Emotiva buys Bob Carver LLC

[Andre Marc]

I always thought that Emotiva tried to copy more than a little of the McIntosh look.

Not very successfully I might add.

 

[mep]

Not very successfully I might add.

Hard to pull off on a tight budget.

 

[DonH50]

It is possible they are looking for "audiophile credibility". I've never heard Emotiva gear, but I can see
why their rock bottom prices might appeal to some.

Seems rather condescending, but since I am one of the tin-eared plebians owning their cheap trash I am not competent to say.


Is Bob going to stay involved, or is this another hand-off while he goes to pursue his next big thing? He is one talented guy...

 

[mep]

Don-I have no idea how Emotiva gear sounds as I have never heard any of their gear and thus I have never commented on what their gear sounds like. You are one of many happy owners of their gear so they must be doing something right.

I just find it strange that A) Bob sold his company. B) That Emotiva bought it. C) How Carver will fit into Emotiva's line of products. D) What direction Emotiva will take the Carver line.

 

[Andre Marc]

Seems rather condescending, but since I am one of the tin-eared plebians owning their cheap trash I am not competent to say.


Is Bob going to stay involved, or is this another hand-off while he goes to pursue his next big thing? He is one talented guy...

Sorry, I did mean it to come off that way, LOL. I stated my belief that people are attracted to the line initially by price. You can't hear their
gear at any dealer, or even a big box store, so I believe that price is the initial lure. Now, they obviously know what they are doing, hence the
growth of the company and many positive reviews.

 

[asiufy]

There's a good market for cheap tube amps. Instead of adopting one of the many chinese brands and putting their name on it, they got a proper designer with brand recognition.
I'm guessing they're just going to go for that market, the cheap audiophile that wants tubes but can't afford the good stuff.


alexandre

 

[DonH50]

Don-I have no idea how Emotiva gear sounds as I have never heard any of their gear and thus I have never commented on what their gear sounds like. You are one of many happy owners of their gear so they must be doing something right.

I just find it strange that A) Bob sold his company. B) That Emotiva bought it. C) How Carver will fit into Emotiva's line of products. D) What direction Emotiva will take the Carver line.

Wasn't directed at you, Mark.

I do not find it strange Bob sold his company, he's done that several times over the years. I agree with BCD. Seems like an odd match, but maybe Bob wanted a small company he could work with and Emotiva wanted a new direction. Certainly gives Emotiva audiophile cred...

Andre, perhaps it's been too long a week for me, I seem to be taking offense far too readily. Time to step back from the PC for a while... I have not been able to do direct comparisons of Emotiva to other brands in my system so really have no opinion on how it compares with high-end amps I have had in my system in the past. For now, trying to get the kids through college and save enough to retire before I am 141 has priority....

 

[Andre Marc]

Wasn't directed at you, Mark.

I do not find it strange Bob sold his company, he's done that several times over the years. I agree with BCD.

Andre, perhaps it's been too long a week for me, I seem to be taking offense far too readily. Time to step back from the PC for a while... I have not been able to do direct comparisons of Emotiva to other brands in my system so really have no opinion on how it compares with high-end amps I have had in my system in the past. For now, trying to get the kids through college and save enough to retire before I am 141 has priority....

No worries. If you research my posts here you will see I ruffle a lot of feathers with comments about OVER priced gear.

141? You DEFINITELY need to retire before that!

 

[JonFo]

Having followed Bobs career as well as purchased most of his designs over time, I do see the fit.

Both love to provide high-value audio. Bob's magnetic power amps (remember the cube?) were incredible values, outgunning waaay higher priced units of the day. even the 'expensive' Carver C-4000 sonic holography pre-amp was a ton of tech at a great price.

Then the Sunfire era, with additional innovations and good (not great) value, providing up to 5 channels of 200 or 400W worth of power for under four grand.

Since I'm not into tubes, have no opinion or knowledge about his latest tube escapade, seems more like catering to the market than his true belief. So I'd not be surprised to see an Emotiva SS project with Bob's R&D behind it.

So I see this as a great match. can't wait to see the new products over the next few years. Congrats to Bob and the Emotiva folks.

 

[mbskeam]

I think this move will let Bob design and not have to worry about running a company.

 

[Bruce B]

I know a lot of the younger "mastering engineers" are all over the Emotiva and Hypex gear.

 

[WLVCA]

I own 4 Emotiva amps, 1 preamp, 1 DAC and 1 subwoofer I use in my 2 channel system. Been very happy with their performance.

Do I think I have the world's best audio system, nope.

Will anyone who spent $10k or $50k or $100k for their amplifier or another piece of gear acknowldege that Emotiva gear is just as good or even in the same ball park - not a chance.

I'm happy with what their gear has done for me and, frankly, don't really care what anybody else thinks about it.

I'm not a tube amp guy but have no issue with those who prefer them. Only tube amp I've owned though was a MapleTree headphone amp so not a lot of experience.

Bob Carver is 82 or so and its not the first time he's flipped a company.

I will say that I'd be hesitant to buy an Emotiva home theater processor as they haven't had a good track record to date in that category.

 

[mauidan]

I know a lot of the younger "mastering engineers" are all over the Emotiva and Hypex gear.

A long time audiophile friend recently listened to a pair $12K Hypex based monos(Ncore NC1200 modules), and found that they were outperformed by a $5.5K stereo amp.

Based on feedback from another friend, my guess is a pair of $3K Emotiva XPR-1 monos would also outperform these Hypex amps.

 

[Bruce B]

A long time audiophile friend recently listened to a pair $12K Hypex based monos(Ncore NC1200 modules), and found that they were outperformed by a $5.5K stereo amp.

Based on feedback from another friend, my guess is a pair of $3K Emotiva XPR-1 monos would also outperform these Hypex amps.

They haven't been my cup of tea either.

 

[JackD201]

Who supplies Emotiva's amp modules anyway?

 

[WLVCA]

I believe its Tonewinner but not 100 percent certain.

 

[mauidan]

Who supplies Emotiva's amp modules anyway?

Jack,

AFIK, There are no Emotiva amp modules.

The Hypex NC400 modules are DIY, the NC1200 modules are OEM.

 

[asiufy]

Emotiva is Class A/B, so far.


alexandre

 

[Peter Breuninger]

I would like to hear the big Emotivas on the MBLs and give them the Breuninger stress test. The only amps that didn't distort (so far) on this test are: Krell KMA 400, MBL 9011, AVM MA-8, Krell EVO 900.

 

[mep]

Having followed Bobs career as well as purchased most of his designs over time, I do see the fit.

The fit for Bob or the fit for Emotiva?

Both love to provide high-value audio. Bob's magnetic power amps (remember the cube?) were incredible values, outgunning waaay higher priced units of the day. even the 'expensive' Carver C-4000 sonic holography pre-amp was a ton of tech at a great price.

The original Carver cube amps were innovative, they just didn't sound worth a damn. They were little buzzing, snapping machines. A friend of mine owned the C-4000 and it was wretched sounding too. The last of the Phase Linear amps that Bob designed before he left to start up Carver were far better sounding amps. Bob's current crop of tube amps may provide high value in terms of other far more expensive tube amps, but Bob's current amps are still very expensive by Emotiva standards.


I still see this as an odd couple arrangement and I do think it will be interesting to see where this leads.