Cary 300SEI - any first-hand experience?

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Islander

I still have my rack of Linn gear, although I don't listen to it much these days. Have you had problems with your tube gear? Do you leave it powered up in standby mode 24/7, or do you shut it off after every listening session?

Have you thought about licensing that new trademark? Maybe you could turn it into cash . . .

I haven't had problems with my tube gear, just the normal wear and tear. I don't leave it on 24/7, but I listen many hours each day.

As far as the "delicious" trademark, it's my gift to the audiophile community .

Alberto

[Islander]

You're a generous man -- audiophiles everywhere are in your debt.

I only turn my system on when I can sit and listen to it. If it's on, it draws me in like a tractor beam, and I have trouble concentrating on anything else. I don't like to leave it on, even in standby, unless I'm warming it up for a listening session. I'm not sure how long it would have to be on to reach optimum sound quality; it's still improving several hours into listenting sessions. I should probably just bite the bullet and leave it in standby all the time. How long does it take for your system to sound its best?

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Islander

You're a generous man -- audiophiles everywhere are in your debt.

I only turn my system on when I can sit and listen to it. If it's on, it draws me in like a tractor beam, and I have trouble concentrating on anything else. I don't like to leave it on, even in standby, unless I'm warming it up for a listening session. I'm not sure how long it would have to be on to reach optimum sound quality; it's still improving several hours into listenting sessions. I should probably just bite the bullet and leave it in standby all the time. How long does it take for your system to sound its best?

I've stopped paying attention to those details, Shindo really helped me get out of audiophile mode (critical, analytic ... Apollonian) and into a much more Dionysian "just listen to the music and enjoy" mode.

I turn my system on when I want to listen and turn it off when I am done.

Easy!

[Islander]

I'm a bit schizophrenic -- part Apollonian, part Dionysian. I listen to music for the pleasure it brings, but my analytic nature wants to express itself, too. I indulge both aspects of my personality. Like Siddhartha, I deny neither the physical nor the spiritual -- I wallow in both!

I also turn my system on when I want to listen and turn it off when I am done. I give it about fifteen minutes of standby time to let the tubes warm up, put some music on, and start listening. I can't help but here the improvement as the whole system comes up to steady-state operating temperature, even if I'm not listening for it. The difference is in the whole as well as the details -- it's hard to miss. If someone's coming over to listen to music, I turn the system on a couple of hours in advance; the system just sounds better at that point.

[dodger4]

Recently acquired a cary 300sei, to power my omega super 6 speakers,and DNM solid core precision2 speaker cable ,superb sound best I have had in 35 years of listening..don't expect overhyped bass slam bullshit sound from these amps, but with the Sophia royal princess 300bs it is audio nirvana for us we have gone from 400wpc monos with their "bass slam" bs and slightly sterile solid state sound ,and the overpriced and overhyped garden hose 3000 per pair speaker cables,a 10000 pr set of speakers to a 15wpc set,2900pr set of speakers and a $220 speaker cable which has more natural sounding tonality again this is just our opinion

[Islander]

You've seen the Light, Dodger 4! Hallelujah! I still own my rack of top-shelf Linn gear and JM Lab Utopia speakers, but I rarely use that setup. When I want to hear music, I listen to my Cary SET amps and preamp thru my ZU Audio high-efficiency loudspeakers. There is simply no comparison. One is hi-fi, the other is music.

[CRJCapt]

I just took delivery of a Cary 300sei F1 on Friday. WOW, what an incredibly beautiful amp. I love tube sound, but this thing is like next level. It will take you there. Now I know why there is a 300b cult!

[Islander]

There is something very special about single-ended triode-tube amplification. To me, it sounds more like real music than anything else I've heard; by comparison, everything else I've heard sounds like an electronic facsimile. My amps are the best I've heard at creating the illusion of living, breathing musicians and vocalists in the listening room with me, or at putting me in the front row at a live concert. I am able to listen right through my equipment to the music itself, instead of being distracted by hi-fi artifacts that draw attention to the playback equipment. There's no going back to solid-state for me. If that makes me some sort of cultist, so be it. Welcome to the club!

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Islander

There is something very special about single-ended triode-tube amplification. To me, it sounds more like real music than anything else I've heard; by comparison, everything else I've heard sounds like an electronic facsimile. My amps are the best I've heard at creating the illusion of living, breathing musicians and vocalists in the listening room with me, or at putting me in the front row at a live concert. I am able to listen right through my equipment to the music itself, instead of being distracted by hi-fi artifacts that draw attention to the playback equipment. There's no going back to solid-state for me. If that makes me some sort of cultist, so be it. Welcome to the club!

It's a good "cult" to be in.

But it's more than just tubes. I believe that the SET adds yet another dimension.

One of my neighbor audiophilefriends has a $10K push-pull tube poweramp from one of the big names. After hearing my setup he dipped his toes in the SET waters with a $900 SET amp. He hasn't fired up the pricey tube amp since. He bought the SET over a year ago. Even though it's a fraction of the watts and his Dynaudio speakers are only 88dbs, he has sacrificed volume and whatever else for that SET magic.

It's clearly a matter of tastes, but it's interesting to see how quickly some people take to the SET sound ... bench tests data be dammed .

Alberto

[CRJCapt]

Sorry to go off topic, but can anyone tell me how I get posting privliges? Just bought a 300sei and had some questions.

Chris