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Decware - any substance here?

With such a nice and extensively detailed website, I've long been curious about Decware. But with little in the way of genuine reviews, and not much in the way of discussion here, I always wonder if they are nothing more than that, a great website. They clearly have a dedicated fanbase, but my problem with the fanbase is this: most of them (not all of course) seem to have limited experience with products besides Decware, as if they stumbled upon Decware and never bothered with other brands. Maybe this is positive, that once experienced they don't have the typical audiophile itch to try other amps. I'm specifically struck by the new Torii MKIII push-pull amp, which in description and looks is just beautiful. So does it interest anyone here? Has anyone actually heard it, or it's previous incarnations? If so how does it rate amongst the other quality tube amps, whether Blue Circle, Cary, Vac, Almarro, Atma-Sphere, etc...?
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orangecrush
3 posts
 
Hi Morganc, the website say the soul superfy's use the Zu260FRD/G4/HO driver. That is the old one, right?
orangecrush
3 posts
 
Forgot to add, I had my Torri built with 16 ohm and 8 ohm transformer taps. While the 8 ohm sounds good with the Zu Superfly's the 16 ohm adds more weight and dynamics.
morganc
255 posts
 
Yes the HO Drivers are the ones that I had with my Omen Defs. Those paired very well with the Torii.
zaphodbeeblebrox
78 posts
 
I have never heard the Decware amps but I do have one of their very basic Pre-amps, it used to be available as a D.I.Y. Kit and was personally built by the main guy there at Decware and used in the ads and manuals.

It is one of the best Pre-amps I have ever owned, have had it for years and have never had an issue. I bought it so when I build one of the kits my self I know how it should sound. I have not built the Pre-amp yet, it's on my todo list.

I love the look of Decware gear, with all those tubes etc. very classic styling. I would like to buy one of their headphone amps.
jwt's avatar
jwt
40 posts
 
Gopher,
did you buy a Tori Mk 3 with VCAPs, just wondering. I recently sent my Tori back because something was wrong with it after a ton of run around but it turned out some solder joints had actually broke how is anyones guess. The other reason I sent the Tori back is that whilie using it with the GR Research Super V's I built it produced a annoyingly loud hum thru the upper driver of the Super Vl After about a year of trouble shooting and avoidance I was finaly able to send the unit back for it's supposed lifetime warranty. the unit was only partially fixed, as the attenuator was monkeyed with and still doesn't work right and there is still a hum thru the speaker, although it's not quite as bad as before. So if I had a complaint it would be when a audio builder is asked if his amp will play nicely with another person's speakers then I wish it were true of what I was told in the first place. The amp doesn not play well with the Super V and a very annoying hum omits from the speakers to this day if I'm even listening. I've had the unit completely overhauled, it has VCAP's, Shugang Treasure matching quad output tubes, the attenuator and what looks like new transformers even but non the less it does not play with my super V speakers so I am forced to sell, but not a sole is interested in buying this so called classic. Man I hate it when things like this happen. Now I can understand why he does not have but a small handful of reviews done on his equipment out of fear they'll uncover the pitfalls.Unless of course speakers and preamps are bought from decware as well then you may bery well have something there.
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