Lon,

It took my CSP3 about 70 hours to settle in fully after the 25th Anniversary mods.  In addition to the strength you noted, I found additional clarity and a "greater sense of realism" to the music.

As some have noted with the 25th Anniversary amp and mono's, the music sounds like your at the recording microphone.  The soundstage is more forward then un-modified.  It will deepen and widen as you get more hours on it.

I just added a set of Isoacoustic Orea isolation devices under the CSP3-25 today, replacing some Herbie Tenderfeet.  They made a noticable improvement.  If you hook the preamp up to your mono's be careful, your ears will never be the same.

Happy listening during the break in period.

HK  

I am going to start a mantra for me and Decware: "You needn't worry."

My worries for the last purchases all vanished immediately upon receiving the units. The latest: I was worried that the ZTPRE to ZBIT to ZROCK2 to CSP3-25 to Monoblocks would be one or two components too many--needless worry; I was worried that the CSP3-25 wouldn't be good enough as a headphone amp to replace the Taboo Mk IV in my system--another needless worry.

As it's the weekend I've already switched over to headphone listening and I must say. . . wow, this is the best headphone amplifier I've ever owned or even imagined hearing. Before this was received my CSP2+ worked excellently for my Oppo PM-1 but the Taboo Mk IV was a better fit for the Audeze LCD-2. The CSP3-25 however is already a better fit for both headphones. There is a wider soundstage, and there is an increase in instrumental definition without in any way seeming "etched" . . . Dynamic contrast, volume level differences in instrument presentation, all these are the best I've heard. Pace is very present, but when mellowness is asked for, there it is.

I'd say that for a headphone system this preamp will not disappoint. It fits both of my headphones to a T!

Well, I am back to using OD3, a pair of Westinghouse bottle-shaped, in the Monoblocks and so I rolled some tubes in the CSP3-25. I'm really getting great sound with an orange globe Amperex 6DJ8 and two black anode 6N5P . . . nice balance of clarity and tonal accuracy.

I'm coming up on ten full days with the CSP3 with the Anniversary mods. . .and once warmed up this morning the sound is incredible! I'm sure I've hit the "first fully broken in" plateau with the preamp and the tube-rolling I've done (including the use of OD3 in the Monoblocks) has really born fruit--there is a dynamic openness to the sound along with copious detail that has given me a clearer window into the sound than I have ever enjoyed. In my system there are so many possible adjustments and I seem to have settled on gain settings and mode settings that have "nailed" the mojo--I'm going to try my best to not alter any of the factors!

Really the CSP3 and the Monoblocks are "one" and should be talked of that way. The Monoblocks are also so responsive to tube rolling and gain settings that you have to consider every element of the amplifiers in tandem with the preamp. I have to thank Juan (busterfree) for his experimentation with the OD3 that inspired me to try that tube type for the first time--wow, the Westinghouse brand I'm using now in particular gives just the right amount of dynamic punch and a hint of warm winds to the presentation. The treble control circuit is an absolute necessity at least with the ribbon tweeters in the HR-1s; they allow me to dial in just the right balance in concert with the ZROCK2.

I haven't set my system up for sound staging and what many call imaging (I think of imaging as the realistic presentation of instruments in their recorded space) BUT I'm getting the best examples of both of these playback aspects with the 25th Anniversary duo of amp and preamp. And I'm getting mesmerizing headphone listening as well with detail but such a natural and smooth character, and layers displayed.

Every time I get to a benchmark pinnacle of music reproduction like this I wish I had been able to get there from the start, and wish it would never end. (Though it does end, for some reason Steve and other audiophiles and builders manage to make it BETTER!). I'm just going to continue to be grateful for all the efforts that went into the gear I have and for the journey that has gotten me here, and I'm hoping to listen (and watch) as much as I can.

Ace, you're going to be very happy when your amp arrives. It will be well worth the wait. Joe Lazenby picked his up last week . . . and we haven't heard a peep from him on the forum yet! (I heard from him via email though, he's lost in the excellent sound!)

Won't be much longer now I bet. . . ever day brings you closer. And you have great sound now too. . . .

I'm sorry, I don't own a camera and I'm not a photographer. Even my phone does not have an out that I can remove a picture from to a PC.

The good news about this though is that the CSP3 with the 25th Anniversary mods looks EXACTLY like the CSP3 without the mods. All the modifications are inside. The voltage regulation tube, which is not an OC2 or any "O" series but a much smaller Russian tube, is in the underside, along with the Jupiter caps etc. that are the other modifications. (The voltage regulation tube is visible in the picture of the underside.)

I have the Jupiter Type II, copper foil caps, which I also have in the ZTPRE, ZROCK2, and SE84UFO3-25 Monoblocks and Taboo Mk IV. I like these! I have never tried V-Caps. . . in the past I read that they were brighter than I'd like, that may not have been accurate. Anyway I used the Type I beeswax caps in my CSP2+s and my Taboo Mk IIIs before, and liked them, tried the Type II in the Taboo Mk IV and ZTPRE and love them, so have them in all my Decware components (except the passive ZBIT) now.

PS: That is also the case with the Monoblocks in the 25th Anniversary version: the voltage regulator tube, an OC2, is in the underside. These tubes generate no heat really so it's not an issue in that sense and they seem to last forever. In the Monoblocks it is mounted in a socket so it can be replaced.

Awesome! I agree that it sounds better cold than the CSP2+s I have do. It's a joy to listen to. Yours is going to sound better still!

Lon, yes continues to amaze!  Cant wait to stuff it into my buddys million dollar system and watch his eyes!  Lol.
He doesnt believe me.

Upstream in this thread doukhobar asked me: "Lon - have you thought of getting a pair of dynamic cans, like the affordable HD650 for the CSP25? Dynamic hp are supposed to be a much, much better pairing with the CSP family."

I didn't plan on getting any dynamic headphones but as the CSP3-25 broke in I found that the Audeze LCD-3 that I love using seemed to be "veiled" with my favorite tube complement. The Oppo PM-1 sound very very good, but are not as comfortable to wear for long periods as the Audeze, and I have been using them upstairs in my second system driven by the Taboo Mk IV where I don't listen for long periods of time.

As is usual my mind started moving towards new horizons and I started thinking about dynamic headphones and doing some research. I thought about ZMF but reading a lot of reviews I found myself thinking that the Sennheiser HD800S would be a good match for the CSP3-25 especially as I am using a ZROCK2 in front of it. Review after review kept making me think this would be a good match and so I ordered a pair to try.

I have to say, these are excellent headphones and work well with the CSP3-35 and the Taboo Mk IV. Contrary to what some think I find the two planar magnetic headphones that I have to be just as compatible with the CSP3-25 as the Sennheiser. The Sennheiser though have a clear and dynamic sound, less warm and thick as the Audeze, and on top of that are the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. I really like their sound. . . . Three pairs of headphones is too much. I'll likely sell the Audeze LCD-2, perhaps in a package with the Taboo Mk III that I am not using, as this is a fantastic pairing of amp and headphones.

So I can now say that the CSP3-25 is an excellent amplifier for both dynamic and planar magnetic headphones, and will reveal the character of the headphones and as Steve says act as a microscope on the recording.

I'm really falling for these HD800S phones. They sound fantastic with both the CSP3-25 AND the Taboo Mk IV. Warmer sound with the CSP, bigger bolder, clearer sound with the Taboo. Awesome headphones.

I suspect one day I'll try one of the ZMFs. I'm curious about them. Loving these Sennheiser HD-800S with the CSP3-25 though.

The CSP3-25 is an excellent companion to the SE84UFO3-25 monoblocks that I have, I agree that this preamp takes everything up another notch. .

trying some different tubes this am...

nos 6h23's in all three positions

and type 80 rectifier

imaging is unbelievable, top end extension is very crisp w/o being over bearing.  mids are smooth and warm.  low end is same.

I'm sure that is a nice tube complement Trip.

I just put the CSP3-25 back in the main system in place of the ZTPRE as my Taboo Mk IV is coming back today, and I plan on using it with the CSP3-25 in my upcoming system and so wanted t refresh myself with the sound with the 25th Anniversary Monoblocks before I sub them briefly with the newly arrived Taboo Mk IV.

I forgot how vivid and detailed the CSP3-25 is. The ZTPRE is a bit reigned in and polite in comparison. Which actually suits most of my listening best. I think the best sound in my system is actually using both the ZTPRE and the CSP3-25, which I may end up doing in the main system as I have a CSP2+ with beeswax caps I can use with the Taboo in the new system. We'll see.

The CSP3-25 is a fantastic preamp. I like the Taboo Mk III and IV a bit better as a headphone amp, but that has more to do with my headphones than the preamp, and also the fact that Steve has the input controls on my CSP3-25 bypassed with a glass resistor.

I'm using a Sophia Electric Aqua 274B, and 3 Amperex 6DJ8 in the CSP3-25.

EDIT TO ADD: I just reintroduced the ZTPRE into the chain so it's sources via balanced input to the ZTPRE, ZTPRE to ZBIT, ZBIT to ZROCK2, and then to the CSP3-25 and then to the 25th Anniversary Monoblocks. That's a whole lot of Decware goodness and it really sounds superb--the best of both preamp worlds I could inhabit. . . is both preamps. Now I'm just waiting for UPS to drop off the upgraded Taboo Mk IV.

At last the Taboo Mk IV is back with the 25th Anniversary Mods. (Not that I'm at all saying it took a long time. . . it was there and back again in just over three weeks, great time, it's just that UPS was going to deliver yesterday but didn't, and I feared I would not see it for a few more hours, but here it is, set up).

I forgot how beautiful this amp was. It's just a beautifully laid out and finished machine. Mine says "Special Edition" on the bottom and it looks like one. And so far (the amp is cold. . . I didn't even let it reach room temperature as Johnny did with his amp yesterday) the sound is as wonderful as it was when it left here three weeks ago, and a bit different too. In a good way. From memory. . . there's a bit more separation of instruments and a bit more "drive."

Compared to the Monoblocks there's a tad more "center fill" which was the case before--it's a stereo chassis after all, not two separate channels each in their own chassis. And for a lot of music works really well, adding "punch."

Wow. Choices. I have the Monoblocks and these. . . which are all excellent amps to have and enjoy.

Oddly. . . I had to turn this Taboo up a bit compared to the Monoblocks, which surprised me. But things are always a bit kinky when you first get one of these wonderful machines.

I sent my CSP3-25 back for repairs today.  On headphones the left channel was acting up. I am 99.99 percent certain it is not tubes or anything else; line out is perfect into the Taboo Mk IV. Same on all my headphones.

Luckily I have my CSP2+ with the Anniversary Mods I can put in its place while it's away. It almost sounds as good as the CSP3-25. Almost. There is a difference. . . it's not as major as one might think, and the CSP3-25 is far more seasoned than the mods on the CSP2+. Hope to have it back in three weeks or so, and then I may send my ZTPRE in for the anniversary mods. . . or not. I'm divided on that one.

I've sent my Taboo Mk IV and my CSP2+ back (separately) this year for Anniversary modification and they were just over 3 weeks each there and back again (US mail only takes two days to get there from here). So it should I think be a similar time to come back.

I'll miss the headphone section; Steve had mine wired a little differently--he bypassed the input controls and wired a glass resistor right there--and the the sound is better with my favorite headphones with this than with my other three headphone choices. Really delicious to listen to on headphones!

Yesterday my CSP3-25 returned. I didn't get to set it up until early this morning as my wife took a "mental health day" yesterday and I didn't get the chance, but now it's in use in my audio/video system and sounds fantastic. The CSP2+ with the anniversary mods was doing a great job in the meantime, especially when listening through the speakers, but Steve made my headphone path a bit different (bypassed the input gain controls with a glass resistor) and the headphone sound on this CSP3-25, with my Sennheiser HD800S especially, is just amazing, the best I've ever heard, as good as I can imagine headphones sounding. (The ZROCK2 in the signal path also is a big help!)

So now I can get by on the weekends with a few hours of headphone listening that thrills me again when I can't use my speakers. It was just a fuse that was causing me a problem (a fuse for the rectifier inside the chassis) and I'm so happy to have her home.

Way to go, Uncle Lon.
I’m waiting for my new (to me) white topped Mini Torii to be returned to me with the 25th Anniversary modifications.

So I’m wondering whether to keep the ZSTAGE in the audio chain.

Lon,

The problem with your headphone output on one channel turned out to be an intermittent short where the headphone resistor had been bent to just barely almost touch ground.  The hum problem you had was caused by a rectifier tube short that blew one of the internal fuses.  I'm pleased you're enjoying it!  I am presently spending quite a bit of time with the new one (CSP325) which is pretty much identical sounding to yours.  The biggest take away I get from it is how incredibly smooth and well rounded it sounds.  Very natural, lots of body.

-Steve