Carver CT-17 (c. 1989–1990)
The CT-17 was Bob Carver's answer to a question he apparently thought more manufacturers should ask: why not put a tuner and a control preamplifier in one chassis? Audio (December 1990, p.83) opened its review by noting that there are no technical disadvantages to the arrangement. It lets you choose a separate power amplifier, and it cuts a three-box system down to two. The CT-17 went further than that, as Carver's gear usually did. It was an audio/video preamplifier and AM/FM tuner with Dolby Pro-Logic surround processing built in.
The same review described the CT-17 as essentially two preamps in one. It could play two program sources in two different areas of the home, with remote volume tied to that second area (Audio, December 1990, p.84). The preamp section was praised for doing what a good preamp should - providing signal control without signal degradation - and its three tone controls tracked the published curves closely (Audio, December 1990, p.93).
The FM tuner section measured respectably in that review (December 1990, p.88): alternate-channel selectivity of 73 dB, I.F. rejection of 85 dB, and a 2.5 dB capture ratio. The reviewer also noted that the loudness circuit deliberately left out treble boost. He felt this showed Carver understood what proper low-level listening requires.
Beyond that review, the record is thin. The CT-17 first appeared as a new-product listing in HiFI-Stereo (December 1989, p.15), which confirmed the Dolby Pro Logic surround, audio inputs, three-way tone controls, a high-cut filter, and separate input selectors. Production dates, pricing, and sales history are not documented. Nearly everything known about this model comes from those two period press mentions.
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