

Just one word: WOW! I bought a pair direct from Carver in December of '97, and I must say that it is about the best Christmas present I've ever got. It's matched with a Carver A-760x amp, ct-26v preamp, and Onkyo 7911 Integra Gold CD player. Vocals are truly amazing -- the theme song to Titanic will almost bring tears to your eyes, even after being overplayed on every other stereo system known to man. If you have an amp powerful enough and can pick up a pair in good condition, run (don't walk) out and get them. Sure, they're big, sensitive to placement, and power hogs, but they are beautiful to listen to. Just to have my dad come over and say "Hey, it sounds like the singer is right between your speakers -- is it supposed to do that?" makes it well worth the price ;-)

whatever your brand of music, you will, for the first time, actually hear every instrument, voice, and cough in the audience for the first time(and, yes, i actually heard coughs in the audience in a cd of a baroque concert).

you name the genre, and it handles it.

perhaps power, but that is debatable.

whatever your brand of music, you will, for the first time, actually hear every instrument, voice, and cough in the audience for the first time.

huge soundstage. take a bach organ fugue - sounds like the pipes are in your music room...really! incredible! you have the sense that instruments are playing up and down the dipole ribbon.

i have owned these babies since 1993. before buying, i listened to every speaker at every shop in austin. my budget was 5000+ for speakers. i bought the carvers and have not been speaker shopping since...can you really think of a better endorsement? i could not find a better speaker for all around music at any price. as i really like a diversity of music, the all around capability was my most important criteria. i may add a subwoofer, but this will be to enhance movies rather than music, but i really don't think it needs it.

Bi-amping: Carver himself states that ALIII's were desigined NOT to be bi-amped. i tried bi-amping, but almost immediately went back to the single amp. if you do bi-amp, the ribbon requires MUCH more power than the woofer, so use your most powerful amp on the ribbon (this is according to carver, as well).

POWER: ok, guys and gals. my carver tm-35 just went out today. that fact put me on the web and landed me here. my ALIII's are running right now on a consumer grade pioneer vsx-9600 125w/ch with fair dynamic range (185 into 2 ?) purchased circa 1989. (yup, it has lasted longer than the tm 35!) i haven't tried to max them out yet ( 'cause my son is asleep), but i alrealdy know that the pioneer will drive them beyond a level that i will permit my son use! i promise to update this review if the pioneer proves inadequate - that is, if it fails to drive the speakers in a larger than average, semi-open listening area at a dedicated listening level, but not loud. i confess that i am a little surprised that the pioneer is handling the task. i have listened to mostly rock during this experiment, and have yet to get a clip...we'll see what tomorrow brings.

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more than i can remember...

The image is not percieved as coming from the speaker, it seems to just BE THERE in the room. The midrange and upper frquencies are crisp and transparent. The bass is tight and deep. For years, I did not use a separate subwoofer. I felt that I did not have a lack of bass; however, adding a Sunfire Signature in '99 added an exciting enhancement.

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I could not have bought a pair of better sounding speakers for the money I spent. I paid around $2,000.00 in 1995, and still feel that they were worth every penny. They also look great with all the oak wood in the home theatre area of our home. Bob Carver's genius have made wonderful, reliable, fantastic sounding products available for the working man (with a family) that rival any millionaire's budget.

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I have not owned, but listed with great joy to Magnepans, Apogee, and Carver's Amazing loudspeaker.

We have a very open house - one that can be filled with sound. Our Carver speakers do just that and they are the best speakers I have ever heard. Over the years I have owned many different types and heard (at trade shows, show rooms, demos ect) just about all speaker types on the market. Yes they are power hogs but at the price of amps nowdays one can easily afford to "power" them. Bi-amping is the only way to go! I can easily push 1000w/speaker with my gear - all Carver. If you really want a test get the TELARC 1812 and the cannons will move something in your house. Try to spend a little more on your CD player to get the max from the CD's and the speakers. I saw a review where some guy got a pair at a Circuit City for $1150! Thief, why did he not post a notice for all the rest of us? On can always us more speakers "he who dies with the most speakers wins?" Great speakers try to find some if you do not have them.

Do need real power amps.

The Carver speakers are outstanding and liveup to all reviews and Bob Carvers claims of "Amazing".

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Too many to list - I go back to tube days!

Great Sound

Out of phase, foam rubber surrounds on woofers.

I've owned these speakers since 1992 and they sound fantastic. I recently discovered that one of the ribbon drivers is out of phase with the subwoofer. I don't know if they were wired this way intentionally or not. I can't think of any reason to wire them out of phase intentionally.

How do I know this? I have the Toy Story 2 DVD. On that DVD there is a series of THX audio and video tests. There are phase tests comparing in and out of phase noise between the main left and right, center and main right, main right and left rear and left and right rear. All of the tests sounded correct EXCEPT the main left and right test. This was easy to correct since you can remove the jumpers between the ribbon and woofer and run revesed speaker leads between the two. I also verified the DVD phase test with a different pair of speakers and the test is phased correctly on the DVD, otherwise the 2nd pair of speakers would have sounded similar to the Carvers with respect to phase. Anyway, if you own these speakers, I would rent the Toy Story 2 disk and check it out for yourself. I'm glad I did.

True Audiphile Speaker with beautiful electrostatic ribben driver!

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I've owned my AL-III's for about 4 years, and absolutely love them! They are the most "open" sounding speaker I've ever listened to, and they have a superb sound stage.

The speakers obviously sound best in 2-Channel Stereo, but I also use mine for my Front L/R in 5.1 Surround, and they sound amazing!

Bottom line is that these are the one of the best sounding speakers money can buy. Given the fact that you can no longer buy them new, if you're looking for a great speaker that will perform beyond your expectations, grab the next pair you come across!!!

I've heard they're selling for as much as $3000 on the Internet!

Happy Listening,
Eric

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Carver TFM-55 Amp