Cary Audio Design SLI 80 Signature

Push-Pull Ultra-linear Tube Integrated Amp in Pure Class A/B-1

All pre-owned product is tested in our service department and have been passed for sale... and comes with a 90 day warranty!

In very nice condition! A few smudges on the front and paint loss on the transformer cans.  Original box and packing are NOT available, so this is LOCAL SALE ONLY!

Full specs and tube layout sheet are last images. This unit does NOT come with the remote control. Sorry that the front on pix is not as clear as it should be - this is in very nice condition, which you will see when you come in the store.

New JJ tubes: KT88 are Blueglass models; others are GSN7, 6922 & 5U4

Tech Info from the manual:

The SLI 80 displays the operating characteristics of a true "high-end" amplifier. Careful design, parts selection and proper circuit topologies contribute to incredible reliability and enjoyment.


For the technically minded, a review of the circuit in your new SLI 80 is in order. Your new SLI 80 integrated stereo amplifier operates in a class A/B-1 mode utilizing a negative fixed bias supply. The KT-88/6550 output tubes are configured in push-pull. The triode mode provides 40 watts/channel of output audio power and switching to the ultra-linear mode yields 80 watts/channel of output power. In the opinion of the designer the triode mode sounds the best.


The output transformers in your SLI 80 are the most important component in the amplifier and have been specifically designed by Cary Audio Design for use in the SLI 80. Negative feedback is derived from a separate winding on the output transformer. This feedback winding and circuitry is used to reduce the noise floor and improve the speaker damping characteristics. Only 4 dB of feedback is utilized. The phase inverter is a self-balancing split load configuration utilizing the 6SN7 octal base dual triode. The preamplifier circuit is a resistive coupled Class A triode voltage amplification stage. The power supply in the SLI 80 features a 200% duty cycle EI laminate power transformer.


The high voltage section features full wave vacuum tube (CV-729/5U4) rectification (not cheap voltage doublers used in many amplifiers) to a PI-L capacitive network. The input signal from the volume control is direct coupled (DC) to the first grid of the 6922. There are no coupling capacitors in line with the input signal on the SLI 80. The sub-woofer output is derived from a voltage divider network on the input stage of the SLI 80.  
A great deal of attention during design of your new SLI 80 was concentrated on the "overload recovery" ability of the amplifier.

The ability of an amplifier to instantly recover from clipping is much more important than is commonly believed. In the power war of amplifier manufactures the mentality is focused on high and then even higher power output to solve the clipping problem. When in reality the most critical aspect is how fast a recovery an amplifier can achieve after overload. Most of the music being listened to in an average listening room is only requiring about 3 watts of power. It is on the transients of loud low frequency program material that tremendous signal voltages will appear at the input of the amplifier. It is in this situation that the overload recovery ability of an amplifier is of critical concern. The SLI 80 will overload symmetrically at any frequency in the audio band-pass. The SLI 80 will also yield faithful reproduction of extremely low frequencies at full output levels. Power transformer, power supply regulation and output transformer design and careful shaping of the overall frequency response curve all play a very important part in the ability of the SLI 80 to recover quickly when overloaded. The high voltage rail will fluctuate no more than a volt between soft and loud passages.

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