Decware about to introduce Home Theater Preamp.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Lonson, Apr 9, 2011.

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  1. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    I'm not a surround sound multi-channel man, but if I were, this looks as if it's a very interesting and flexible preamp that I'd want to audition.

    No price announced yet, probably next week or so. My guess is 2500 or so. Might be wrong.

    An interesting paper: http://www.decware.com/newsite/paper120.html
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I'm not sure that the top-mounted IEC socket is going to win any styling awards.
     
  3. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    Doesn't bother me in the slightest in any way, aesthetically or otherwise. There's a "circuit" reason for it. My Torii Mk III has the same mount, and I've managed to live with it for several years. :)
     
  4. TigerMMG

    TigerMMG New Member

    Location:
    NJ
    Sounds great... seriously thinking of it.
     
  5. carrick doone

    carrick doone Whhhuuuutttt????

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Yeah...this is something I would get. That answers many questions I have about sound quality in home theatre / stereo reproduction. I've been reading a lot about Decware speakers and in time I am going to build one of his single speaker sets as well as the sub. He's an interesting designer and seems to craft, very refined well thought out products. I'm in.
     
  6. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    Would love to hear this.
     
  7. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    Glad to see the interest. I'll post any new information about the pre-amp released here.
     
  8. rd1

    rd1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Ga.
    Wow, this sounds perfect. About time an alternative to the over-featured bells and whistles receiver/processors on the market.

    And the switches he mentioned for changing the outputs to the surround channels are something that I've been wanting so you could to listen to stereo sacd, dvd-a, and bluray disc's from 4 speakers.

    Thanks for posting Lonson.
     
  9. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Conrad Johnson already has at least one multi-channel tube amp on the market for some times ...
     
  10. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I actually meant preamp ...
     
  11. pscreed

    pscreed Upstanding Member

    Location:
    Land of the Free
    Neat gear on their site... I want some!
     
  12. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    pscreed, I know, great stuff, I've been a Decware owner since 1998 or so, and have a Torii Mk III, a Torii Mk II, an SE34.2 integrated, a set of SE34 Monoblocks (sort of a special order, not in the catalog), had a Select, and still have the first of his amps that I bought, the 27th amp he built, which was then upgraded to Rev. A but no further. I have two sets of his Radial speakers, a CSP2 preamp, a ZBox and a ZDAC-1 DAC. I also use his interconnects, speaker cables and power cords. I'm convinced it's all incredible bang for the buck, enjoy the lifetime warranty and the fact that they're hand-built in the USA, and that there's a real synergy between all the products in a system. I'm one happy Decware owner!

    I'm sure this pre-amp is going to be causing a bit of a stir.
     
  13. pscreed

    pscreed Upstanding Member

    Location:
    Land of the Free
    Yeah thinking I would like to check out the ZBOX in my all ss McIntosh system... might be nice. We'll see after the tax man takes his pound of flesh here next week...
     
  14. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I can believe that.
     
  15. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    I've got to calculate those ounces of flesh myself next week!

    The ZBox should make a very interesting (and favorable) change in that system!
     
  16. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Looks nice, even though the picture or background could be a little lighter in color or lighting. I am not a fan of their wooden drop in platforms. I'd like to see it without.
     
  17. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Looks to be a most interesting alternative to the "gimmicks over sound and craftsmanship" norm in that field.

    Something carefully hand made with a pretty minimal collection of choice components just might outlive the typical home theater rig a number of times over too.
     
  18. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

  19. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
    I am not familiar with Decware. Does it position itself in the affordable tube gears segment of the market?
     
  20. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    Yes. I've been a Decware user since late 1997 or early 1998 (my memory is foggy) when I became very interested in SET amplification after reading one too many issues of Stereophile ;) and hearing a friend of my Dad's system which had a Cary 300B amplifier at its core. I found Decware when he was selling his first amplifier. Previously he had pioneered speaker repair and reconditioning over the web. I took a leap of faith and bought the 27th amplifier he built.

    Honestly after it broke in I personally felt it was a more accurate and dynamic sounding amplifier than the Cary, even with speakers not best suited for it. That started me following the growth of the company, finally falling in love with his Radial speaker design and saving up for his Torii series of amps which have by some sort of magic the sound of his SET amps to a great degree, and all the current needed for my larger space and speakers. I still haven't heard anything else I could have afforded that best them, and I think the value per dollar is very high on these. They're very well made, by hand, in the US, the amps and preamps are all point to point wired, no circuit boards. I'm a user and customer for life I'm afraid.

    Reading over the new page of the six channel preamp I'm amazed at how versatile, even outside home theater use, it promises to be. Fascinating component! As I know how wonderful his preamps sound (his CSP2 transforms the sound in my system) I've some idea of how glorious this will sound. I think this component may open up a new market for him.
     
  21. Pale Rider

    Pale Rider Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    I believe the Decware components are built on a steel or aluminum plate, not a full box metal chassis, so they need to drop into something or be post-bolted or racked to something. That is certainly the case with my Decware Taboo. I prefer the modern wood base to the classic figured base. The bases are available in a variety of woods, and have a very nice clean look to them. But to each their own.

    I have an Ultra preamp on order, and am looking forward to it very much.
     
  22. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    Previous to a few years ago the Decware amps were in steel boxes, and my CSP2 is in the old style chassis and box, and of course the ZBox and ZDAC-1 still are.

    I think the wood base units look really nice, though I don't like the "tooled" look of the black Torii base; mine is walnut and just straight faces to the sides.
     
  23. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I think that would look more sophisticated.
     
  24. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    Looks are very subjective.

    I misdescribed mine. Mine has the very same looking base as that posted in this thread for the Ultra preamp. I love the way it looks.
     
  25. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues Thread Starter

    This is a Decware stock photo, but mine looks this way (though I am using different rectifiers in two of the three rectifier stages, otherwise the same amp, definitely the same base).

    [​IMG]
     
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