Home Theatre/TV: Cary – Cinema Series – Review – 75

Chances are that those with memories long enough will remember an actor called Cary Grant. A bona fide heartthrob back in the day, he was very much the Hugh Grant of his generation, appearing in countless romantic comedies. Unlike Hugh, he stayed well away from wayward women on Sunset Boulevard.

Cary Grant was a class act, just like US company Cary Audio Design, which has achieved widespread acclaim for its range of two-channel and home theatre separates.

Cary hasn’t had a presence in New Zealand before, but is now being imported into the market for true lovers of quality home entertainment.

Here’s an unfortunate fact: I’ve always borne the burden of my impressive physical stature, whether playing the now illegal bullrush at school (sorry about the broken bones, guys!) or regularly being ‘asked’ to help friends move house.

So it was no surprise to be asked to audition the heavyweight Cary 7B power amplifier/11a processor combination, as well as the monstrous Pioneer Susano receiver this month (see review p44) – at least I get the good ones.

Unpacking the Cary duo brought a satisfied smile to my face; these guys are superbly built and finished, and had all the necessary logos on their brutish fascias: Dolby True HD, DTS HD Master Audio and HDMI to name but a few.

The 11A processor uses HDMI 1.3 circuitry and has full provision for HD radio transmissions should they ever arrive Down Under. Full zone 2 switching is included, as are remote turn-on triggers for external power amplifiers (an extra digital output is also featured for zone 2 operation, as well as an extra pair of RCA outputs).

There is a choice of either balanced or single-ended RCA outputs for each of the 7.1 channels (including subwoofer), while two HDMI inputs and one output are supplied. Interestingly, there are no S-Video or Component inputs or outputs, so maybe these have gone the way of the dinosaur.

The very uncluttered front fascia of the 11A has a touch of class to it, and the buttons are laid out in a logical and sophisticated fashion. The only criticism I had was that the auto-calibration microphone socket was on the connection panel, making it fiddly when re-calibrating.

The powerhouse 7 x 100w Cinema 7B multichannel power amp is a study in simplicity, with just a power on/off and seven LEDs for channel operation on the front panel, while either RCA or balanced inputs are selectable at the flick of 
a switch.

The Cary combo impressed right from the outset. Soundtracks from movies such as Transformers and Tropic Thunder demonstrated the superior sonic abilities of the amplifiers, combining crunching dynamics and power with real subtlety during the quiet parts of each movie. Detail retrieval was quite startling, revealing sounds and effects I hadn’t heard while using my standard rig.

Most impressive was the quality of the lower register. Bass was tight, fast and well extended without any tendency to boom. Of course, proper calibration is necessary to avoid unwanted room effects, but this is a cinch with the microphone setup Cary has built into the 7B.

One of my favourite Blu-ray discs of the last year is Across The Universe, a psychedelic musical journey through the 1960s based on the music of The Beatles. Here the music-making ability of the Carys came to the fore with quite superb sound quality. It’s a subtle soundtrack at times, and at no stage did I feel the dynamic nature of the 11A/7B combination overwhelmed the delicate detail.

In two-channel mode the Cary duo is a winner as well. Tracks from bands as diverse as Future Sound Of London, Goldfrapp and The Golden Palominos sounded excellent. I swore I was listening to a high-end Hafiz amplifier and not a home theatre processor. A musical-sounding home theatre pre-power combo – how novel.

So it’s the two big thumbs up for the Cary 7B/11A power amp and processor. Its ballsy, effortless sound and excellent abilities in two-channel replay should win more than a few hearts and minds.

GARY PEARCE

TECH SPECS

Cinema Series
7B Multichannel Power Amplifier    $4999
11A Home Theatre Processor    $6499

Cinema 11A Home Theatre Processor

Channels: 7.1
Audio Formats: Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, DD, Dolby Pro Logix IIx, DD EX, DTS ES 6.1, DTS NEO
Inputs: 7 x RCA analogue, 1 each XLR analogue/digital, 7 x coaxial, 7 x toslink, 2 x HDMI
Frequency Response: 
2Hz-96kHz
Signal-To-Noise Ratio: 
115dB (1kHz)
THD: 0.008% (1kHz)
Dimensions: 45 x 11.4 x 42cm (W/H/D)
Weight: 11.4kg

Cinema 7B Power Amplifier

Type: Solid State, Class A/B
Power Output: 7 x 100W @ 8 Ohms, 7 x 150W @ 4 Ohms
Frequency Response: 5Hz-40kHz +/- 0.1dB @ 1W, 5Hz-100kHz +/- 0.3dB @ 1W
Dimensions: 45 x 15.9 x 49.5cm (W/H/D)

CONTACT

jonathan@avimports.co.nz

PROS:

• Thoroughbred sound, 
build and facilities

• Easy setup

CONS:

• Microphone on rear panel awkward to access

VERDICT

• The company is new to the New Zealand market, but years of producing quality hi-fi equipment has paid dividends for Cary – the 11A and 7B combo is a high-end force to be reckoned with.

Also consider:

• Pioneer SC-LX90 (reviewed 
in this issue)

This Review is from Tone Issue 75.