Decware integrated


Hi all. I'm posting this because I'm looking at the Decware zen Trioid SE34I.5 integrated amp as my first foray into tubes. I'm planning on purchasing Zu audio dirty weekend mkII and would like your opinion if this would make for a decent starter tube system. 
Thanks.
wmbode
Zen is top notch! I lean towards Omega speakers, particularly with Decware, but I can't imagine it sounding anything but wonderful.

I have the Decware mini torii 4 watts use Ref 3A de Capos 92db loud enough and amazing sound
Contact Steve Deckert at Decware and tell him your set-up; he'll let you know if the amp is right for you.
Thanks everyone for your response. I've looked into Decware and love the idea of everything being hand made to order, plus following up with a lifetime guarantee. That's amazing!
  I've read up on as much as I can on this particular integrated amp, but little is out there. This post is really mainly to get a feel from actual users on their thoughts about Decware products as a whole.
  The reason I would pair them with the Zu audio Dirty Weekends is that they are running a sell and I've been quite intreged about the whole Zu Audio obsession.
I've owned two Decware amps in the past.  You will like dealing with Decware.  If I recall, most of the amps allow for two different connection settings depending on ohm load of the speakers.  Steve can usually set up the amp to allow either 4 or 8 ohms, or 8 or 16 ohms.  You may want the latter.  The Zu speakers show as 12 ohm speakers.  I would talk to Steve as has been suggested.

I have a zen Torii MK 4.
i play hi -res files through Klipsch 600m . The sound is spiritually transcending. Everything else I own doesn’t even sound like music anymore. You owe it to yourself to listen to what I am saying. Everything I listen to elicits an unexpected emotional reaction. I am buying another one and I don’t even have a place for it. I’ll probably put it in my workout shed . Crazy, but life is short and music feeds the soul when of this celestial , rarified high quality.
Decware is a good place to start. They have helpful forums and Steve is easy to talk to. It was my gateway drug into tube amps.
Love my Decware SE84UFO .. 2 amazing watts per channel. (Mine is paired with some Omega's.) The Zu's should be a nice match but, as others have already mentioned, a call to Steve would likely prove helpful to you. 

@wmbode I’d be interested to know where you ended up on this. Did you purchase the Zu? How about the Decware? I have Soul Superfly and am wi during about Decware.

Absolutely love my Decware 341.5.  I’ve rolled tubes and the improvement is awesome.  I do recommend that you upgrade the caps.  I did and wish I had upgraded to the Vcaps.  I feed the amp with the Brinkmann Nyquist DAC.  Really go well together.  The amp seems to drive any speaker with sensitivity above 87.  I’m running Lii Audio speakers with a 98 sensitivity. My biggest decision is finding a preamplifier to maximize the benefits of both the Decware and Brinkmann.  The journey continues.

Should be great. Off course, but the Decware Zen Line Conditioner makes everything sublime. It really is phenomenal.

I called Decware last month about ordering a Zen Mystery Amp. The wait is at least a year but beware reading comments here, there is no editing and some people take advantage of this making all sorts of irresponsible statements. What they told me, Sarah I think it was, even though ordering is on-line their process of billing and entering into the build queue is manual. She is at least a week behind, but regardless of when she gets around to entering it your order is registered with the date placed. Your credit card is then charged 10%. Balance due on shipping.

The exception is if you choose PayPal. In that case you are charged the full amount immediately. Just the way PayPal works. So unless you want that use your credit card.

This then secures your place in line. Because the wait is so long I asked about refunds. Sarah said Decware will refund net of credit card fees if you cancel prior to when they start the build, which is also the deadline for making any changes to your order. Build time is about a month, a lot of that being testing. Steve insists on personally testing each and every unit himself. Which has something to do with the Lifetime Warranty I guess.

Notice wmbode the comments from all those who actually own one. They go beyond good amp, sounds good, better than such and such, etc. Instead we have sublime, phenomenal, absolutely love, spiritually transcending.

There are people here who will recommend components based on watts and other numbers. Me, I prefer spiritually transcending. For spiritually transcending I will gladly wait a year or more. Heck, they are so busy they don't even have me on the list yet, and it has been about a month.https://orders.decware.com/list_view.php

It takes 2 weeks to even get orders on the docket. 1 year is a lie.I placed an order last march which was slated to be ready by the end of October and its looking more like April of this year. 13 months. At that time there were 350 jobs on the docket, there’s almost triple that last I checked.

I cancelled and went elsewhere. Its a shame as I was excited about it but they are betting on people waiting. Output according to the docket is 40 pieces a month. Do the math.

 

Beware fan boys with an axe to grind.

@gochurchgo , dang 30 months.  you pretty much will forget you even ordered. I guess to some the wait is worth it.  good luck to all waiting.

@webking185 

 

dang 30 months.  you pretty much will forget you even ordered. I guess to some the wait is worth it.  good luck to all waiting.

 

There are more than a few Audiogoners who don't buy green bananas! 30 months...yikes.

@ghasley , supply chain delays with Chinese parts or some Chinese parts needed. And then also productivity.  Might be a 2 man band producing the equipment which will make it special.  Place it now for 2024 delivery!

I talked to Deckert recently. He's at about 16 month turnaround at this point. 

My electronics use alot of vintage parts so their backlog is normal at a few months.

build yr own. Easy peasy. It’s a very basic circuit. The schematics are out there. Parafeed versions, CCS versions, you name it. Use Edcor or Tamradio iron for a reasonable facsimile, tube roll, choose yr own boutique coupling capacitors and have fun

Is there some reason they don’t just employ another person for at least some part of the process? 

They actually hired 3 new people. A Tech, QA and admin person.

I've been on the list since mid April 2021. Think I started about 330.I'm now in the 140's so figuring 4 to 5 months still to go. That was a the start of the escalation, so 16 months is optimistic, It's probably closer to 3 years if you order now.