Room 1643 at AXPONA this year was the Bob Carver room, and it was very enjoyable. That’s because their products on display here were completely new to me, and catching up with Carver turned out to be an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
Words and Photos by Matthew Partrick
The amp on display in the Bob Carver room was the company’s RAM 285, a two-channel tube powered offering with a beautiful Ferrari Red chassis. Power is supplied by four KT-120 tubes providing 40 watts per channel into 8 Ohms; additionally, there are one 12AX7, two 12AT7, and two 6AL5 tubes in the preamp stage. Carver provides two RCA inputs. The RAM 285 features the latest DC Restorer circuit which provides dynamic bias, limiting DC bias sag under bigger loads. This has sonic benefits as well as reducing heat, significantly prolonging the lifespan of the tubes.
In the Bob Carver room, the RAM 285 was driving a pair of Magnepan LRS+ speakers; source was provided by an Eversolo DMP-A8 streamer/DAC. The sound was very smooth and clear, with excellent separation and vocals.
Hilariously, the track that I Shazam’d and remembered first and foremost was “Vogue” by Madonna. The amp was doing a very good job of reminding me why this song was so insanely popular when it came out. I was also able to enjoy Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca” recorded by Lang Lang, a brisk version of a timeless classic. The Carver amp effortlessly reproduced the significant swings in dynamics on this piece, and even with a somewhat difficult load with the Maggie LRS+ speakers the amp remained relatively cool.
Overall, I was very impressed with what this company has to offer; it’s not necessarily easy to design and manufacture a great tube amp, which is why you don’t see a ton of newer offerings at these shows. At $4995, Bob Carver is providing a fantastic tube amp at a reasonable price, and should deserve your attention.
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2024, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
Correction to your review of the Carver RAM 285:
I can see that the input was from the Eversolo DMP-A8 … not a Cambridge unit. I was not even at Axpona 2024, but the Eversolo is easily recognized.
Kind regards,
Graham