Decware - any substance here?


With such a nice and extensively detailed website, I've long been curious about Decware. But with little in the way of genuine reviews, and not much in the way of discussion here, I always wonder if they are nothing more than that, a great website. They clearly have a dedicated fanbase, but my problem with the fanbase is this: most of them (not all of course) seem to have limited experience with products besides Decware, as if they stumbled upon Decware and never bothered with other brands. Maybe this is positive, that once experienced they don't have the typical audiophile itch to try other amps. I'm specifically struck by the new Torii MKIII push-pull amp, which in description and looks is just beautiful. So does it interest anyone here? Has anyone actually heard it, or it's previous incarnations? If so how does it rate amongst the other quality tube amps, whether Blue Circle, Cary, Vac, Almarro, Atma-Sphere, etc...?
128x128jtnicolosi

Showing 4 responses by flaneb

Hi.....
my name is Frank and Steve Deckert is imho one the most talented engineers
I have come across....let me explain why....although just reading his excellent
white papers are a must to understand his philosophy.
I am in my 60's have been involved in music since the late 50's.....
my living room is currently modwright transporter, emerald physic's CS2's
the pre amp is a pre production Decware statement piece feeding a quad
of Eastern Electric M156 monoblocks. I have not found a better preamp
regardless of price....but I also love my low output systems...
Steve's new Torii mk2 is fed directly by his new dac into either silverline 17.5's or Omega super hemps....Superb sound..........however my current favorite
involves his mini Torii fed by apogee firewire (battery) into hornshoppe horns
with infinity ceramic sub and a mac pro outputting 24/196...just spectacular..
they are just as quiet as my RWA 30.2's and Isabella which are also superb.
my bottom line is Decware is some of the best you can buy regardless of price......I have many more systems as I have bought many things on audiogon which I find have some of music most knowledgeable fans.

regards ;-)f
sorry I forgot to list other equipment I owned....dynaco,ampzilla,mark levinson,
krell..wright, cary, bryston....all eastern electric products....other decware
there is more especially if I go into spkrs...it's been many years....
regards,,,;-)f
In response to the new torii after listening for several months...
A few comments
First amp that stock tubes don't need to be upgraded with NOS tubes
Incredible bass response unusual in tube amps...tight and full...
Dead quiet which is a feature of decware designs.....
The hazen (sp) grid mod is worth the price alone..and why it is better than every el34 amp.
Beautiful construction...
The sound is complete and not
I compare it to my RWA signature 30.2
Frank
If you are a tube roller as I find it fun....the mini torii could be the most
Musical and enjoyable amp you can buy....on the decware site
Steve has a picture of all the output tubes you can use....I have tried
Almost all of them......it's a blast ....married to the right spkrs it's
A revelation...one final must have is the additional output connection
You have for use of a sub, which gives the signature of the amp
Helping to make integration seamless.....I have used this amp over a
Year and is still one of my all time favorites .....