Audio Ideas Guide:
Audio and Home Theater News- CES 2001
by Charles McRobert
Single ended amplifiers seem exotic, but they are actually basic, and usually overpriced. Cary Audio gets plenty of positive press, and yes, their amplifiers sound special, but so what? There is nothing inherently special about their designs, and even the most recent CAD-805C, which boasts a combination of transformer and capacitive coupling isn't breaking any new ground, since this arrangement has been used for decades in just about any topology that you care to name, including the very first solid state amplifiers that used transformers.
So, it is nice to see some new arrivals on the scene that are prepared to give Cary a run for their money. deHavilland may be just such a company. Their $5995 USD Aries proposes to offer similar performance specifications to the Cary 1610 SE at one sixth the price. No, you won't get the sexy tuning eye indicator that Cary has practically trademarked, but if you want an indication of how hard the tubes are working, you can always watch the output tube, which should shimmer whenever you ask it to swing volts in excess of its rated output.
http://www.audio-ideas.com/articles/ces2001.html