Paweł Gołębiewski wrote this review for Polish magazine Hi-Fi i Muzyka, issue 10/2021. You can now read it online in Polish at their website, here we did a couple of (clumsy) translations into English for you to ponder upon:
‘In case of SLI-80HS the upgrade route works, even if the amp is a well-established ‘classic’ product… Sonically the result manifests itself in a clearer presentation and better control in the bass regions. Midrange gained in clarity and the details were complimentary to the musical performance and presentation’.
In his verdict, Pan Gołębiewski mentions that he will have fond memories of the time the Cary SLI-80HS spent in his system. ‘This tube (valve) integrated is ready to stir feel-good emotions, musically and aesthetically and is, in fact, a very argument in favour of using tube (valve) amplifiers. Ability to change triode/pentode modes of operations provide a very efficient way to adjust the sound according to taste, repertoire or mood changes’.