I picked up a Pontus II with 12th anniversary mods for cheap.  He’s blowing out his Denafrips inventory.  

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Totally agree. Also a good idea to have (several) spare fuses on hand.

Welcome to the forum and Decware family abhishek,

Great advice and information so far here. I'll just expand on a couple of things.

The Eversolo puts out 2.6 volts through RCA and double that through XLR's. The UFO2.1 only needs 1.5 volts to come to full power. (unless your custom one is different). The bass distortion could easily be coming from clipping the amp. It seems to track with the fact you can only bring the volume control on the UFO2.1 to about 66% before distortion could start. As mentioned, you could engage the volume control on the Eversolo and reduce it down a little and maybe raise the gain on the UFO. Play with reducing one and raising the other and vice versa to see what you prefer. You may find that raising the gain on the UFO and lowering the gain on the Eversolo may be just the ticket.
You could certainly check that the speaker wires aren't reversed at the speaker terminal or that they're not too close to the wall (being rear ported) for causes of distortion, but I doubt that's the case.

I concur that a tube preamp would allow you to really tailor the sound. You could even consider adding a ZBIT to really take advantage of the 5.2v output of the Eversolo's XLR's. The Eversolo, ZBIT, CSP3 (25'th or w/A-mods) and your future Torii/ZMA would be a force to be reckoned with!  

Gary Peacock Trio "Eastward" Sony HiFiCD

Gary Peacock (bass) Masaaki Kikuchi (piano) Hiroshi Murakami (drums)

Man, he was a master player and a deep musical mind. And this is a very interesting recording. In the Keith Jarrett Trio "exploratory mode" tradition.

Gotcha.  I do have a backup rectifier tube so I will swap that in when I change the fuse.

Usually when one of these fuses fails it is the rectifier at fault. Steve says about the SEWE300B that is really the only way a fuse blows (though there is only the main fuse in this amp). When I had Zen amps and in my preamps with the fuses under the chassis it is always the rectifier that blows the fuse. Sometimes it is okay, usually it has failed or is about to fail. It is ALWAYS A GREAT IDEA to have a full replacement tube complement to test after failures.

By the way, is a blown fuse concerning?  Is it caused by a bad tube or something like that?  Or it's just something that happens every now and then?

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Couldn't agree more!  Just found out first hand what a difference the room makes, not that I didn't know about this I just didn't experience it to this degree till now.

Bought an old house and started to restore it.  My sound room is 16'x11.5'x7'8".  Actual height was 7' but I took down the drywall and stuffed 6" safe&sound rockwool in the joist spaces with an acoustic tile surface mounted.  It's not finished yet.  At this stage just speaking in this room shows how pleasant it is without the echo that's present in the adjoining room.  Listening is effortless, in fact I can't stand being in the adjoining room, going to have to do something about that.

Oh yeah, Home Depot. Hate that place, but they are getting a lot of my money of late with a kitchen remodel.

Hi Abhishek. Welcome and congrats on your new Decware amp. CAJames gave great advice, but I’ll try to add my 2 cents.

First, I took a look at the photo in the email for the auction and concur. The two in the back are likely the speaker impedance switch’s and should be mirrored. You can adjust while listening to hear which setting you prefer. The front two are likely the source selector and input tube bias switch. This is my speculation. If you still have trouble, I recommend a call to Steve to confirm.

I connect my Eversolo to a Decware preamp, so use the volume pass through and adjust gain/volume between the CSP3 and amp. You can try both ways and play around with the variable output on the streamer to see if you hear a difference adjusting the streamer down and the amp up or vice versa. Turning off the pass though does allow you to control volume remotely.

I have a REL sub connected to my UFO25 using high level connections. I also use Omega speakers (SAM’s). The Omegas go pretty deep in my room, but the sub definitely helps to fill in the bottom down to 30hz and gives some more “atmosphere”. You’ll need to play around with placement and crossover and gain settings on the sub to get it to pair seamlessly. Once you get those magic settings, it truly does enhance the experience greatly. I use banana plugs for the speaker connections and spades to connect the REL to the amp. Red cable to right positive and yellow to left positive. Connect the one black wire to either of the negative posts. The issue you will likely have is loud hum from the sub. The Zen amp outputs are not connected to ground, so to correct the hum issue you will need to use a jumper cable to connect the two negative posts together. This should fix the hum. You may want to revisit the subs crossover/gain settings once you have the Omegas and they have a couple hundred hours of play on them.

I suppose the distortion at 66% volume is clipping. Steve outlines this in the UFO2 manual, indicating that with 2 volts out from the source, which I believe is what the Eversolo outputs using the RCA connections, the amp will clip at 2/3 volume. Earlier than that with more voltage from the source. Checking the meters as James outlined is good advice.

Spend some time to get familiar with your system as it is now and read up on other options for next steps. I agree that a tube preamp would be an excellent next step. I lived without mine for a month in April and realized how much it brings to my own system.
LB

Thanks guys.  Literally like changing a battery...

Certainly Amazon, but e.g. Home Depot usually has them as well if you want to drive.

I agree there is no "right" answer--the room is likely the biggest factor in differences, and then seating position.

My listening room is (9' x 24' and then further back is another 12' that incorporates a stairwell going down and is another 6' wide). I sit about ten feet from the speakers. Odd shaped room, no treatment allowed other than book cases, guitar amps, bed, chairs, etc.

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If you're up for it try the Cryotone 12AU7-Long Plate (with an adapter) in the input position of the UFO25.  The VR the for the input in my UFO25 is a Raytheon OC3W

Your set up is very similar to what mine was.  The speakers I'm running are the Omega Vintage 8.

Hi Artman,

Many thanks for posting your observations .....

What you are describing matches very well with what i am hearing in my room, but it's always good to have verification from another music lover.

Happy listening,
Randy

Just go down to the Radio Shack. . . oh. . . .

Yeah, amazon is likely your best bet. Once upon a time I could get a few fuse types at Guitar Center, but probably not this value.

Ok I pulled out the right one it is definitely blown.  Rating looks like 500 mA 250V. Where do you guys buy replacements?  Amazon?

The fuse on the right looks blown to me. I would replace that and see what happens. I am pretty sure 200ma is the value.

Maybe. The one of the left looks like a ceramic fuse to me, which is just a different type. If anything the one on the right looks a little sus to me. But, unless you have a multimeter, it is almost impossible to tell for sure if the fuses are good. At this point you might as well replace both the left and right. I think they are 200 or 250 mA, if you take them out you might be able to read the rating.

Ok unscrewing the face plate was easy.  I'm not sure what I am looking for.  Here are two pictures.  In the second it does look like the set of three fuses for the rectifier has something going on with the one on the left.  Is that it?



 

Been thinking about this for a few days and one of these days I'm going to put the full Cryotone compliment in and see what happens. For now I'm running a mixed bag in the UFO25. Cryotone 5ar4, Crytone EL84, Amperex 7308, Raytheon OD3 and Sylvania OB3. It's a close toss up between the Cryotone ECC88-WC and the Amperex 7308, both sound great and I haven't figured out which I like best yet.

Lon, very interesting that in your narrow room setup you prefer others over Cryotone. My room is similar 13' ish x 22' ish with speakers along the long wall. With the speakers pulled out from the wall and my chair pulled out I'm right about 6 feet from the plane of the drivers. When I had more Cryotone tubes in the UFO25 I envisioned the sound as a capital P. From mid mids and up the sound was very forward, right up to my face and aggressive, without the Cryo VR tubes the sound became more balanced, smooth and relaxed and less of a P. My room is treated. Could be something to using the Cryotone tubes in a smaller setting vs a larger, open space?

In any case, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer in using all Cryotone vs mixing it up and choosing other tubes. Synergy, to me, is one of the great wonders and challenges of the world. Whatever works for each of us, enjoy it!

Yes, most people do it themselves. But, if you aren't comfortable my advice is don't push it. Talk to Steve.

Is replacing the fuses something I can do myself?  I'd rather not mess around with the amp if I need to send it to Steve either way.

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Without the OA3 tubes lighting up you are guaranteed not to have any sound. The question is what happened. It is possible, but seems unlikely, that they both failed today. I think it is more likely there was a problem with the rectifier, which either blew the rectifier fuses (they are on the underside of the amp top plate), the rectifier itself or both. You'll need to check the rectifier fuses, if you aren't confident doing that I suggest a call to Steve and he can talk you through it. If the rectifier lights up it is probably OK, but it sounds like you have a replacement regardless.

The main fuse is in the housing for the power cord, but because the tubes are alight that main fuse is fine.

Unscrewing the chassis from the base you will find a board underneath with three fuses. From your description one of the three fuses there or two of them has blown. Replacing the fuse(s) may restore the amp to listening status.

I don't know how to do that...

Right. It's a version of the 12AU7 type. Here is the description from the Brent Jesse site:

E80CC / 6085:This unusual European tube is basically an industrial type 6085. However, it's specs are similar enough to a 12AU7 that audiophiles are grabbing them up while the prices are still reasonable. The heater life is rated at 10,000 hours, and some have gold pins. The larger box plate structure gives this tube low microphonics and silky smooth sonics. Some of the Philips Holland versions had the rare pinched waist, where the glass dips inward and actually molds around the top mica plate, giving the plates extra support and virtually eliminating microphonics. There is also a version made at the Amperex factory in Hicksville, NY, which is often priced lower but looks the same and sounds very similar to the Holland version. Since this tube has a much higher Gm and Mu factor than a 12AU7, the gain is going to be greater and this tube will give a more forward presentation. Awesome in phase splitter applications. If in doubt, check with your amp or preamp manufacturer to see if this tube will work OK in your application. This tube is also about twice as tall as a 12AU7, so installation space in your chassis is a consideration as well. These are out of production, rare, and getting very hard to find. The European types usually command the top prices, but USA types exist as the 6085 and should be a bit lower in cost, but they are also rare and climbing in price. Many USA tubes were actually made by the European factories, so watch for the 6085 USA brands!

Have you checked all fuses?

Well,

I've been enjoying this amp for the past few months.  Really great sound.  Today, I turned on the amp and the tubes appear to all light up but there is no sound coming from the speakers.  Except the OA3 tubes.  Those aren't flickering or lighting up at all, and do not get warm.  Those are the only two tubes I don't have a replacement for.  I've ordered a pair, but in the meantime, anything think the issue could be something else?

Typically when I power on the amp there is a faint humming sound, like the amp is gearing up, followed by the hum I mentioned above activating after 10 seconds or so.  None of that is happening now.  The amp is silent.  Not sure what that means.  I have a call scheduled with Steve for next week but any other insight is appreciated!

Just a quick note on the 6085 tube. It uses the same voltage as the 12AU7, 12.6V when wired in parallel and 6.3 when in series. My source is tube-data.com.

I'm divided on my opinion with this. . . imo it depends.

In my large living room/dining room space with my audio/visual system all but one tube (a rectifier in the amp) is Cryotone and with the ZBIT and ZROCK2 there and the CSP3 preamp with all the mods I can get a great sound out of that system. The large room lets the sound develop and there is enough power to do so without strain thanks to the amazing HR-1 speakers.

In my main system a full complement of Cryotone tubes was just. . . too much for me. Too much high end energy and a certain lower treble presence that I just don't enjoy. I sit closer to the speakers here, and the room is long and narrow with the system at one narrow end (by necessity). In this system a non-Cryotone tube in my ZROCK2 and with non-Cryotone tubes in the voltage regulation spots and the rectifier and output tubes is just the right combination--that odd lower treble presence is mitigated by a stronger mid-range, and there is less high frequency energy in general, a good thing for my room and tastes.

Toshiko Akiyoshi SWR Big Band "Let Freedom Swing"  2 cd set, disc 1

Welcome to the club AB!

Let me see if I can help with some of your questions.

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I'm guessing because I don't know what you're looking at, but hopefully this is an educated guess. One is certainly the input selector, and the one across from it is the bias selector for the input tube. When the amp is on flip it and you will hear a "pop" and the sound will change. The pop is harmless. The other two are the output impedance selector. They should be set the same, and may or may change the sound noticeably. With the bias and impedance there is no "right" answer, use what sounds the best.

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Again there is no right answer, you should do what works for you. You may find that using the pass through sounds better, but is a trade off on convenience.

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I don't subwoofer so I'm less help here, but yes start with just plug into the binding posts. There may be hum and there are many threads in the fora about how to deal with it, I think it is by jumpering the two black speaker outputs together, but better to find the answer from someone who's done it.

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Could be lots of things. For sure once you have 50 to 100 hours on the amp things will likely sound different/better. You can check the meters (assuming you have them) when the sound is distorted, are needles dancing around? If so the  amp is clipping, i.e. maxed out. Or I guess it could be the speakers, although that seems less likely, you could try the other impedance setting (see 1 above). Certainly a sub would likely improve the situation, but I would reevaluate once you have more time on the amp.

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There is an enormous amount of wisdom in these fora, I would suggest spending time reading a lot of posts if you haven't done so already. As for gear, for me personally I couldn't imagine having a system without a tube preamp.

Please keep us updated as your journey progresses.

Another great reissue from Muzak Japan.

"Serge Chaloff Plays The Fable of Mabel" Storyville/Muzak Japan cd



I also have this session on the Serge Chaloff Mosaic box set, both in LP and cd format.

Alto Saxophone – Charlie Mariano
Baritone Saxophone – Serge Chaloff
Bass – Ray Oliveri
Drums – Jimmy Zitano
Piano – Dick Twardzik
Tenor Saxophone – Vardi Haritounian
Trombone – Gene DiStachio
Trumpet – Herb Pomeroy, Nick Capazutto

I have an RP3 with the Reference Subplatter, as well as the other Groovetracer mods: the counterweight, the Delrin Platter and the record weight. (It also has the latest White belt, the TTPSU and the Exact2 cartridge). Each Groovetracer mod was an improvment, the Subplatter the biggest, then the Delrin platter.

Recently I decided to upgrade my Caintuck baffles for my Fast15 drivers. I contacted Randy and within a week he had a pair of Cherry Magnum baffles headed out to me. Below is just a before/after comparison of the more noted changes.

The first thing that I noticed was the sound came across much more relaxed and easier to listen for an extended time. The second most noticeable thing was most of the excess brightness that I was trying to eliminate from my system was gone. The third was the bass was not as subjectively loud, yet was also cleaner, deeper and more visceral. My conclusion was the thicker Magnum baffles eliminate a number of vibrations that allow the Fast15’s to continue to show their strengths as quick and efficient full range speaker drivers. The Magnum’s really allow the Fast15’s to shine.

I don't have firsthand experience with Groovetracer products on Rega tables outside the P3, but I think it's telling that they offer products for all Rega tables up to and including the P8 but not for the P10.

My guess is that it's diminishing returns as you go up the Rega product line. The Groovetracer in the P3 was a huge upgrade though - a real game changer.

My experience with adding Cryotone tubes in my 25th anniversary amp is that as I added Cryotone tubes to replace my stock tubes, the background was blacker and quieter with each addition. It was blackest with all Cryotone tubes in the amp. Over time, I've been associating this blackness with a lower level of noise within the signal. As I have been upgrading my system, there is a correlation between the lower noise floor and greater detail and resolution.

The other thing I would add is to buy both sets of rectifiers and power tubes. With changes, you might prefer the other set and still maintain that black background and resolution that the Cyrotone's provide.

Thanks mrchipster. I am always glad to hear if folks find my posts to be useful. I guess for me, the exploration of very good quality home audio is awakening mostly because it is a catalyst to deeper and deeper immersion experiences, with a lot of natural harmonics, medicine to me. But also, the creative exploration of system and room refinement toward that end are immersive, the exploration putting me in a focussed and relatively meditative mode that, with less sort of chaotic things filling mind, there is more space for insight and associated discovery.

I am glad to see your posts also, how careful you are to tell your experiences with clarity and completeness...I could say the same to you as you did about my posts... appreciating your attention to trying to help us clearly understand what you hear and how that happens.  

It is interesting to me, as long as we audio heads have been around, how so many terms and ideas are so often interpreted and felt differently. This seems to support issues with finding guidance that is understandable and inclusive of the "whys" and "hows" something is "good" or "bad," to me a lot of what these forums are about...vehicles to help each other find ways to improve our musical experiences. For me, especially as my system/room gets into deeper refinement, what "helps" has to fit in a narrower window. So without some clarity in descriptions and descriptors, something being "good," or "bad," or similar, does not help me decide if it might help in my specific setup.  So I really appreciate you for being clear about how your use of sound refining "pre-stages" works for you... and part of that, the new to me, but very interesting, use of your ZBIT as a gain reduction device, while getting sonic improvements from that and from the transformers.

I, on the other hand, depend on it for its higher gain ranges from the DAC, maybe a little more like the CSP3 in particular, enjoying its ability to enhance and fine tune density, space, dynamics, clarity with gain tuning.... It is a lot of fun!

I second what Dan said. Beautiful setup, this!

Also curious: Do the GrooveTracer mods only apply up to a P3 or are they equally as compelling higher up the Rega chain?

Beautiful Table!  I wish I was closer. Good luck with the sale.

Ecco Trio — America ... CD
Fontec (Japan), 1992

The Ecco Trio – Junko Ohtsu on violin, Evelyn Elsing on cello, and Colette Valentine on piano – performs music by Gershwin, Strayhorn, Joplin, Mingus, and Heilman.

Billie Holiday “Love Songs” Columbia cd

Another excellent Storyville/Muzak Japan cd reissue.

Joe Newman "Joe Newman and the Boys in the Band"



Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Fowlkes
Bass – Eddie Jones
Drums – Gus Johnson
Flute – Frank Wess
Guitar – Freddie Green
Organ – Joe Bailey
Piano – Joe Bailey
Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster, Frank Wess
Trombone – Henry Coker
Trumpet – Joe Newman

"Introducing Millie Vernon" Storyville/Muzak Japan cd

I'd never heard of Vernon, but with this band and as it's one of the superb reissues from Muzak Japan. . . I tried it out.

She reminds me of June Christy and Chris Connor. But with a different sense of swing and feel. Nice record!



Bass – Wyatt Reuther
Drums – Jo Jones
Guitar – Jimmy Raney
Piano – Dave McKenna
Trumpet – Ruby Braff
Vocals – Milli Vernon

Fellow Decware friends. I am a new entrant into this esteemed group, as a recipient of my first Decware amp; the ufo2.1, through Steve's latest auction. My excitement is beyond words, as this exact amp was that which I listened to when visiting Steve and Decware back in April, just prior to Axpona. Hands down, Steve's listening room was far superior to that of any Axpona room, and since then, I've been counting down the days of slow movement across the pages on the waitlist. I am still a few years out, however I am fortunate to have won the auction for the first tube amp I've ever listened to. Thank you Steve for your priceless contributions to this hobby.

To this community, I have a few simple questions; pardon my ignorance.

1. What are the 4 switches in front of the Input RCAs in my image? Since this is a custom piece, it looks different from the standard UFO2.1. I am pretty sure one set is the input selector but curious about the other. I wish I could share pics but I haven't reached my post count yet.

2. I currently have my Eversolo Dmp-A6 ME connected directly to the amp via RCA. Should I set my volume on the streamer to pass through to control the volume solely with the Amp?

3. How would I hook up a Rel subwoofer that uses a high level connection? Just plug in the spades to the binding posts?

4. The Klipsch 600M2 temporary as I wait for Omegas, however I was curious about the bass response. The bass seems quite distorted when I turn the volume know beyond 66% or so. Is that normal? I imagine this is more a limitation of the speakers, or does it get better with time, or a sub?

5. Any other word of advice you'd have for a first-timer? A ZRock? Other components to think about?

Of course I will remain in line for a Tori or ZMA down the line but I am at absolute peace and bliss with this one. Thank you all.

-AB

Purchased (turntable and cartridge) new in December 2021. Added the NEO Mk 2 power supply and Groovetracer reference subplatter a few months later, which was a noticeable upgrade. Both the cartridge and NEO (speed adjustment) were set up professionally by my local dealer.

The Hana EH has approximately 1400 – 1800 hours on it, and while I can’t confirm its overall lifespan, it sounds great to my ears. I would not be surprised if it lasts its next owner years of enjoyment before retipping or replacement.

This setup sounds fantastic, in my opinion, and I believe it rivals the Rega P6. My reason for selling is that I’ve upgraded to a Rega P10 – but I believe anyone could live happily with this turntable.

Includes:
• Original Rega subplatter (in Groovetracer box)
• Stock Rega black felt mat
• All original manuals, cables, and accessories included by Rega, Hana, and Groovetracer
• Original Rega P3 box
• Original Rega NEO Mk 2 box
• Hana EH Box
• Groovetracer Reference Subplatter box

Condition is 9.5/10 - No visible blemishes. It has been babied.

Buyer pays shipping or free pickup in the Los Angeles area.

Asking: $1100

So next week my daughter is in the play Grease Jr…needless to say this was her recent request on vinyl…

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I started my journey with Cryotone EL84-WC after Steve commented on his experience.  I mixed and matched and ended up with a full set in my UFO25.  My choice for the input tube was the Cryotone 12AU7-Long Plate.  For me there's no going back.

In fact when I eventually get the pair of UFO25's that I have on order, they'll have a full set of Cryotone tubes, already have a set waiting.  The only "itch" that I have and will scratch at some point is to try the 5U4G-WC and compare it to the 5AR4-WC-V2.

I've commented at length in past posts on my experience and that has earned me the nick name "Mr Freeze", deservedly so.

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I’m going onto give The Bells a listen tomorrow morning on my way down to the beach.  I shut down my PC earlier on, and just playing vinyl for the rest of the evening.  😁