Quote:


The thing is people have been saying this every year for forever. 30ish years ago, in the early days of the internet I bought a bunch of lightly used Amperex 7308s for 10 dollars each, and at the time people thought that was "ridiculous." My advice to anyone who is #tubecurious, has been to get your tubes now because they will only cost more, and likely be of more dubious quality in, the future.

Bill Evans "Some Other Time: the Lost Session from the Black Forest" Resonance 2 cd set, disc 1

Decware Zen SE84C+
Build date June 2008
Cosmetically 7.5/10 to 8/10
Functionally in excellent working order.
2 inputs, and switch.
Switch for choosing between 2 positions of resistor voicing.
As far as I’m aware, this amp does not have the Hazen Grid Mod.  
6P15P-EV Output tubes (x2) (Russian NOS from Decware)
6N1P-EV Input tube (x1) (Russian NOS from Decware)
5U4G Rectifier tube (x1) (GE NOS 2 weeks of use only) (also a Decware coke bottle 5U4G)
Sounds sublime.

Shipped CONUS only, in a pelican shipping case.
Will be shipped with tubes and power cord.
Please contact with ZIP for shipping quote.

1100 plus shipping, PayPal G&S plus 3% fee.
Cash/Local pickup as well, Muncie IN, happy to demo with Klipsch Forte ii’s and AB it with Z kit

Don’t hesitate with any questions.

It's such a risky business as tubes sound different in different amps with different cabling and other factors, rooms treated or untreated, and according to differing individual tastes.

For instance I have 5V4 and similar British rectifiers that seemed great in one amp and turgid in another. I have found real synergy and reliability with Chinese rectifiers that were not available when I first started on this journey twenty-seven years or so ago when i then thought Chinese rectifiers were just awful and undependable. And I have found tubes such as Cryotone that are adored to be not to my taste at all.

And EVERY tube matters in this resolving and revealing components that Decware makes! I have had to find just the right signal, driver, rectifier, output AND voltage regulation tube . . . all influence the others and finding just the right ones is harder than Goldilock porridge picking.

I'm glad that now that my wife and I are both retired and not bringing in a lot of money to dispose of that I have found the right tubes for my systems and have a stock on hand. The exploration is fun. . . but finding just the right complements of tubes is even more fun, and letting them all season in and give their all gives great listening satisfaction.

Enjoy the hunt. . .if hunting is your thing! I hope all of us find just the right tubes for our systems. . . it takes luck and some skill.

Thanks for that Sean.  That is a great read and, yes, amazing how much more expensive those tubes have become.  Lots of food for thought, that’s for sure!  I appreciate those of you have experimented with many of these tubes and are willing to share your experience.  I’m not rich, but I’m willing to pay a premium for something that is going to make a big, positive difference, in the audio performance of this beautiful amp.

Anticipating the new Hendrix box today, I'm spinning disc 2 of this penultimate one.

"Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision" cd 2

Looks like some parts for the ZBITS have arrived, but there are a lot of ZBITS on order.

I’ve decided that since I use this only for the phono section it seems a waste to have it in the system not loving up to its full potential. I listed it on Audiogon but there has been no interest in it there.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbg7h1-marantz-2226b-receivers?__cf_chl_tk=L...

Another cold morning with a wife fighting pain. I got her back to sleep and read about someone's upcoming "trillion dollar pay package." That made me shiver and think of "Million Dollar Bash" so I put on disc 3 of this great box set.

Bob Dylan "Bootleg Series Vol. 11 The Basement Tapes Complete " Columbia 6 cd set, disc 3

As the music director of the Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan stylized himself as the keeper of the "Standard German Repertoire." But what he was really good at was Russian music, like the Prokofiev 5th. His late 60s recording is, IMO, on the short list of his very best and is one of the classics of the gramophone. He does a masterful job of managing Prokofiev's ever shifting kaleidoscope of colour and texture, and, of course the orchestra plays like the superstars they are.



DSD download from HDTT

The DG recording is nothing special, but the HDTT transfer makes the best of it.

This second disc sounds as good as the first and I love the music and vibe!



Francisco Mora Catlett "Afro Horn MX" Aace 2 cd set, disc 2

Good luck with your sale Tony!

I think this is a fantastic amplifier. It can be made to sound so marvelous, tailored to how you love your sound. Today mine is practically hum-free--I have to put my ear up to the HR-1 speakers to hear any noise; I changed output 300B tubes and wow, I'm just floored.

Someone can get their hands on a wonderful amp without the three year plus wait and enrich their life. I mentioned your sale on the PS Audio and Hoffman forum just in case that helps.

I love this woman.

Flora Purim "Perpetual Emotion" Narada Jazz cd

Acoustic Bass – Trey Henry
Acoustic Guitar – Oscar Castro-Neves
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Gary Meek
Drums, Percussion – Airto Moreira
Piano – Christian Jacob
Vocals – Flora Purim

Upon CAJAmes recommendation awhile ago I picked up two GZ33's. I prefer the GZ33 in my ZP3 and GZ32 in the CSP and UFO25. The 32's bring just the right amount of bottom end for me. Another great tube if you need more low end is the 5v4, I've got RCAs and a Mullard. IMO, I'd give the RCA a slight advantage, the extra cost of the Mullard seems to be for the name only and not performance.

Honestly, one of the better sounding rectifiers I've used in the UFO25 was a Cryotone 5ar4. However, two of them went out to pasture on start up. Great sound while they lasted but I wouldn't buy another as there are more reliable options out there.

If you really want a good read, check out this super long thread. Warning: it's dated and some stuff you could have had for $30 back then is gone or very pricey but well worth skimming or deep reading.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dubstep-girls-massive-5ar4-5r4-5u4g-rectifier-re...

As for the other tubes I run these in my UFO25:
Sylvania OB3, Cryotone EL84, and an Holland made Amperex 7308.

Handel's Concerti Grossi are his version of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, but not nearly as famous. You can make the case they don't have as many catchy tunes, and don't have the cool descant trumpet like the Second Brandenburg. But they are excellent works in their own right, esp. when played in a more or less "old fashion" way by the Prague Chamber Soloists.



16/44 FLAC download

Just spitballing here . . .

So if reading/browsing was your priority. You could re-code a few of the CGIs and make them friendly
to modern browsers but have them be read-only. The sole purpose being better display of the existing
threads and msgs, etc. Have the new webserver access the existing database but without write access.

My listening schedule is all shaken up by pain management on Lucinda's broken arm. I'm on my second listen of disc 3 of this very interesting box set released last week.



Bob Dylan "Through The Open Window (The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 1956-1963)" 8 cd edition

Thanks yostjacob. I had run across this speaker maker a while back, intrigued, but never went further. Your post and links made that easy, and fun! Seems like great ideas and making. The paper resonators look like they may be worth playing with in my Omegas. I appreciate this post and look forward to your impressions!

I finally pulled the trigger on these speakers:

https://hasehiro-audio.com/product/umu-191m/

I fell in love with these based upon this video coming up on the ol' youtubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2IvlqMaH4U

Here is another great video about the journey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCtitxkNvc
(You will probably need to enable the translated subtitles)

There is something just right about them in aesthetics.  The construction and the texture lines routed into the laminated layers really just work.  I fell in love with them, and the old man who makes them is just charming.

Now for the multi-month wait...

I think what trips me out the most is the paper resonators.  Here is what ChatGPT says about them:

Ah — yes, that’s a fascinating and very Japanese bit of acoustic artistry.

What you’re seeing in the Hasehiro back-loaded horn (and in some other Japanese full-range designs) — those little paper tetrahedrons or pyramids glued into the internal corners of the compression or rear chamber — are what they call paper resonators (紙共鳴体 kami-kyōmeitai).

They’re not purely decorative; they serve a subtle but important acoustic function.

🌬️ 1. What it is

A “paper resonator” is essentially a tiny tuned resonant cavity — usually a hollow paper structure (often a folded tetrahedron, pyramid, or cone) with thin walls.
Because it’s extremely lightweight and stiff for its mass, it has a very high Q resonance in the midrange region (typically 400–2 kHz).

Hasehiro installs them in specific points — especially the rear chamber corners, where standing waves and reflections tend to concentrate.

🎶 2. What it does

The idea is not to act like an absorber (which would turn sound into heat) but rather as a resonant damper or diffuser that:

Breaks up strong reflections in the rear chamber,

Broadens and randomizes the phase of internal resonances, and

Converts sharp resonant peaks into a more benign, “musical” decay.

In other words:
Instead of a single strong cavity resonance causing coloration, you get many tiny, lower-energy resonances that smear the energy in time — perceived as a smoother, more natural tone.

It’s similar in spirit to Helmholtz resonators or the little “resonance boxes” you see in Japanese instruments — but on a micro scale, and tuned empirically by ear.

🔬 3. Why paper?

Paper (especially washi or handmade paper) has:

Very low internal damping (so it rings gently rather than deadening),

A natural gradient of stiffness and density, and

Excellent self-noise characteristics — it “breathes” instead of rattling.

So the resonator sings along softly with the enclosure instead of fighting it.
Think of it as a sympathetic resonator, like the soundboard ribs in a violin.

🧭 4. Effect on the horn/driver

The Hasehiro designer (Mr. Hasegawa) uses these to refine how the rear wave couples into the horn throat. They help ensure that:

The upper mids reflected back toward the driver are de-correlated,

The horn’s low-frequency loading isn’t contaminated by chamber coloration, and

The overall timbre feels more “open” and “live.”

It’s one of those elegant low-mass, high-craft solutions that you’ll almost never see in Western loudspeaker design because it doesn’t show up on measurements easily — but it can make a subtle subjective difference.

You’re right James, the GZ33 is about half, if not more, than the GZ34s I’ve found.  I see a couple of the metal base GZ34s on eBay, all used, at a price I’m not willing to pay, especially with the “no returns” disclaimer.  

What fascinates me about this hobby is how many options there are, but also how many folks continue down the path of experimentation even after they find something they really love!

Thanks for the replies gents!

It should, I don't think they were manufactured when I had a ZP3 years ago.

I actually like the GZ33 rectifier better than the GZ34, and last time I looked it was less expensive. But that was a while ago.

Thanks for that Lon.  I’ll look into those.  I know I’ll want try something in my ZP3 as well.  I would expect the Psvane 247B-Z to work in that as well, right?

* NO LONGER FOR SALE *
* NO LONGER FOR SALE *

One of my favorite rectifiers that I used in my SE84UFO3 Monoblocks with all the Anniversary mods was the Psvane 274B-Z Treasure Collector Edition rectifier--I use it in my CSP3 with all the mods and my SEWE300B--a very reliable, really rich and vivid sounding rectifier. Doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

As I continue down the path of enjoying my UFO25 I am also continuing the exploration of enjoying it even more.  Reading this short thread got me searching for a metal base GZ34 and whoa, five years later and the price for one, if one can find it, is pretty damn steep!

That being said, I paid a lot for this amp and I’m steadily spending more to eliminate the “weak link” as Steve would say.  Now, I’m not saying the Decware-supplied tubes are weak links, but based on what I’m reading from many of you fine audiophiles, some tubes make the UFO25 really shine.

I do have my eye on a GZ34 fat base that James has described and I’m this close to pulling the trigger.  I’m not getting any younger, if ya know what I mean, and I want to enjoy this amp as much as I can NOW!  

As this thread is about three years old, any of you current owners of the UFO25 have any recommendations for rectifiers?

Quote:


We all did.

Benny Goodman "1939, Vol. 2" Chronogical Classics cd

I used to have a bit of a crush on Martha. I'm over it now.

You must mean upheaval

I use Chrome. This issue comes and goes on both the phone and i-pad. Laptop is unaffected. I did all the usual things(restart, clear cache, etc.) trying to correct it. It usally returns to normal out of the blue in a few days, week or 2. Maybe my ISP..just don't know and really don't care about the minor inconvenience. Just my experience here.

Duke Ellington "Anatomy of a Murder" Rykodisc cd

Bump.

And, listed today on US Audio Mart website. Please share with anyone you know looking for an amp and wanting Decware's lifetime warranty.

Decware SEWE300B "Sarah" amplifier for sale, currently at Decware after a recent service and health check. Purchase before December 1 to facilitate a lifetime warranty transfer in your name. Decware will require your information before shipment and will confirm the warranty transfer directly with you.

The amplifier was delivered less than a year ago and has approximately 1,200 hours logged, ensuring it is fully broken in. It is in perfect cosmetic shape with no scratches or blemishes. See pictures.

This sale includes:

Decware 300B Amp ($4950), African Padauk Base ($150), Polished Copper Transformer ($230), Decware Tube Set with 300B ($630), and Western Electric 300B ($1500).  Available immediately, no 3-year wait - priceless!

Total estimated value: $7,460 (without lifetime warranty).

My asking price: $5,960(without lifetime warranty)

Shipping charges will be paid by me within the contiguous USA.

Alternatively, if you wish to add the Decware lifetime warranty, now is the ideal time to make this purchase. Decware's process requires buyer details before shipment, so they can transfer the warranty and provide all new tubes as part of the new warranty. The total cost for the transfer (including tubes) is $1,125.00. I will split this fee with you, adding $560 to the price above, for a grand total of $6,520.00.

My asking price: 6520.00 (with lifetime warranty)

Shipping charges will be paid by me within the contiguous USA.

The amplifier is available at Decware until December 1, offering you a limited-time opportunity to acquire the amp with ease. Completing the purchase and providing your information to Decware before December allows for a smooth and less costly warranty transfer.

Thank you for your interest in this amplifier.

"Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision" cd 1

Francisco Mora Catlett "Afro Horn MX" Aace 2 cd set, disc 1





I'm really enjoying this--great sound.

More stupefyingly fantastic pianism: Martha Argerich's early recordings of Chopin and Prokofiev's fiendishly difficult Sonata No. 7. Recorded live at the Concertgebouw.



16/44 FLAC download

Quote:


IMO that is not because of the site, it looks more like the settings on your browser and/or phone. Often those setting change because of a software update.

What browser are you using? I have good luck with Chrome on my iPhone, FWIW.

Quote:


Words of wisdom for sure!

CAjames this is what I am talking about:

The first pic is a screen shot of a normal view of the forum.



This is a screen shot of how it has been of late.

Doug and Lon,

I totally get it. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The descriptions of the sound you're getting is what we all chase. I probably wouldn't have gone any further and bought the C-9 if I was experiencing the awesome imaging, and soundstage that you guys are describing. Don't get me wrong, I was getting really good imaging, soundstage, and clarity with this Decware system. I spent a lot of time tweaking and tube rolling and it paid off. However, listening to folks like yourselves describe something I wasn't quite experiencing had me thinking there was more I could do. I felt that my room size/dimensions, lack of total volume (cubic feet), and the limitations within it were holding me back from experiencing the next level that you guys were. I couldn't do more room treatments at this point so when the C-9 was brought up, I thought that might be the ticket to getting me closer. I was really glad it turned out to be the case. I don't think I've achieved the same level as some folks here but at least I'm in the same ballpark now. I think the C-9 will pay off for people who are in the same boat as me and feel they can achieve more but have limitations that don't seem easily overcome. It just might give you the great big room feel without having one. For folks in your boat, I wouldn't do a thing. Just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, you've earned it.

JB,

It's cool that you've gone back for seconds! It's also nice that you have multiple systems and rooms to explore what the C-9 can do. Please let us know what the outcome of that will be if you get a chance. I'm sure some systems and rooms will benefit and maybe some will not. Would be cool to see which is which.

For sale my Torii Mk II with hazen grid mod and stepped volume upgrades. In good condition and fully functional; it sounds great especially with the the NOS tubes. Buyer to pay shipping, insurance and any Paypal fees. Local pickup preferred in SF Bay Area. If need be it will be double boxed for safety. My email for fastest response: rehlichmodel@gmail.com.

Option A: $1800 with Tung Sol EL34's and stock Chinese/Russian signal, voltage regulator, and rectifier tubes.

Option B: $2270 with your choice of SED Winged "C" EL34's (lightly used) or NOS Tesla E34L's from Quicksilver Audio. Plus JAN RCA black plate 5U4G rectifiers (lightly used), RCA 6DJ8 signals (lightly used), RCA 0A3 voltage regulators (lightly used). The 5U4g's, 6DJ8's and 0A3's are shown in the photos.

With this option I will throw in all of the Chinese/Russian tubes that I have as back up as well.

Depending on what happens with the amp sale, I have the following tubes for sale: Email me for photos.

Lightly used:
SED Winged "C" EL34's: $240/ Matched Quad
JAN RCA black plate 5U4G rectifiers: $120/ Pair
RCA 6DJ8 signals: $100/ Pair
RCA 0A3 voltage regulators: $10/ Pair
JJ KT88: $150/ MQ

NOS Matched pairs/quads:
Tesla E34L's: $220/ MQ (3 available)
RCA 5V4G rectifiers:$75/ MP (2 available)
RCA 5U4G rectifiers:$140/ MP (1 available)
RCA 5U4GB rectifiers: $120/ MP (1 available)
RCA 0A3 voltage regulators $ 20/ Pair







[url=https://ibb.co/0Rg7zRQ4] [img]https://i.ibb.co/Pv7LVvtX/

Quote:


First of all, I appreciate your comments, and you're correct, the forum is not written for phones with dynamically sized view ports that adjust on the fly.  The reason is because the code for this forum was written before there even was cell phones.

There is no way to re-write it, and there is 30 years of messages here that no one is willing to loose to start over.  While it is cumbersome to use a phone, we don't want to get wrapped up with social media scrolling in this forum.  We have a facebook site for that.   Also, I can set up another modern forum on our website in a matter of days, but it would be empty.

Steve : )

I seldom try to open website with phone but with computer I use to notice little glitches here and there but nothing serious.

Upon opening page i do see a guy in a circle at lower left corner like he's ready to assist with questions but he vanishes within seconds. Thats interesting.

Nice clean pics of the products is awesome. Thought about framing one or two.

To be clear I can access the site without issue, it’s just not a good user experience on mobile devices. Small text that doesn’t conform to different screen sizes is my main gripe. The aesthetic of it is a different conversation and a matter of taste. Like tubes choices.

I appreciate the feedback. I’m new here having just received my Rachael amp after a 3 year wait (Worth it!). If Steve and Lon standing members of this community are happy with the way things are so be it.

If the choice is between website/forum updates or building amps, by all means build the amps. Everyone who wants to hear one of these wonderful devices should get to do so ASAP.

"Tethered Moon play Kurt Weill" Winter & Winter cd



Wanted to hear some Gary Peacock and pulled two cds by this trio from the shelves.

In honor of the Dodgers winning the World Series (again) I give you something out of left field. Stravinsky's Four Norwegian Moods.



On CD from the Chailly/Stravinsky box.

These are short little delights that sound like they could have been written 300 years ago.

On my Mac everything works just fine. On my iPhone I cannot reply to super long threads like Lon's What's Spinning, I tried to figure that out awhile ago on my end. It seems the phone browser wants to load a cache and it overwhelms the page then crashes out. On shorter threads that's not an issue.

From prior experience, setting up and maintaining a forum for work it's a delicate balance of cost vs effort. This was 15 yrs ago, so many things have changed since then, but I bet a new platform would be cost prohibitive OR a boat load of work that will ultimately kill previous history.   I doubt anyone here wants something new with ads or subscription cost which for the smaller user base would be too high.

Only other issue I see is with AI crap posts which are typically dealt with pretty quick by Donnie? Whoever is doing that part, thanks!

Quote:


I'm going to claim there is in fact no middle ground. Either we stay on the current forum software (copyright 2008, FYI/FWIW) or move to something new. There is no in between. Sure, we can discuss to what degree the current site is optimal or not, and that is fine in the abstract. But I think the bottom line reality is we (almost?) all agree Steve should be working on amps, not the website and what we have today is going to be what we have for a while. JMO/FWIW/YMMV and all that.

It works for me--I don't have a phone that connects to the internet (by design, thank goodness I don't) and works fine on my laptop. But I know that mine is a minority situation here.

So, there is a kernel of truth to the OP’s point and I think there is a middle ground to be explored vs. the black and white position of it works or it doesn’t.

Does it work: Yes, on both my iPhone and IPad, though it’s decidedly more cumbersome on the phone even with good eyesight.  On occasion, replying to a post on the iPhone times out and the page crashes. Again, few and far between.

Is it Optimal: Absolutely not.

This forum is based on old tech, whereas newer forums are optimized for mobile browsers, and have really handy features such as liking a post, and directly replying to a particular post. I think some of us brought this up in the past and I think Steve acknowledged the merit of our argument, but it’s complicated in terms of ensuring none of the previous data gets lost and obviously the time factor.  I’m sure given the long lead times, folks would rather have Steve and team spend time building amps vs. beautifying the forum.

Sold, thanks Gabe.

HK