From the October 1994 issue of HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY 
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Product Review

Carver
CT-29v A/V Preamp & AV-405 Amp

This dynamic duo takes home-theater audio to the next level.

by Rebecca Day

Conventional wisdom maintains that separate audio components have a versatility and performance edge over their all-in-one counterparts. A quick look inside a typical A/V receiver reveals why: Packed into a single chassis are an AM/FM tuner, A/V signal switcher, Dolby Pro Logic processor, andmost problematic of allfive or more channels of amplification. Somethings got to give, and something usually does. Receivers simply dont have enough real estate to house the massive power-supply circuitry that enables the finest separate amplifiers to sing with an unrestrained voice.
Manufacturers have circumvented this problem by equipping their receivers with preamp outputs. These allow the internal amps to be bypassed in favor of more powerful external amps. Taking this to its logical conclusion, many companies simply omit the power amps from the receiver equation altogether. The resulting componentcalled an A/V preampcan easily be connected to powerful separate amplifiers or a single multi-channel amp. Long an advocate of separates, Carver has taken the latter approach to home-theater audio with their CT-29v Audio/Video Preamplifier/Tuner and AV-405 Five-Channel Power Amplifier.
What first struck me as I opened the box containing the AV-405 was its hefty weight. In 
typical amplifier fashion, the aluminum faceplate presents only a single power button, flanked on either side by a pair of Carvers trademark rack handles. Removing the cover revealed the reason for the units 
heft: About a third of the chassis is occupied by power-supply 
circuitry, including a large, doughnut-shaped toroidal transformer, which is typical of high-performance designs.
The rear panel sports five gold-plated RCA input jacks (front left and right, surround left and right, and center) and five pairs of binding posts for speaker connections. The amps slightly unusual power ratings are printed above the binding posts: 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms for the main left and right channels, 110 watts for the center channel, and a generous 50 watts per side for the surround speakers. The extra dollop of power for the center channel is a far cry from 
the early days of Dolby Pro 
Logic amplifiers, which often shortchanged the all-important center channel.
The CT-29v A/V preamplifier/tuner makes an extroverted companion to AV-405, once again sporting the rack handles that assure you its a Carver piece. The preamp has seven audio inputs, three composite video inputs, and three S-video inputs. Six digital signal processing (DSP) modes are provided, including Dolby Pro Logic, Movie, 3-Channel Logic, Hall 1, Hall 2, and Matrix.
A/V preamps function as the control center for an entire home-theater system, making their ergonomics critically important. The CT-29v could use some improvement in this area. With its rack handles and rows of tiny buttons labeled with equally tiny text, the unit would not look out of place in a recording studio. This is appropriate, because performance often outweighs ease of use in the minds of engineers. None the less, a home theater is not a recording studio, and ergonomics are an important concern.
The preamps operating display consists of a large fluorescent window underscored by a row of minuscule LEDs. From a distance of 10 feet or more, only the source designation in the window is clearly legible. The LEDs indicate DSP and center-channel modes, but theyre really tiny. Carver should have used the window to boldly proclaim the current surround mode; when changing modes, the display indicates delay time, which is a much less informative parameter. On the plus side, the CT-29v does have an onscreen display. This makes operation much easier, as long as youve got the TV turned on (which you may not, if all you want to do is listen to FM or a CD).
The learning remote has an array of 67 buttons, 65 of which are identical tiny black rectangles on a black background. (Only the master volume up/down buttons are set off by a different shape.) This is guaranteed to drive people with poor eyesight or big fingers nuts. Finding the buttons that change sources, DSP mode, or tuner preset requires attention rather than intuition. In a dimly lit room, its blind mans bluff. The remote also seems to use an infrared frequency that is incompatible with some learning remotes.
The owners manual for the CT-29v is refreshingly well-written and clear. It provides good background information on system configurations (including diagrams) and Dolby Pro Logic, as well as basic operating information.
Driving five Triad 7 satellite speakers and a Triad Thunder subwoofer, the sound of the CT-29v/AV-405 combo is just what youd want from an audio/video separates package. Even in my 
20  25-foot room (with a vaulted ceiling), there was always power aplenty, even for the most vigorous video soundtracks. The explosive sounds of a favorite scene from Spielbergs Empire of the Sun (Cadillac of the Sky) and the many punches and thuds in Dick Tracy were delivered with an ease not matched by my 80-watt-per-channel A/V receiver. Musical passages were warm and pure. Disc after disc, the Carver combo had me going back for more. 

 1994 Home Theater Technology Magazine

From the October 1994 issue of HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY 
If You Like What You See Here, Don't Miss The Real Thing!
Subscribe Today To HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY Magazine
On Newstands everywhere or 
Call (800) 264-9872 To Subscribe - $23.95 For A Full Year

