I ordered a Decware SE84CKC 2 watt Zen in early Oct--it was delivered 11 days ago. My Cary 2a3 mono blocks, along with my direct coupled Cary SLP 50B preamp, were pulled from my system, and the little $900 Decware amp was put in place. With a little over 200 hours of continuous music playing, I feel comfortable making a few comments about the performance of the new Decware amp.
My very simple system is composed of a BAT VK-D5 SE CD player, Zu Definition MK III speakers, and now a $900 2 watt Decware amp. The Decware amp has completely crushed the Cary in every important performance category. It is embarrassing to admit that I didn't have a clue how good my CD player or speakers were. I wish I could take back some of the negative remarks I have made about my BAT CD player and my Zu Def 3 speakers the past couple of years. The Cary trio, which for 12 years anchored my main system, was an extremely weak link in my system and I was ignorant to that fact. The Cary's are very capable performers in their own right, but the little Zen amp far surpasses the Cary's ability to resolve detail, create a realistic sound stage, reproduce lifelike instrument and voice timbre, handle dynamics--they simply make music sound way more real. The $900 Decware completely destroys the Cary trio. The differences are so pronounced, that comparisons are really not appropriate.
The Decware Zen performs at a shockingly high level. It difficult to face the fact that the Cary's, which I happily lived with for 12 years, are being replaced by a much superior amp whose cost is approximately 6 times less than the Cary gear. I am blown away by how the Zen has transformed my system. The little Decware SE84CKC is a fabulous amplifier!
My very simple system is composed of a BAT VK-D5 SE CD player, Zu Definition MK III speakers, and now a $900 2 watt Decware amp. The Decware amp has completely crushed the Cary in every important performance category. It is embarrassing to admit that I didn't have a clue how good my CD player or speakers were. I wish I could take back some of the negative remarks I have made about my BAT CD player and my Zu Def 3 speakers the past couple of years. The Cary trio, which for 12 years anchored my main system, was an extremely weak link in my system and I was ignorant to that fact. The Cary's are very capable performers in their own right, but the little Zen amp far surpasses the Cary's ability to resolve detail, create a realistic sound stage, reproduce lifelike instrument and voice timbre, handle dynamics--they simply make music sound way more real. The $900 Decware completely destroys the Cary trio. The differences are so pronounced, that comparisons are really not appropriate.
The Decware Zen performs at a shockingly high level. It difficult to face the fact that the Cary's, which I happily lived with for 12 years, are being replaced by a much superior amp whose cost is approximately 6 times less than the Cary gear. I am blown away by how the Zen has transformed my system. The little Decware SE84CKC is a fabulous amplifier!