HT Amp question (seperates)

Just wanted to get some opinions on a Home Theater amp...

I have a Carver AV505 (5x80watt) that I really like the sound of!
It has a few problems, there's a relay going bad on it (clicks when I turn it on), the driver POT on one channel is scratchy and problematic.
A couple of the banana clips on the back are (almost) stripped out...

I can get it fixed/tuned up for ~$100, but there are a few options available.
Someone on Craigslist (local) has a Rotel RB-985 for sale for $275, and there's always the option of buying a NEW Emotiva UPA-500 for ~$400.

In the end I know it's all a matter of personal taste/preferences but I just wanted to get some opinions from the gurus... :D

The rest of the system contains the following parts:
HEAD: B&K Reference 50 S2
Speakers: Infinity mains and surrounds (5.1)

I know the Carver is getting old (but it aounds damn good to me), would it be worth spending the extra $$$ to upgrade rather than having it worked on?

Just wondering if the newer amps have anything to offer as far as sound quality... ;)

The choice is all you! Emotiva's stuff is great for the budget highend systems. But you already have a carver amp. I would get that repaired to be honest. Only reason to go for the emotiva is if you like the bling, or intended on more power hungry speakers as it is rated to something in the neighborhood of 80 watts all channel driven i think? Not sure if the Carver is rated at that.

Just fix the carver unless you intend to upgrade everything soon.

Thanks folks.... :up:

That's the way I was leaning anyway, unless someone offered a killer reason to upgrade.
I took the Carver in for repairs today!

Major Thread Necro! But I felt the need to update...

I did the repairs on the Carver, cost me $130 and in the end, I'm not sure the shop did much of anything. :shakes:
The bad pot was fixed, but the relay still clicked on boot and the questionable banana post wasn't fixed (even though it was supposed to be)...

Long story short, I broke down an bought an Emotiva UPA-500...
In the end, I'm pretty happy I went this route and regret spending the money to repair the AV-505.
One bonus is the fact that the UPA500 accepts a trigger from the B&K head, so I don't have to switch the amp manually.

I'm really impressed with the sound of this AMP!
I'm not a hard core audiophile, and I'm sure a lot of folks don't consider Infinity speakers special. Personally, I like them, and they sound good to me!
It could just be the fact that my speakers are all from the same manufacturer. I always go by my ears though... I like Infinity, and I like this Emotiva amp... :yepp:

I hear a lot of people use all these catch phases (sound stage/bright/muddled etc) when it comes to audio. I don't know about all that, seems pretty subjective to me!
All I can say is the new amp/system sounds damn good, and I don't regret spending $400 on the new amp... ;)

What did you do with the old Carver?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SkipP

What did you do with the old Carver?

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I still have it SkipP...
I'm actually considering selling it on Craigslist. If you interested, send me a PM.
Still love the sound quality of it, and after the repairs it's pretty much flawless other than a scratch in the case.
There is one post on the back that works (just need to not over tighten), but it's nothing a banana plug won't solve... ;)