Anyone using a Decware Torii MK III?

This is an amp that has intrigued me for ages... it is very well reviewed online, but I'd love to hear from anyone using one, (especially if you're using it with Harbeth speakers or a Sutherland phono stage).

Your thoughts, feelings on sound, soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, voices, timbre, etc., and does it have some grunt in the low end? I've read many tube amps have fantastic low-end control.

Also, (and I know this is a longshot) can anyone comment how it compares to an LFD Zero or a Croft 25 & 7R? Totally different beasts, but I'm quite curious.

Many thanks in advance peeps.

–R

 

No one using Decware amps here?

 

Yeah, there are a couple of Decware guys around here. Be patient. Not everyone is logged in around the clock

 

Tone Audio's review is pretty spot on. It is the best amp I've ever owned. I regret selling it, but I will be replacing it as soon as possible. It has the strengths of a SET, tonal lushness, great spaciousness and it also gets to the drive and soul of the music. I drove Zu Soul Superflys with mine. Since then I changed to Zu Omen Defs and am looking to get another Decware. Either the Torii or Zen Mystery Amp.
The Decware forum is a great place to learn and Steve is easy to get on the phone as well. I bet the Decware/Harbeth combo would be hard to beat.

 

Thanks for the solid feedback on this Blue, I appreciate it. Were you running a source straight into the Torii or using a preamp?

 

I thought that the Torii was a 25W amp and the Harbets' efficiency was generally in the lower 80s...

 

Both. I ran my Rega P9/Koetsu Sky Blue through the phono stage in my Modwright LS-100. The digital I tried both through the preamp and directly into the Torii. Going Directly into the amp was more transparent, but not a huge difference. I settled on running everything through the pre to allow remote volume etc.. The combo sounded wonderful. I love true dynamics and toe tapping, funky stuff. It had all of that with great tone density and spaciousness. Just made great music.
Nat

 

I bought one of the first Torii Mk IIIs made, after owning a Mk II (the first one made, I still have it) and used that Torii continuously since bought. I then had it upgraded to the Jupiter Beeswax caps, which is an expensive but thoroughly worthwhile upgrade. Mine did not have the bass control as that was introduced later in the model's history. I wanted one and asked Steve to add one when I had the cap upgrade. He couldn't though, the earliest design wouldn't accomodate it. He offered me a deal on a new one, saying that the new ones sound a bit better, so I had him build me a new one, and I have a Torii Mk III in each of my two systems, both with the beeswax cap upgrade. I love the sound. The oldest one still, to me, sounds best. Turns out the bass control wasn't as crucial as I thought, and an amp that has been seasoned by years of heavy use is going to sound better than a new one in my experience.

I use the Decware CSP2+ preamp (recently supplanted by a new model, the CSP3) with mine, though I have run my principal sources (PS Audio DAC Mk II and Decware ZP3) straight in. My main system is a two channel audio and video system, so I need a number of inputs. I run the PS Audio and a Denon 100th Anniversary SACD player into one CSP2+ (which has been upgraded to include the beeswax caps) and anothe CSP2+ has the output of the Decware ZP3 phono preamp and the output of my Denon 100th Anniversary Blu-ray/universal player run into it. These two preamps feed the two inputs on the Torii Mk III. Sources directly into the Torii sound very good, those who like a very quick and detailed sound may prefer that if they have an excellent source. I love the sound and flexibility of the Decware preamps, and prefer to have these in the system.

One amazing feature of the Torii Mk III is the treble cut circuit. These controls (one per channel) allow one to trim the high frequencies without really influencing any other frequencies--it's essentially out of the signal path. This has been invaluable in my listening world, and allows me to be a lot less fussy in cd purchases.

The review jeff did for Tone Audio I believe is spot on, this is a wonderful amp that is very musical and muscular and yet tender and delicate when needed. The Mk III has now been supplanted with the Mk IV which many seem to feel is an improved amp. I'm not going that route though, I love these Mk IIIs and will always have one in one of my systems, though I do think that one day I may try out the new Zen Mystery Amp.

 

Not a Torii, but I have a Zen Select SET and CSP2+ in my main system. I can't wait to get to the hifi every day. The bass is great--better than the 125wpc Odyssey Khartago I was using previously. So while I can't comment on the Torii directly, I can tell you that the Decware gear I've heard is killer. I've also spoken with Steve several times (at length), and I'd pretty much trust him as much as anyone. Decware has been very helpful and responsive on the rare occasion an issue has cropped up. They offer a lifetime warranty and their gear holds it's value pretty well. How can you go wrong?

There's about a 4 month wait to get your amp because they build to order, so I would order one now just to get on the list, even if you think you might change your mind.. They don't charge your card until they actually start building, and you can cancel your order any time up to that point with no obligations.

 

Hey Lonson, let's go halfsies on a ZMA--you can have it two weeks a month, and I'll take it the other two.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone! Much appreciated! Good to hear from you again Rischa

 

I'll talk to you in a year or so when I might have half the money needed saved!

 

Gahh--I think you mean "its value." What a putz...oh wait, that was me. (Sorry Raferx, had to self edit because I know you're a Journalist.)

 

No worries, you should hear me at parties correcting people on their pronunciation.

 

Anything I should be aware of if I was going to buy used?

 

Your best bet is to have the owner send it back to Steve before having it passed on to you. They charge $100 I believe to look it over, re-test it, do any repairs it needs, then they transfer the LIFETIME warranty to you before send it off!

I have one of the first Torii IVs with limited use I may be selling soon. It has the KT 66 tube compliment and was a custom job with a mono switch as well. PM me if that is in your line of sight so to speak.

 

Oh I bet you're really popular.

jeff

 

I usually do it while I hand them a drink, so I seem to get by.

 

From the reviews I've read, the Torii seems to be able to deliver the music with very little coloration, which seems contrary to many tube amps... can anyone comment on this? And the bass, how about the bass?

Cheers!

 

Decware amps in general do not sound like vintage tube amps at all, they sound like the best solid state I've heard with the imgaging and tonal richness of the best tube amps.

So yes, I would say very little coloration and not what many expect to hear from tube amps.

The bass is very very good, tight and deep, with most tube sets. (The amp is so flexible, you can roll input, power, rectifier, and voltage regulator tubes for BOTH input and output tubes, exchanging different brands and different TYPES in each position; this allows the amplifier to subtly, and not so subtly, change character.)

 

Thanks very much Lonson. Sounds like a very satisfying amp, since I've never owned tubes before, so I'm quite jazzed at the idea of dipping my toes into the rolling waters so to speak. What are you listening to through it mostly (jazz, rock, classical, folk?), and what speakers are you driving?

 

I listen to about 75 percent jazz, 25 percent Brazilian, rock, blues, classical and other genres.

I am a lucky so-and-so, I have a pair of these in each system, in two different finishes than the one pictured (got my first pair, one of the final prototypes, at less than half the price, special "two for one deal" with a pair of ERR speakers years ago):

http://www.decware.com/newsite/HR1.html

 

Good Lord... they're beautiful! How do they sound?

 

They sound so good and so unique. . . conventional sound PLUS omnidirectional sounds . . . I don't even look at other speakers.

 

The price is quite competitive too. Have you heard Harbeths?