Decware and SET Low Power Tube Amps with Hi Efficency Speakers

With the low powered high efficiency approach, it's all about synergy.  I have a Decware Zen that sounds fabulous with my single driver Omegas.  Up until I bought some Quicksilver Horn Mono's, it bested everything I threw at it including a custom made 2A3 amp.  There was a post just the other day on another forum comparing the Zen amp to the Coincident Dynamo and the owner preferred the little Zen.

With some Zu speakers though, my results are different.  The Zus don't really respond well to the Quicksilvers and sound better with the Decware however, I have to say, overall, the Zus just seem to sound better with solid state which is a big surprise as my Omegas definitely respond more favorably to tubes.

I guess what I'm saying is to make sure you can hear the combination that you plan on putting together and don't just assume that it will sound good.  Also, don't forget that room size and listening volume preferences play a huge role in this approach as well.

Good Luck

I would echo seikosha.  Not every room and hi-eff speaker combo will behave the same.  Short answer to your question is that fleawatt SET can be magical.  I run a $140 Chinese 3 watt SET with my Zus in my bedroom and couldn't be happier with that system.  

I did try a Zen once and sent it back.  The first set of tubes distorted terribly.  A new set helped but I swear I could still hear distortion at full listening volume and given the amp's obvious limitations I didn't want to spend a bunch of time with Decware troubleshooting.  

That said, there are a number of Zu owners who swear by Decware.  And I do have a Decware ZRock that I pair with my vintage Sansui integrated and the two make absolute magic together, so I am not anti-Decware.

I also agree with seikosha that I often prefer solid state with my Zus, especially in a bigger room.

I went down this path after years of curiosity. I started with the speakers and purchased the Omega Super 3i. I paired them with several amps before finally purchasing a Decware SE84UFO. The reported synergy between these two manufacturers is indeed the real deal. While this approach isn't for everybody, it's everything I hoped for. There is a rightness to the sound that is just captivating. Good luck.

I heard two Decware amps that were at a local dealership (trade-ins).  I don't recall the models.  I was curious about how they sound (they looked good and the build quality was excellent), so I heard them hooked up to a pair of ProAc and Harbeth speakers.  This was a quick demonstration so there was no attempt to optimize the performance (no tube swapping, although the tubes in the amps tested strong).  The sound was quite disappointing--sweet sounding, but dull and lifeless and a little muddy.  I am hardly an expert on low-priced tube gear, but, I've heard much better from other reasonably priced brands, such as Synthesis, AudioSpace, and Quicksilver.  I hope they would do better with other speakers and perhaps with other tubes in them.  I don't have enough experience with them to pass any judgment, so I am only cautioning that they may not be the miracle bargain that some tout them to be.