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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
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Message started by Bird on 04/27/23 at 01:28:41

Title: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Bird on 04/27/23 at 01:28:41

I am an avid listener but not an audiophile. Once I set up a system I'm happy to listen to, I can forget it. For 40 years, that has meant Klipsch. Just bought some 1982 La Scala and seeking a tube amp to power them. I think decware is for me based on reading comments and reviews. Can anyone help guide me to choosing the best model for my situation? How do I figure this out?

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by CAJames on 04/27/23 at 01:57:29

Welcome to the forum!

Let me start by playing devils advocate. Are you sure you want a tube amp? The thing with tube amps is you can't forget them, tubes age and need to be replaced. Sometimes they fail completely sometimes they slowly fade away. If you get a tube amp you will be an active participant in it's life.

Assuming you are still on board the good news is any Decware amp will be great with your speakers. I'm personally not a Klipsch fan, but lots of Decware owners are and assuming the speakers are in good working condition any amp from the 2 watt UFO to the 40 watt Mystery Amp will make them very happy.

So how to pick which one? The best idea would be to visit Decware and listen to some of the amps, but that isn't something a lot of people can do. You can read Steve's descriptions of the amps on the website, you can read about amp owners experience in an amp's respective forum. To give you any sort of reasonable guidance you have to give us something, what are you listening to now and what do you like and don't like about it? What kind(s) of music do you listen to? What part of the audio experience is most important to you? lifelike dynamics, detail, spatial resolution, tonal beauty? Do any of the amps strike you as more interesting than the others?

There are a lot of great posters on this site and I'm sure you'll get plenty of input.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Bird on 04/27/23 at 14:08:07

Thanks for the welcome and the thoughtful response. I think I was originally drawn to the tube amp based on descriptions, particularly that of Andrew Robinson. And going to listen is surely a great idea and might not be completely out of the question as I'm half a day's drive from Peoria.

I listen to varied genres of music but it's predominantly rooted in jazz and classical. I like contemporary forms and these days that means electronics get figured in. I'm setting up a new system in my shop which has a high ceiling and have yet to choose a power source. For the time being, I'm going to use a NAD C316bee. Once I try that, I might have more substantive comment. Eventually, though, the NAD should go back into the house where it powers the Klipsch Quartet.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Joey on 04/27/23 at 14:39:40

Welcome!

I have the Klipsch AL5 La Scala's powered by a 300B amp (not Decware). If you have the patience, then order the Sara and know that on fine day, you will be rewarded.

There's just something about this combo that's hard to describe. I use the WE reissue's and other assorted NOS tubes. The power level at 7-8 wpc is perfect and the most important aspect (TONE) delivers in spades.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by CAJames on 04/27/23 at 16:18:58

Quote:

Posted by: Bird Posted on: Today at 06:08:07
....I'm half a day's drive from Peoria.

Are you Larry Bird?

(If so I'm a life long Lakers fan, but I hope we can still be friends...)

But seriously, I listen to mostly classical and jazz, so I'll give you (briefly) my experience FWIW. I was pretty sure I wanted a SET amp so I went with a pair of UFO amps, with the anniversary mods, configured as balanced monoblocs. They replaced a pair of 100W Pass Labs SEM (single ended MOSFET) monos that I had for over 20 years and thought were pretty much the last word in resolution, detail and realistic tone. When I got them the Decware amps blew the doors off the Pass amps in every way: more resolution, more detail, more dynamics, blah blah blah. They were so good I got back on the waiting list for a pair of UFO25s that I hope to have in the fall. I'm less into electronics, but I do like "big" music, e.g: Bruckner, Mahler and the Buddy Rich Big Band and the UFOs with 94 dB Omega speakers did a great job in my smallish room.

I recently sold off my UFOs, so I'm between Decware amps and currently listening on a (not Decware) 300B amp. It is lovely, but maybe too lovely and I miss the detail and space from my UFOs. Others prefer the higher power push-pull Decware amps, and for sure more watts would give you more flexibility if you ever want lower efficiency speakers. But for me, the glory of the music is in the details and the SET amps, either UFO or Sarah, are really unsurpassed in that regard.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by JMeader on 04/27/23 at 16:35:47

I have a pair of 1987 La Scala's modified with all new Crites drivers and crossovers and I choose a Torii Jr V2 as I have a high cube room.

17 x 17 with 10ft walls with an additional half round ceiling going up for a total of 14 ft

Given La Scala's 100+ efficiency any one of the Decware amps will work and sound great.

I am also brand new to tubes and this is what I have found.

Tubes do produce heat, depending on where you put it that can be an issue

Tubes do get better with age, mine took about 200-300 hours to settle in with sound stage and the warmer sound of tubes

Most Decware amps utilize RCA connections, previously I used a Crown XLI 1500 with XLR connections

Decware amps respond well to additional gain from pre-amps

Hope this helps

Enjoy The Music

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by 4krow on 04/27/23 at 20:38:54

I am going to butt in here with a general tube amp question. Between EL84 and EL34, what differences/preferences do you guys have? Much appreciated guys.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Burgermeester on 04/29/23 at 10:10:01

Bird - Do you understand roughly how long it will take to deliver your order?

Steve might be planning something we don't know about to increase output but I calculate a 5-year wait for those at the end of the queue, at current output for amplifiers. That's based on average output over the last 2+ months.

In my case, I ordered a preamp, four months later an amp. The amp is going to arrive around 16 months after the preamp. That's what happens when orders are coming in faster than output. The delta between orders and output just keeps accumulating, putting delivery further and further into the future.

I guess one could argue that ordering now will save you from a 6-year wait, etc.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Rivieraranch on 04/29/23 at 14:52:47

I would not be surprised if Steve has a surprise regarding output soon. I am sure he has studied his business and realizes that the popularity and demand for his products has overtaken current production capabilities. Maybe an annex to the current factory? Extra shifts for the slingers?

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by CAJames on 04/29/23 at 15:10:36

FWIW here is a post from Steve from a few days ago re: the waiting list. It was specifically to address drama on the Steve Hoffman forum, but is consistent with what he's been saying all along. At least IMO. Emphasis added by me.

Quote:

Posted by: Steve Deckert Posted on: 04/20/23 at 13:33:49

...I have prepared a statement regarding our waiting list that will hopefully be of some use.

The DECWARE WAITING LIST.

Decware is a small boutique company that creates hand made amplifiers and loudspeakers of an exceptional level and sells them wholesale to the public. This has been our business model since 1996 when we went online with www.decware.com

During the past 25 years Decware has never had to advertise, the success came from word of mouth from satisfied customers in over 54 countries.

Our business and products evolved around a consistent pool of orders that averaged 100 people at any given time. The wait time to get an amplifier ran around 10 ~ 12 weeks.

Decware has been a well kept secret for 25 years until Covid 19 hit in 2020. No business at that time knew what the future held. We have an obligation to not only our employees and contractors, but to our customers whom we extend indefinite after sale support too.

So in an effort to make sure our sales didn’t decline during the pandemic, we sent our 2 watt Zen Triode amplifiers out for review which basically let the cat out of the bag. Our order list doubled and then tripled in only months while people were trapped indoors with nothing to do but listen to their hifi rigs. In the two years since that time it has continued to grow to insane numbers — now over 2000 people on it despite the fact that we have doubled our production the first year and then doubled it again this year.

We will continue to hand build these amps with a lifetime warranty vs. mass producing them using circuit boards like most manufactures. That means that the wait time is not going to change any time in the near future.

We are charging a 10% non-refundable deposit with full disclosure and access to our real time build list. This is because:

Despite what you might think it actually does cost a fair amount of money to enter your order with all the custom options and get those parts made. Many orders involve several emails and or phone calls where we spend time helping you select the best gear for your situation at the time of your order and again as the situation changes during the wait.

Without a deposit the list would explode in size with people who wish to hold a place on the list until the very end and then often cancel their order. We don’t have the time or the manpower to cover all the phone calls and emails associated with a 2 year wait just to cancel it. The ones who complain online about this are the very ones who would do it.

We will make sure your order was worth the long wait.

Orders can be changed without loosing your place in the list. As well, if we come out with a newer version of the item you ordered, you will automatically be upgraded at no additional cost as this has always been our policy.

Reviews will continue to occasionally happen because those who are on the list enjoy having some confirmation that what they are waiting for is the best.

For those of you who have irreconcilable issues with the fact that our list is so long — you are invited to do something about it by bringing yourself to Decware with soldering iron in hand and seeing if you have what it takes to join our team.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Burgermeester on 04/30/23 at 07:34:18

Hmm. I have already inspected the neighborhood on Google street view, it looks quite nice! And how could I fail to notice the lake access and summer fun potential, including, ah, afternoon beers.

I love the smell of solder in the morning...it smells like delivery.

Title: Re: non-audiophile seeks advice on which amp
Post by Rivieraranch on 04/30/23 at 15:08:05

Good explanation by the boss. Best to buy a used amp while waiting for your chosen amp in the order Q.