Decware - any substance here?

I replaced the stock rectifier in my ZenSelect with an old Sylvania 5UR4GB and the results are amazing.

I've fooled around replacing tubes in pre amps and power amps with some positive results but none as profound as this tube swap.

It's made the amp sound like it grew some more watts.

Of course it hasn't, but those two watts now sound a whole lot more powerful and robust than with the stock rectifier.

A real improvement across the board in the sound of an already really good sounding amp.

So good infact, that I have decided to make it my main source of amplification and abandon my pre and power amp.

If only I had discovered this amp a couple of years ago, I could have saved some serious coin.

I just got word today that my Select Zen Triode is in the final stages and should be in my system between now and the new year.
Perhaps not the best time of year to send things, but that's how it goes.I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I am not a stranger when it comes to amplifiers and I am also a musician , so I'm one of those rare audiophile/musician hybrids, the ones with a music system that's somewhat more involving than an Ipod or pawn shop throw together.
At the moment my speakers are Ref 3A Grand Veena,amps are Red dRaggon Leviathan sigs mono blocks(which I have no negatives to speak of)Audio Valve Eclipse preamp, Rega P9 TT,Grado cart,Audio Aero Capitole cd player.
I have two 30 amp dedicated lines, the one for the amps has a Shunyata Hydra two direct wired to the panel via a Wattgate 20amp receptacle at the 10 guage romex end and a Shunyata Annaconda Helix to each mono block.
The other 30 amp dedicated line has an Annaconda 20 amp Helix to a Shunyata Hydra 8, then a Python cx into the pre amp and 2 hybrid DIY power cords into the CD and tt.
Other amps I have owned include the following- 1961 Bell tubed integrated ,Dynaco st 70,Moscode, CJ MV75A-1,Blue Circle BC2 monoblocks,Meitner mono blocks,Classe DR8 mono blocks, VTL st 85, Michaelson and AustinTVA and Grant Lumley el34 pp tube amps,Atma Sphere S30,Cary sei 300B, and I've auditioned Mac 275 v, Art Audio Cariisa and Pass Aleph 3 on my current speakers.
So I've pretty well got a good take on amplifier differences.
I look forward to the little Zen, and I hope 2 watts will be enough power,but it should be in my application and listening environment.
I will post later when I and the amp get better acquainted.
I do have some great expectations, specifically that this is the end of the line for me.
If what I have read about it proves true, then it just may be.

I just received my Decware amp, it was shipped Dec 23 and I got it this afternoon,and everything was in perfect condition.
The packaging was well done, double boxed, triple if you count the box the tubes came in.

So after a couple of hours to get the chill out of it I decided to tube and wire it into my system.

I have a dedicated 30 amp line into a Shunyata receptacle then into a Shunyata 20 amp Annaconda to the Hydra 2, and then a Python CX into the amp.

The speaker wires are Clear day single strand pos and neg to jumpered Ref 3A Grand Veena speakers.
I then used a Shunyata Annaconda to power my Audio Aero CD player and sent the signal via 20 foot RCA Audio Art interconnects to the Decware amp. The CD player is on another 30 amp line and into a HYdra 8.

One little wrinkle was that the inputs on the rca inputs are not marked and of course I got nothing out of the left channel until I plugged the interconnect over to the left side of the amp.There are two sets of inputs on the amp,but you need to plug into both the left side of the amp and the right side, you can't plug both into just the right side which is the norm with most amps,or at least in my logic.

In any event even after just ten minutes(I'll need 200 hours they say for it to come up to speed)this is a very surprising little sleeper.

I was expecting it to not have much reserve volume wise, but in my case there's room to spare on the dial!

Turning the nice shiny gold volume control on the top of the unit to 11 O'clock gets me to the same levels that I normally listen at with my regular mono blocks!
2 watts vs 1000 watts-I am amazed at what power you really need to listen at reasonable volume, granted my listening room is 22 x12 x8.

What I am very pleased with is the fact that the Ref 3A Grand Veena speakers can be added to the list of speakers that the Decware 2 watt single ended EL84 amp can drive.
And drive very nicely I must add.

So next it's back down for some more listening.

I'll post again in awhile with further ramblings.

So, I would have to say that there is some real substance with this product and if anyone with Grand Veenas wants to try a nice SET on the cheap and not feel short changed, give this little jewel a try.

They have a 30 day free trial, so no risk,,no risk of sending it back is more like it.

It's a great start to the New Year.

An audiophile friend of mine had a listen to my system with the new ZenSelectadded to the mix.

He felt it was the best amp he's heard in my quest for another amp for the Grand Veenas.

And I have another 180 hours for it to come up to speed!.

I just replaced the stock fuse with a HiFi tuning Supreme and the results are good.

If you like to tube roll , don't forget to roll the fuse also.

If you are a Re-fusenik,you'll miss the next level of performance the DecWare amps are capable of.

I do not use the built in attenuator, there are two RCA inputs one for fixed and one for variable attenuation.
I use the fixed input.

I would feel better if there was no attenuator in the circuit, but the fixed option is fine.
I have run the amp without a pre and it's quite good, in most cases you won't need anythingelse.

I have a volume control on my Audio Aero Capitole cd player that is run fuul up at unity gain, the fixed volume pot on the DEcWare and the volume control on the Manley sSteelhead.

My audiophile inner self tells me this wrong, too many attenuators stuck between me and the music, but I like what I hear.

Maybe someday I'll get adventurous and rid a few of thos pots from the mix.