Cary Audio Design CAD 120S MKII - Manual (Page 7)

WELCOME
PRODUCT FEATURES
The stereo vacuum tube power amplifier has a great history at Cary Audio Design. The previous
generation Rocket 88 R and the V 12R power amplifiers garnered fantastic reviews for stable
power output, incredible value for the money and sound quality along with ‘Best Buy’ and ‘Class
A’ ratings from magazines and reviewers worldwide. Building on this storied legacy, we are
releasing the CAD 120S stereo vacuum tube power amplifier. This innovative stereo power
amplifier is rated at 60 watts per channel in triode mode and 120 watts per channel in ultra linear
mode into an 8 ohm speaker load.
Full rated output power is from 17 Hz to 23 kHz with less than 1% total harmonic distortion. The
output stage may be switched ‘on the fly’ from triode mode to ultra linear mode by using a front
panel selector button. There are LED lights above the mode selection button to show which mode
the power amplifier is working in for visual confirmation. Another nice feature is that the
amplifier has an operating mode memory. The CAD 120S will remember either the triode or
ultra-linear mode selection when the amplifier is turned to the off position.
The vacuum tubes in each channel consist of one (1) 6SN7 for the input gain, one (1) 6SN7 for
the driver stage and four (4) KT 88 output power tubes. The circuit is a balanced design with
separate RCA and XLR inputs. A soft start turn on circuit is built-in for long life and easy turn on
in large systems. The power supply features 1,120 micro farads of capacitance for ample
reserves in demanding usages. The output transformers and the power transformer have a single
cover painted to match the chassis.
The backlit front panel meters indicate the bias setting for each channel and visually indicate
proper operation for the CAD 120S amplifier.
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