I must say…. After merely 10 hours of playback, the amp has already blossomed dramatically. (It was essentially unused so these are fresh currents)


Truly, it has already stepped significantly beyond the SQ of the Prima Luna.

…. It’s going to be an interested unfulfilling of the wings of this amp…!

Thanks all,
R.

After a month of beautiful weather it has turned cold, wet and gloomy. Like Scandinavia. So I put on Sibelius' 2nd Symphony.



16/44 FLAC download

Okko Kamu's Sibelius cycle continues to impress me, and the BIS recording really puts the Lahti Symphony in your listening room.

Quote:


Yeah, right . Everyone has a different "best." I'd encourage you to read the threads here, and in the Reviews and 300B fora to get an idea of what other people like and what they don't. Spoiler, some people will like and others will dislike pretty much any tube out there. But I wouldn't necessarily run out to buy a bunch of driver tubes tomorrow, see below.

Quote:


Short answer, probably yes. There are actually two different burn ins you need to consider. The first is the amp, do you know (approximately) how many hours it has on it? A brand new Decware amp can sound pretty funky for the first hundred or so hours, after that the changes and improvement are pretty slow and gradual. A bigger thing in my experience is the 300B tubes can take hundreds of hours to burn in. I had bargain Chinese 300Bs that took about 200 hours to sound their best, and Japanese 300Bs that took fully 500. So, I would definitely give it a while before you start seriously comparing the SQ. Another thing you will find by reading other posters experience, with the 300B and other amps, is a number of them are underwhelmed on first (and often second and third) listen, but after a few days/weeks/whatever they realize how great Decware amps sound. Good luck with your journey and keep us posted with your progress.

Bob Wilber and Bechet Legacy "Live At The Vineyard" Challenge cd

Bob and Randy are a great pairing and I'm enjoying this drummer-less quartet.

Bass – John Goldsby
Guitar – Mike Peters
Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Bob Wilber
Trumpet – Randy Sandke

Hello,

So the position of my Sarah 300B necessitates a new interconnect…

Currently I am using Silversmith Fidium, which are fantastic. And the top of the line Anticable Heliix, which is interesting but not as vivacious as the Silversmith….


I like the idea of getting another exotica interconnect, to experiment with the sound with my primary source (nagra streamer and holoaudio DAC)….

…. SO.. what is the word on the Decware DSREX Silver Reference Extreme?

Thanks!
R.

This is really exciting. Any chance of getting an A/B sound test with and without the dynagrid attached?

Below is a link to a short video of the DynaGrid Jr. being installed on a TORII Jr.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/f1f204_7c278aef64454bcaa2d6b7231374721a/1080p/...

Steve

Hello,

So I have hooked up my Sarah 300B, and I immediately needed to swap out two tubes that weren’t working.

The Input Tube by Crytone was not working, so I swapped out for a Mullard NOS, a Radiotechnic, and then I think the BugleBoy Amperex sounded best.

But then only one channel worked, and after swapping back and forth I realized it was the Driver Tube by Crytone. Luckily I had the original Chinese set, which I’m now running.


And so… First Question: What is the best Driver Tube I can get to replace the stock tubes?

Second question… my very first impression on mostly fresh tubes and a nearly mint amp, is that it isn’t as dramatic a step up from my Prima Luna Dialogue HP with Ray Tubes and Radiotechnic gain tubes…. Will burn in of the amp yield dramatic changes?

Also, the overall volume is a bit quieter that the Prima Luna, which is to be expected.

It’s a gorgeous machine, and there are hints so far that surpass my previous amp…. Will need to be patient as it “seasons”….

So, Any Suggestions on the best driver tubes for the 300B Sarah?

Thanks,
Richard

First, Donnie, I’m so glad they found it early.  Second, I greatly appreciate your positive attitude about the situation and gratitude for your life thus far, that’s a very healthy perspective to have and keep as you battle your cancer.

For me, I’d say the purchase I made this year that had the most impact was my Rega P3 RS TT.  Granted, it was much more than a couple hundred bucks. But like PTT, that purchase started me on the path to the world of Decware as I was encouraged to replace my forty year old Cerwin Vega speakers with a pair of Klipsch Forte IVs.

After hearing the significance of the SQ coming out of the Fortes, I got curious about replacing my forty year old Onkyo SS amp and once I stumbled upon the infamous Steve Guttenberg video of the UFO25, I began my journey with the wonderful world of Decware tube gear!

Long story just a bit longer, I was fortunate to find a previously enjoyed UFO25 and I haven’t looked back!  It brought me here to this fine community of Decware enthusiasts who are so gracious with their advice, suggestions and great deals on gently used gear.

I’ve been on a bit of a tear since April, adding room treatments, speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, a ZP3, ZSB, and have several items on both amplifier lists.  So, maybe my post doesn’t quite fit with your theme Tony, but it’s been such a fantastic journey so far.

Duke Ellington "Volume 4, 1928" Masters of Jazz Media 7 cd



Fantastic music from before the Big Crash.

Donnie, my heart skipped a beat when I read your post. Thank God it was found early.  Stay strong and know that you have the prayers and goodwill of this audio community behind you. You will beat this.

John and JHC—Thx for your kind words.

Thx Gentlemen—-really appreciate your kind words.

Brother Jack McDuff, George Benson "The Legendary 1963–64 Concerts" Finger Poppin' 2 cd set, disc 1



https://propermusic.com/cdn/shop/files/8436563185373_7B02_7D.jpg?v=1719326832&wi...
dth=1200

Sorry to hear the news from Donnie and Kamran. I haven't had any direct communication with you two but have enjoyed and learned from your posts for years.

My system underwent some major changes this year including new speakers and a phono preamp. But the one small purchase that gives me a lot of joy is an Ursa Major record brush. Due to the tariffs they are hard to get now (made in Germany) but I found one on eBay. There are probably better brushes or even better ways of cleaning, but this one is robust, compact, and matches the finish of my turntable. The ritual of dusting off an album before playing is one of my favorites.

Ruby Braff "I Hear Music" Arbors cd

A great swinging date with a tight band.

Bass – John Beal
Tenor sax - Tommy Newsom
Cornet – Ruby Braff
Drums – Tony Denicola
Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli
Piano – Bill Charlap
Vocals – Daryl Sherman (one track)

Recorded July 28, 2000.

COLD. It's going to be one of those winters (as I keep finding myself thinking and repeating to myself).

Starting a day listeninig as Lucinda takes her first nap. . . a disc I haven't heard long enough for it to be a joy to me after decades of listening to it. And in my favorite edition: a JVC XRCD in lp facsimile. There's just a deeper soundstage to this mastering, and little details that reveal texture. . . I love the sound of this disc.

Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet LP facsimile XRCD

Donnie, so sorry to read of this. Good news that it is caught at stage 1. I know you'll BATTLE and WIN.

Excellent post Tony! Purchasing pieces for the gutted DJ rig has to be a highlight for me this year with audio gear. It is now complete and ready for use at the coming party.

Kam sorry to hear of your loss buddy. Time will heal the void created. I do at times look at family photos the parents took. It does bring back good memories and feelings of those times. The sorrow will be short lived. My dad passed in 1998 and mom 2013.

Sorry to hear of your situation Donnie. Wishing you the very best outcome with your fight. Keep your head up and stay strong. Really enjoyed your sense of humor and projects here.

Buying lunch for my son and daughter-in-law earlier this month. We learned grandchild #3 is expected in April, 2026!

Donnie, I wish you strength and revolve in your cancer treatment fight. Stay positive and keep enjoying your creative audio builds, as well as the music!

HK

Geometry Dash Lite I agree with your own conclusion in EDIT3 — using a common hardware trigger is usually the cleanest solution. If you can clock both the ADC and the I2S/SAI interface from the same master timer (or let the external codec be the master and slave everything else to it), you avoid the phase drift problem entirely instead of trying to compensate for it in software.

Donnie,

My heart sank when I read your last paragraph. I wish you nothing but the best in treatment and recovery. Finding it early gives you and us great hope.

Your wit, humor, and determination will carry you through this.

Your insights and contributions on this forum are much appreciated. I look forward to many more in the future.

Thanks for sharing it!

Congrats

ok, I have a same problem!

Yes, reply it!

For me it’s 100% the second hand SE84 that I purchased while waiting for a ZMA (5 waiting list pages to go)
Before the 84 I was a pseudo Decware owner with just cables in my rig
The little amp is a total revelation and has cemented my long term goal in the ZMA

Well dang, Donnie. Maybe that finger was just getting you ready for the next step. I don’t think you’ve built enough speakers yet to leave this world.

But in all seriousness, I’m rooting for you. The medical profession is pretty amazing these days and I think a lot of folks here will have your back.

Well it has been a good/bad your for me also.

Starting with the good:

Cheap wise, my Fiio K11 R2R DAC is crazy good for $175. It rivels my beloved Denafrips Ares 2, well within 5% less good.
My new Ampapa D1 amplifier, great fun and it has meters!

Expensive wise, well my outrageously good Angela-Gilbert Yeung i807 amplifier, probably the best sounding amp that I've ever heard. It hasn't let me down soundwise at any time!

Bad:
Well this one is hard to say, but I was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I visited the cancer doctor today and he says since it was caught early (stage 1) that there is a great chance that it can be cured. Hopefully so, but if not I've had a hell of a good life!

Bob Dylan “New Morning” Mobile Fidelity Lab SACD

Daaaaamn this sounds great.

My condolences to you and your family, Kamran.

Mike

Sorry for your loss, Kamran.

All the best,
Randy

It's been an awful year for me in many ways, probably the worst of the decade except three years ago when my Dad died. But there have been some great audio moments I must confess.

I think the most important audio purchases have been my Verafi Audio Line Noise Black Holes and Snub Station Zeros. (I think I ordered them at just the right time, as I didn't have the waiting issues that others have). They have really given me a step towards total silence in my system and have allowed me to move the PS Audio P15 in my main system to my audio visual system, and to sell the P10 that was in that system. I think these may be system dependent as they have not been as successful apparently in some system as they have been in mine--especially after I realized how they respond to isolation treatment and dialed that in--but boy I am happy to have them.

Yes, great idea for a thread, Tony.

What a year it has been. Decware delivered my SEWE300B this year (I struggle to call it “Sarah” too, Lon). Most of the year I’ve had purchases focused on killing the hum, a topic I have exhausted on this forum and will leave behind. The take-away should be this is the best music has ever sounded to me.

2025 was a move for me- to the place I will probably die. This new home was my purchase of the year. It checks all the boxes for my wife and I. Physical and mental health benefits aside, I will say it’s the quietest and best sounding listening space I have ever had. As I sit typing this my tubes are warming up and my db meter is reading 26 db. I have modest treatment and the space is almost dead flat except for a mode at 150db that I am fighting. I am in the process of addressing through a targeted diaphragmatic absorption project built into the walls that I hope to have completed before the new year.

I consider myself tremendously lucky and I am gracious for the life I have every day, and wish the same serenity and peace to all; if you haven’t found it yet may 2026 be your year.

"Michel Camilo Trio Live at the Blue Note" Chesky 2 cd set, disc 1

There's a second cd volume from Japan, and a two cd set from the US. . . . Great music!

My condolences Kamran.

I'm glad you have fond memories of your father to look back on and cherish. They say time heals all wounds, but I imagine that's easier said than done and I doubt can ever fully heal, especially for someone as close as a parent. I wish you the best in your journey onward from this point. You will smile again when you eventually reminisce.

My parents are 89 and 87 and it's hard not to think of the inevitable outcome of life. I've been spending as much time with them as I can and I'm looking forward to the Christmas/Holiday season. Thanks for bringing this up and reminding me that it's all about family.

Looking forward to your updates whenever they may come.

I’ve been enjoying this album on my Torii and Bookshelf speaker combo through Roon.   If you like Stanley Turrentine, then album will not disappoint.  I love it so much I’m going to seek it out on vinyl.  

I had 2 relatively inexpensive purchases that fit the bill of bang for the buck this year.

One being the SDFB (with copper sluggos and Piggy's). Two actually. I was able to buy both used from HockessinKid. Great value (felt good to not pay new prices!) and great performance. The bass really tightened up amongst other things, and the unexpected benefit was the chassis near the IEC outlet on my modified (MWI) streamer/DAC where the fuse is located was cool to the touch instead of pretty warm. I guess proof of the unrestricted flow of power to feed the extra iron in this modded unit. The bang here comes from the fact that I'm able to service 4 components with these two SDFB's. The CSP3 and UFO25 are serviced by one and the Zrock2 and Cambridge Audio streamer/DAC by the other. (3A and 1A respectively)

The other one being the Carver C-9 as others have mentioned. For the relatively low purchase cost and very reasonable refurbish cost from 4krow it is definitely worth the money for the results I got. Just adds the cherry on top of the Great Decware components.

Actually, I'll add a third, and since it cost $0 it may be the biggest bang so to speak. Various music titles sent to me by Paul (red pill sanctuary) when I first bought the C-9 to help me discover what the unit could do. He sent 32 CDs of various formats (LPCD, HDCD, K2HD) as well as FLAC. He copied various titles and genres from his library and since music is what it's all about, I guess that probably should be tops on the list. I still need to elaborate on what I'm hearing with respect to those different formats but that's for another post. I can't seem to pull myself away from the listening sessions to opine ... lol .. Thanks again Paul!

Nice thread and Merry Christmas all. (I hope Santa finishes off the audio year in style for everyone)

"Pee Wee's Song--The Music of Pee Wee Russell" Arbor cd. This is one of my favorite discs. Nominally led I think by Bobby Gordon who captures the essence of Pee Wee on his clarinet, it also features two other favorite musicians of mine, Marty Grosz on guitar and Dan Barrett on trombone. And the music has that wonderful Pee Wee quirkiness so well rejuvenated in killer sound.

Great thread Tony! This is hard because I have several but for the purpose of this post, I will focus on some high value examples:

1) 1950’s vintage RCA 5U4G Rectifier-for $20 bucks, this has been an amazing performer.  Another tube example is a pair of Natural Sound 6CA7-TII output tubes. Love them (closing on 500hrs).  Honorary mention to the Potato Masher —- also one heck of a recti and from a value perspective, priceless, as it was a gift from Lon!

2) GCube Grounding Box—-this brought a nice change for not too much money. I plan to get another one in 2026.

3) Grand Activation PC—-that is a fantastic PC that didn’t cost an arm and a leg.  Groovy made me two of these—my first DIY cables!

Kam, so sorry to hear of your father's passing. I know how difficult that is. . . It seems you still have your Mom which is a great blessing. I lost my Mom first, and when my Dad passed eight years later it was even more devastating. I know you have a loving family to bolster you. that's a blessing. All the best to all of you. That was a neat system your family had. I will be happy to hear improvements to your system when you are ready. Have a great holiday season.

I know it’s been a while and there have been significant changes to the rig. As I was thinking about when/how to share my progress, a personal tragedy occurred. Exactly a month ago, my father passed away.  Took a hiatus from HiFi for almost two weeks and even when I started, my heart wasn’t in it.  That said, it has become comparatively easier to cope as of late and yet another change has pulled me back in, helping with the healing process.

One of the things we have been doing as a family is digging up old family videos and pictures.  Perusing through those, I spotted a vintage HiFi setup that I didn’t recognize. My mom explained that this was our first system in the early 1980’s and we had it for a year or two before selling it.

Therefore, I dedicate this post to my dad and to show off his rig.  My updates can wait.

Behold the Weltron Model 2005 (on the right), a complete system with both vinyl and 8-track deck and speakers.  Not sure about the specifics of the amplifier.  Ours was in Yellow though.



Love the space-age/Jetson’s vibe.  Picture cropped from a Facebook ad where the OP had both models (2005 and 2007) for sale.  The 2007, introduced later, had a cassette deck instead of the 8-track.

Here is what the Yellow one looked like (although, this is the 2007 model):



I envy the lucky family who bought this—-would’ve been a cool vintage piece to own now.

I guess the bug was planted early!

Rest in peace Dad…

Great thread, Tony! I made one bigger change this past year, that gave big results and that was the Space Tech Labs STR. Otherwise, my purchases have been more on records and different tube types. For me there were three tubes that really had great impact. First was the Mullard EL822/CV2382 output tubes, with Deyans tube adapters, which were wired to convert to similar pinout of a 6P15P, to make use of the Hazen Grid mod. Second was the Shuguang Natural Sound 845T, which has become my favorite 845 and lastly the 4B32 types, including the Philips DCX4-5000.

Quote:


Fully balanced DACs like your May and my Denafrips (probably Lon's too) do separate digital to analog conversions for each of the 4 phases of a balanced signal: the plus and minus phases of the left and right channel. The two phases, plus ground is why balanced XLR cables have 3 connections. When you difference the two phases, in theory it cancels out the digital artifacts from the conversion, as well as the common mode noise that has historically been the reason to run balanced. And this (at least theoretically) is higher sound quality.

So the the question about the ZBIT is two fold: first is how does the May convert the balanced signal to single ended to output on the RCA jacks? I don't know, but the most common way is to just use the positive phase and throw out the negative. Which means you'd only be using half the DAC for which you paid. The ZBIT does it right, it uses a transformer to difference the plus and minus phases and gives you a single ended signal that includes all DAC for which you paid.

The other question is how much do you care? I run my digital signal fully balanced to the speakers, and while it is hard to do an apples to apples comparison because of cables, for me the difference was enough to buy two amps instead of one. My journey is longer than I need to include in this post, but long story short I found out early on, before balanced DACs, that balanced in general made a big difference in my system and balanced made a noticeable difference with my current DAC. But that is very much JMO/FWIW/YMMV.

Agree, this is a great topic. For me, probably the biggest impact and certainly the biggest bang-for-the-buck was getting 4B32 Xeon rectifiers for my STR. The only other "gear" I bought was the Gcube "grounding box." It is a nice upgrade to my digital front end for a few hundred dollars, but not as big as the tubes.

I will say my plan for this year (and hopefully every year going forward) is to spend more on music than on "stuff." And I succeeded. The music is really the biggest upgrade to my system, and the thing that makes me excited to listen.

Back further in time. . . Bix Beiderbecke "Jazz Tribune" RCA 2 cd disc 1

Hi Tony and nice thread topic.  Hopefully many will join in to share.  
I agree with you on the wonderful Carver C-9.  What a nice find for a couple hundred dollars.  Granted not all recordings sound better with the C-9 but some are just jaw dropping and many seem good with or without it engaged Besides the SQ it keeps me busy getting up and down pushing buttons 🤣.

Another purchase I made this year that is absolutely stunning was getting my first Type 45 Amp.  I purchased 2022 Alan Eaton 45 Mono’s for $1200 with 3+ sets of tubes locally.  I realized this isn’t  necessarily low cost but for mono’s that sound this good it is a crazy deal.  Every time I listen I am surprised how good these monos sound for how simple, compact, light and with only 3 tubes per block.  Music is so real sounding, 3D/holographic and just floats throughout the room.  

Who’s next? 👂

Cold, snowy morning. Had a nice leisurely breakfast with one of my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws . . . well the food was not great but the company was. . . and now after a few episodes of Project Runway All Stars wtih my wife I'm in front of the system for the first time of the day.

Starting off with

Marcus Printup "Unveiled" Blue Note cd

Here's my two cents. . . .

If your DAC output is 2 volts single-ended or above, I don't think you really NEED a ZBIT. I bought a ZBIT because at the time my DAC output was about 1.3 volts single-ended, and I needed the 2.6 volts or so balanced XLR output for my Decware amps, using the DAC volume. When I moved up the chain to the manufacturer's new model DAC and its single-ended voltage output was 2 volt I really didn't NEED the ZBIT any longer but my best cabling was XLR from the DAC and it made sense to just keep the ZBIT in place. It still is and I really like it, but if I had one more set of the exact same single-ended interconnects (which cost more than the ZBIT) I could do without it I suppose. So if the voltage from the DAC is high enough I would say it's not a necessary addition to the system.

As for a preamp--the SEWE300B / Sarah (for some reason I don't like to call it Sarah) amplifier has in my opinion the perfect preamp stage built into it and I used a fully-modded CSP3 preamp for a while but found it was just not necessary--it created a super dense sound, and I love the density of my system (with a ZROCK3) but prefer the sound of the system without a preamp. So if you have the requisite voltage and your DAC remote volume control is great, you can forego a preamp with the SEWE300B.

Just how the implementation of the SEWE300B has evolved in my system over the last two and almost a half years.

2025 is almost over, and whew, what a year for buying and selling gear.

I was reflecting on the one low-cost purchase of the year that surprised me the most. I have one in mind, but I thought this might make a good question to ask the Decware community.

What one relatively low-cost purchase did you make in 2025 that brought you the most listening satisfaction? What did you add to your system that delivered the most bang for the buck?

For me, it was the Carver C-9. I cannot remember who first brought it to my attention; most likely, it was “4krow,” who rebuilds these units from time to time and sells them, or from the descriptions of “red pill sanctuary.”

The C-9 is a little peculiar, and it can be finicky. It may not be right for all listeners, but if you spend a number of hours each evening in the same chair as I do, it can knock your socks off. A relatively low-cost addition that has had a large positive impact on my listening enjoyment.

Did you make a similar positive addition to your system in 2025?