A new review of Cary Audio SLP-98P paired with CAD-120S have just been published in a Greek YELLOWBOX magazine, aptly titled an ‘American Dream’.
The review is online (in Greek) and what it is all about!? The glory of tube sound, of course.
SLP-98P is a phono preamp which have been in production for more than 20 years and CAD-120S stereop power amp is a perfect match to the preamp if one seeks a high powered drive-diverse tube amp combo.
Loosely translated the reviews goes along those lines:
In both Ultralinear (120W) and triode (60W) modes Cary CAD-120 can drive the majority of speakers on the market and as such deserves the attention of those who want both power for demanding speakers and sweet sound for demanding ears…
Here we have got a very nice match that oozed confidence, smoothness and excitement where it needed to be. Cary’s set has the characteristics one expects when choosing a good tube-based system, solid life-like imaging at any volume but also clarity and realism, a musical scene that unfolded with a good sense of the spaciousness of the recording space. Vocals and instruments and other midrange content were presented with a subjectively light and pleasant proximity.
And also:
The power of the CAD-120S gives it the edge in terms of overload margins, dynamic performance and speaker control over other tube amps, while the plethora of inputs/outputs along with the phono stage and external power supply of the SLP-98P add the necessary features and flexibility one desires when deciding to spend so much money on a pre/power combination.
We would enthusiastically recommend it to those who have high-end systems that sound-wise incline towards the neutral or even more analytical character and wish to match an amp/preamp set that has both the technical compatibility and the sound signature to make the sound truly enjoyable and believable. The concept of the “American Dream” has been built through American history as the belief that no matter where you come from, if you work hard you can achieve what you dream of. Something similar is true for those who have been able to afford and dream of finally obtaining the Cary amps reviewed here… This set can really make dreams come true!
PDF version of the YELLOWBOX review (in Greek) is can be downloaded here.
