Is all the hype warranted

I have had my 20 W Decware Torii Jr v2 with copper bypass upgrade for 1 year.  It was a 25 month wait but I feel well worth it.  It replaced a 20 W Raven Blackhawk which is now in my second system.  Both amps sound great with the right tube combination and speaker pairing.  My Raven drives Fritz 88db monitors with ease and the Decware Torii Jr. drives 89db Ohm Walsh Tall 2000’s easily as well.  The Torii Jr sounded better in all ways  than the Raven but not significantly.  When I added my tube preamp with gain controls the Torri Jr. came alive. Better dynamics, deep bass and midrange really stood out as better.  For me this is an amp that does everything well.  I will live with the Torii Jr. for a long time with a smile. Enjoy your journey!

Note: Check out the Decware website and read all the descriptions/test results on the Toriii Jr’s build.  I have not owned or heard a true SET amp but Steve Decker states the Torii Jr. has similar qualities in sound quality even though it’s a push/pull.

I just looked on the US Audio Mart there is a ton of Decware amps for sale…there sure must be a deal there…or they are telling us something….

I probably should not say this being you are thinking about tube amps, it didn’t work out good for me a costly mistake…the right solid state is a much better way to go..but if you have the solid state you love and want to try a tube amp for fun that’s another thing..just don't go down that expensive tube rabbit hole..

+1 to what @larryi wrote, quote:

"@larryi ...They had the kind of sound I associate with inadequate output transformers.

 

I am not saying that they are horrible amps; they are decent for the money, but, for my taste, they are not the "giant killers" that many claim them to be. Good tube amps are not cheap because the good parts, particularly transformers, are not cheap".

Worth noting while ensuring the speakers are a good match. For years it took me a while to realize and understand again why my 50-year local retired radio-audio tech kept telling me over and over - to ensure there are "very high quality and rightsized transformers in your next amps".

Read the Decware forums.  These amps have a cult following for a reason.  I've owned a SE84UFO for years it is a very special piece of equipment.  I've learned so much from this amp for minimal amounts of money.  Tube rolling of NOS tubes for several dollars a tube.  The amp provides switches to change the presentation and has been rock solid with a LIFETIME warranty.  It is the best 2 watts out there for the money.  I finally just purchased a new amp but paid 7 times what I paid for the Decware new, to improve on the sound the Decware provided.  The wait for a new one is insane which is the only reason I went for different brand.