Cary Audio Design
Encyclopedia
Cary Audio Design is a company founded in May 1989 which originally designed and manufactured vacuum tube audio amplifiers
. Since the mid-1990s they have expanded into the home theater
market, producing DVD player
s and surround sound
processors in addition to their original vacuum tube
designs.
The company is notable as one of the few U.S. manufacturers of vacuum tube amplifiers. Many of their high-end "Classic Series" designs have received favorable reviews in audiophile
publications, including The Absolute Sound
, Stereophile
and Soundstage!. Their CAD280 SE V12 stereo amplifier received a CES
2001 "Best of Show" designation from reviewer Jim Saxon.
Originally based in (and named after) Cary, North Carolina
, Cary Audio Design's facilities are now located in the nearby town of Apex
.
gear; Amplifiers, Tuners, and for a very short time High Frequency Transceivers. They were poorly designed however and left the market quickly. Amp Supply Company and Dentron are no longer in business. Ameritron is now owned by MFJ Enterprises. Dentron, Ameritron and Amp Supply Company were all based originally in Ohio. Amp Supply moved to Cary, North Carolina
and soon morphed into the Cary Audio Company. Amp Supply was eventually closed. Dennis Had has said that he will never reenter the Amateur Radio Market and is easily annoyed when asked. Interestingly, Amp Supply, Dentron and Ameritron Amps can all be found on E-Bay to this very day. Amp Supply Products are not commonly found on E-bay, but Dentron and Ameritron are very common.
Valve audio amplifiers
A valve audio amplifier or vacuum tube audio amplifier is a valve amplifier used for sound reinforcement, sound recording and reproduction....
. Since the mid-1990s they have expanded into the home theater
Home cinema
Home cinema, also commonly called home theater, are home entertainment set-ups that seek to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood with the help of video and audio equipment in a private home....
market, producing DVD player
DVD player
A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...
s and surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
processors in addition to their original vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
designs.
The company is notable as one of the few U.S. manufacturers of vacuum tube amplifiers. Many of their high-end "Classic Series" designs have received favorable reviews in audiophile
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
publications, including The Absolute Sound
The Absolute Sound
The Absolute Sound is an American monthly magazine which reviews audiophile-oriented sound-reproduction and recording equipment and recordings, and comments on various music-related subjects. It was founded in 1973 by Harry Pearson, who was the Editor in Chief...
, Stereophile
Stereophile
Stereophile is a monthly magazine that focuses on high end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news, such as online audio streaming. It was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt....
and Soundstage!. Their CAD280 SE V12 stereo amplifier received a CES
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
2001 "Best of Show" designation from reviewer Jim Saxon.
Originally based in (and named after) Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
, Cary Audio Design's facilities are now located in the nearby town of Apex
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
.
Amateur Radio Connection
Dennis Had was also the founder of the Dentron Radio Company, The Founding Owner and designer of the Ameritron amplifiers, and the Amp Supply Company. Dentron Radio Manufactured all sorts of Amateur RadioAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
gear; Amplifiers, Tuners, and for a very short time High Frequency Transceivers. They were poorly designed however and left the market quickly. Amp Supply Company and Dentron are no longer in business. Ameritron is now owned by MFJ Enterprises. Dentron, Ameritron and Amp Supply Company were all based originally in Ohio. Amp Supply moved to Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
and soon morphed into the Cary Audio Company. Amp Supply was eventually closed. Dennis Had has said that he will never reenter the Amateur Radio Market and is easily annoyed when asked. Interestingly, Amp Supply, Dentron and Ameritron Amps can all be found on E-Bay to this very day. Amp Supply Products are not commonly found on E-bay, but Dentron and Ameritron are very common.
Interviews
- The Single-Ended Amplifier: Cary's Dennis Had in Stereophile, September, 1995
Reviews
- Cary Audio Design CAD-5500 "CD Processor" preamplifier in Stereophile, November, 1990
- Cary Audio Design CAD-805 monoblock power amplifier in Stereophile, January, 1994
- Cary Audio Design CAD-300SEI integrated amplifier in Stereophile, September, 1995
- Cary Audio SLI-80 Integrated Amplifier in Soundstage!, January, 1998
- Cary Audio Design CAD-572SE monoblock power amplifier in Stereophile, October, 1998
- Cary Audio Design CAD-300SE LX20 monoblock power amplifier in Stereophile, August, 1999
- Cary CAD-1610-SE monoblock power amplifier in Stereophile, December 2000
- Cary CAD-280SA V12 power amplifier in Stereophile, June, 2001
- Cary SLP-98P tube preamplifier in Stereophile, February, 2004
- Cary 303/200 CD player in Stereophile, May, 2004
- CD 306 CD/SACD Player in The Absolute Sound, September, 2006
- Cary Audio Design SLP 05 preamplifier in Stereophile, September, 2006