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Decware Amp Comparison (Read 5672 times)
Brian
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Decware Amp Comparison
08/07/20 at 06:50:20
 
Decware offers Headphone jacks on Taboo, MiniTorii, and CSP.
Have any of you heard all three? Is the sound the same?

Brian
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Brian
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #1 - 08/16/20 at 05:46:40
 
Or if you have heard any two Decware headphone amplifiers, would you make a comparison?
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morp
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #2 - 08/31/20 at 19:38:53
 
Hi Brian,

Sorry I didn't see this until now. The Single Ended headphone out from the CSP2+ and Taboo are very close and sound wonderful, within 5% if you're using excellent tubes in both. The balanced output of the Taboo, using original Lucid Mode, is on a completely different class.

I do not have experience with the headphone out of the Mini Torii so maybe someone else can speak to that.

Thanks,
Richard
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Brian
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #3 - 09/04/20 at 08:28:37
 
Hi, Richard!
I thank you for the response.

When you said the sound from CSP2+ and Taboo are within 5% of each other, could you describe the difference?

You describe the balanced output of the Taboo using original Lucid Mode, as being in a completely different class, - how so?  Is it entirely the spaciousness of the Lucid mode? Were there other Differences? Or is it simply better in a general way?

Thanks for the education!
Brian
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morp
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #4 - 09/04/20 at 17:02:40
 
Hi Brian,

For the SE output, within 5% means I can detect differences, but if you were to blind A/B them and asked me which is the Taboo and which is the CSP2+, I'd be hard pressed to tell you. MAYBE the Taboo is that little bit more resolving, but it's so close that it could be (and likely is) the fact that the Taboo uses EL84 output tubes vs. the 6922s on the CSP, or that the ICs used on the Taboo were a little bit nicer. I hope I'm able to impart that using excellent tubes, the differences are marginal.

Balanced using original Lucid Mode is better in every "audiophile" way. Use whatever descriptor you want: Spacious, resolving, timbre, soundstage, etc etc - it's better and more powerful across the spectrum. If there's one knock on it, it's that at times it's too resolving and the soundstage presented is wide enough that it can be less immersive than the SE output since you're hearing so many details from everywhere. 1-5% of the time, it's easier to get lost in the music out of the SE output.

Hope that helps,
Richard
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Brian
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #5 - 09/05/20 at 06:30:00
 
That helps a lot.
I thank you, Richard.

Brian
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Rivieraranch
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #6 - 09/05/20 at 17:55:49
 
The Mini Torii headphone jack is there but I don't really use it. I tried it when I put my Mini in service in early 2019 and I heard some hum. Now I am sure that it was tube related. Because now when I plug my Senns in I don't hear any hum. You can use the variable feedback controls to vary the sound. You can also hear the treble control as well with this unit. The presentation overall is as good as the CSP headphone jack. However it cannot approach the lucid mode in the Taboo.

I've had all these units. I had a 2006 Taboo white top that had Vcaps. What a sweet sounding amp!  I had a current Taboo with new lucid mode and it is mind blowing. I am just not a primary headphone user.

I had a CSP3 also and the headphones in that sounded very nice.
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MINI TORII & ZROCK2 both anniversaried; 'Lil Audio F-15; TECHNICS SL1200MK2 KAB MODDED TT; ONKYO 6 DISC CD; MARANTZ 2226B; SCHIIT MULTIBIT DAC; SENNHEISER HD-580s
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morp
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #7 - 09/05/20 at 22:29:14
 
Thanks Riviera! I always wondered what the headphone out of the Mini Torii sounded like compared to the CSP and Taboo.

Interestingly, I only use new lucid mode 5% of the time. It's dramatic, but the output is strange/different to me rather than better most of the time.
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Brian
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #8 - 09/08/20 at 08:13:55
 
Thank You, Rivieraranch. It is good to get the report.
The variable feedback has always interested me for using the Mini Torii with speakers. I had not thought of it with Headphones.


Brian
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Rivieraranch
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Re: Decware Amp Comparison
Reply #9 - 09/08/20 at 17:38:07
 
Yeah man. The more feedback the more you have to turn the volume up. It would also serve to manage hum if you encounter that.
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MINI TORII & ZROCK2 both anniversaried; 'Lil Audio F-15; TECHNICS SL1200MK2 KAB MODDED TT; ONKYO 6 DISC CD; MARANTZ 2226B; SCHIIT MULTIBIT DAC; SENNHEISER HD-580s
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