Carver M-500T
The M-500t was Carver's no-nonsense muscle amp: a wall of current in a straightforward chassis.
Overview
The service manual rates the Carver M-500t at more than 200 watts per channel from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with both channels driven. Total harmonic distortion is held to 0.05% under those same continuous conditions. Intermodulation distortion sits below 0.05%, too. Those are numbers for an amplifier built for prolonged output, not brief dyno runs.
Carver's own advertising in Audio (November 1985, p.65) pushed the patented Magnetic Field Coil. It claimed output current of ±100 amps at 10% regulation and a signal-to-noise ratio it called better than −120 dB. That last figure was marketing hyperbole, or at least a different measurement system than the manual uses. The service manual's own S/N specification is a more grounded >100 dB (IHF-A, input shorted, main input), and that is still a healthy number for a high-power amp of the era.
The M-500t was sold into a market already familiar with Carver's "magnetic field" power supply approach. The documentation that survives reads like a technician's file, not a lifestyle brochure. The manual includes a block diagram, alignment points and procedures, PCB foil side views, parts lists, schematic, exploded view, and voltage conversion details.
Key Features
Patented Magnetic Field Coil
According to Carver's period ads, the centerpiece is the patented Magnetic Field Coil. The same Audio (November 1985, p.65) spread claims output current of ±100 amps at 10% regulation. That is a power-supply boast, not a continuous rating. It implies serious reserve current for transient peaks and demanding speaker loads.
200-Plus Watts per Channel at 0.05% THDMarket Value
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CARVER M-500T Nov 2026 │
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│ High $1,024 Latest $710 │
│ Median $587 Trend — │
│ Low $395 Volume ~3/mo │
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│ $2,000 ┤ │
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│ $1,271 ┤ │
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│ $300 ┤ . . . . . . . │
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│ 2026-02 2026-06 2026-09│
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eBay completed sales. Excludes accessories, parts, and non-working units. Hover points for details.
eBay Listings
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CARVER M-500T Nov 2026 │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ High $1,024 Latest $710 │ │ Median $587 Trend — │ │ Low $395 Volume ~3/mo │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ $2,000 ┤ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ $1,271 ┤ │ │ │ │ │ │. │ │ │ . .. . . . . . .│ │ $300 ┤ . . . . . . . │ │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│ │ vol │▂ ▂ ▂█ ▂ ▂ ▂ ▂ ▂ ▂▂ ▂ ▂ ▅ ▂ ▂│ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│ │ 2026-02 2026-06 2026-09│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
eBay completed sales. Excludes accessories, parts, and non-working units. Hover points for details.
Recently sold on eBay: $413–$764 (median $587, based on 19 completed sales, past 12 months)
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
eBay Listings
Recently sold on eBay: $395–$1,024 (median $563, based on 17 completed sales, past 12 months)
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
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