Forums - So the cat is out of the bag

Donnie

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So the cat is out of the bag
12/14/20 at 22:02:34

So I'm looking at my "home" email and I see a email from Steve telling us how he may of made a tactical mistake by sending out amplifiers for review.

It seems that sales are up 600% on the year. A very enviable position to be in in these Pandemic ravaged days.

All I want to say is congratulations to the fine Decware team, and keep up the good work.
Thank you for giving us something good to look forward to after fighting through the mess that is/was 2020.

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Owner of the infamous RED TORII and Dan the Redheaded Amp

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Dominick Seasoned Member Still like that old time Rock and Roll!! Posts: 1157	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #1 - 12/14/20 at 22:32:12 Donnie... I caught that email as well. Thank god I am already in que for my Torii...Steve was saying that they are now close to 20 weeks out on new orders. Wow!! Congratulations Steve on catapulting Team Decware into the spotlight with the recent online reviews. Dom
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ScottNC

Seasoned Member

Posts: 335

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #2 - 12/14/20 at 22:59:09

I was really happy to hear of the great successes that Steve and company have had. That said, all my DecWare products have brought me great happiness and satisfaction.
Everyone involved deserved to be really proud of such great accomplishments!
I wish them all the very best in the future as it is well deserved. A great thing to hear for the holidays!
Best,
Scott

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SteveB

Senior Member

It's a fine line
between hobby and
mental illness.

Posts: 55

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #3 - 12/16/20 at 03:38:38

I was the one who suggested to Andrew Robinson to demo some Decware gear. He has a pair of Klipsch La Scala's to review and owns a pair of Heresy IV speakers. It's going to be an interesting review.

It is great for business when Decware is so busy. I wish my soldering skills were better and I lived closer than three hours away. I would help out. Been laid off for almost four months now.

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1959 Motorola EL84 tube amp
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Raspberry pi / Volumio as a streamer

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CAJames Seasoned Member "I've run every red light on memory lane." Posts: 1652	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #4 - 12/16/20 at 04:49:28 All I can say is I waited 5 months and a day for the UFOs I ordered in June and all the waiting was completely forgotten as soon as I powered them up. They are SO worth the wait, and worth way more than the price. Decware’s success is no accident.
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Nick324 Senior Member Posts: 79	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #5 - 12/16/20 at 23:55:52 All I can say is that i finally feel vindicated. I have been pushing Decware since i stumbled upon them early in 2017 and have been a big fan of Steve’s and what he makes. So vary happy to know sales are up, that e-mail made my day.
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piezoman Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #6 - 12/17/20 at 00:13:11 Indeed, my search after going thru systems in the past is over. Decware is my end game. Period.
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Lonely Raven Seasoned Member Jack of all Trades, Master of None Posts: 3567	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #7 - 12/20/20 at 18:37:16 Well deserved and about time! Hell, if I was still in the area, I'd want to work for Decware!
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JBzen Seasoned Member Posts: 1377	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #8 - 12/28/20 at 10:53:57 I see this stir is causing growing pains. Hopefully it is taken in stride. Seems Steve was in a good place. Congratulation Decware! John
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canonken Seasoned Member Posts: 151	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #9 - 12/28/20 at 15:24:24 Well isn't the solution obvious...outsource production to China!!! (Please don't cancel my order I'm just kidding!!!)
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mperdue63 Seasoned Member Posts: 136	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #10 - 01/07/21 at 21:22:52 It warms my heart to see the amp wait list moving again after the holidays. My SE84UFO25 looks to be moving up the list, but the waiting is soooooo harddddddddd. No doubt worth the wait. Best of luck to Steve and crew in 2021.
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Steve Deckert

Administrator

If the 1st watt
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Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #11 - 01/09/21 at 06:09:35

We're working on it. Every space mission has emergency back up plans. The Decware assembly room runs comfortably at less than 50% capacity so we are looking at several people who want to join the family and build amplifiers. That will bring the 20+ week backlog down as we move into Spring and Summer.

We are so grateful to be busy while we watch our favorite restaurants go out of business not to mention dozens of other businesses. Even our own business has taken on a lot of burden as we deal with Covid related home schooling, split shifts, and all kinds of other taxing stuff like the rest of the world. The biggest joy is that it is turning people's attention to hi-fi more than ever before and there is nothing negative about hi-fi. It's healthy and lengthens life. I'm not sure I can say the same about TV.

Thanks for all of your support, we don't take it for granted.

Steve, DeVon, Sarah, Josh, Jake, Denis, Josh2, Bob, Jim, Brent, Gery, Anna and crew.

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DPC Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #12 - 01/10/21 at 14:53:56 Thumbs up from this house!
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #13 - 01/14/21 at 02:11:21 Approaching 340 amps when Sarah gets the newer orders added to the build sheet! Interviewing people for QC/troubleshooting work.
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Paul Jensen

Verified Member

Posts: 1

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #14 - 01/25/21 at 01:08:49

Howdy,

I guess I am one of the teaming masses rushing to Decware.com after seeing Steven Guttenburg's review! The cat is out of the bag indeed!

I hope the intriguing low drag business model continues with success and that Steve is successful finding good help to deal with the increased demand.

I see the handy-dandy amplifier build spreadsheet and I understand the backorder time is pushing 5 or 6 months for one of these miracle amps...

...but I wonder, does this time frame hold true for speakers as well?

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Divasson

Verified Member

Posts: 32

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #15 - 01/25/21 at 15:16:54

Hi, I bought a Zen84b around year 2000, new from Decware. Due to children being born, hot tubes had to go, so I had to sell it.

Since then I had bigger, beefier, big-name amps (Linn, Musical fidelity Kw500, Devialet 200, etc.). These could drive any speaker...

...and yet the undisputed best amp I ever had was the humble Zen84b.

Now that children are leaving for university, I have to come back! To keep costs down I'll build the kit (I bought 2 x Decware's PCB with the aim of bridging them). I don't need a reviewer to tell me how good the Zen is: I do know what I am missing!

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Tommy Freefall Seasoned Member Posts: 400	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #16 - 01/25/21 at 23:05:36 Paul J., the speaker building team is separate from the amp building team. Bob Ziegler (who is a member of this forum) heads that up and could give you a current estimate on a speaker order.
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Jeff of Arabica

Seasoned Member

Name the greatest of
all inventors...
Accident.

Posts: 968

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #17 - 01/26/21 at 06:49:46

Paul J,
It does depend on the speakers. While Bob (Turning Point Audio) is the manufacturer of many speakers sold on the Decware site, the newer open baffle "Zen" lineup (including the Tiny Radials) is all Steve from what I gather from the videos he has shared. I would reach out to Sarah to find out the lead time on whatever speaker you are interested in.

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Canary Audio Grand Reference Monos//ZMA//Zen Ultra//Taboo MKIII//Waversa DAC3//ModWright Oppo UDP-205// PS Audio P20//Canary Audio MC-10//Van den Hul Colibri "Stradivarius"//FFYX T1803 TT//SonoruS Reel-to-Reel & tube playback preamp//Tannoy Westminster Speakers

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Steve Deckert

Administrator

If the 1st watt
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Posts: 6246

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #18 - 02/06/21 at 04:56:08

I overheard Sarah in the office today telling a customer that we have past the 400 amps on the build sheet mark. Remember this does not include speakers, cables and most accessories. It also does not account for the fact that we are shipping 4 to 5 amps a day on average. The Decware Crew is slowly growing to accommodate this.

Despite the stress of having parts locked up in Covid locked-down countries and taking care of my wife DeVon who herself got Covid and came through it, I am feeling in a really blissed out state! (Probably because I didn't get it... 55097632.04Hz & 50895356.8Hz maybe?) She has recovered after two weeks and back to her kind self as I write this, so no hospital required. Also the entire rest of the family and Decware crew remains Covid free and thankful to be that way after watching the mother of the mothership suffer.

So again, we appreciate your business and amazing patients. Thank you and God Bless you for all the orders!

Steve and DeVon and Crew

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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #19 - 02/06/21 at 05:52:12 Here are some pics I took of the build room last evening...
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #20 - 02/06/21 at 05:54:42
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #21 - 02/06/21 at 05:55:49
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #22 - 02/06/21 at 05:56:44
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #23 - 02/06/21 at 05:57:36
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #24 - 02/06/21 at 06:16:16
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #25 - 02/06/21 at 06:16:32
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #26 - 02/06/21 at 06:16:46
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #27 - 02/06/21 at 06:24:07 So the cat is out of the bag Only My Cat Understands Me.
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Blueone302 Seasoned Member Posts: 136	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #28 - 02/07/21 at 01:19:45 So glad to hear DeVon is in the clear. Be safe! J
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HockessinKid Seasoned Member Posts: 1089	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #29 - 02/07/21 at 07:34:26 Steve, Best to you and your family. Glad to hear DeVon is doing well after her bout with Covid. Stay healthy. HK
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JBzen Seasoned Member Posts: 1377	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #30 - 02/07/21 at 12:31:00 It takes a good team to keep up with the demand. Glad all is healthy! We lost one relative to this damn virus. Young at 33! John
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Lon

Seasoned Member

"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 23460

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #31 - 02/07/21 at 14:26:40

I'm sorry for your loss. One of my brothers and sisters-in-law got it and recovered fine, my Dad got it and is still being plagued with weird side issues that are actually endangering his life. . . we're hoping for the best. My heart goes out to all who have had their lives enadangered by this insidious disease.

It's a great ironic event that the pandemic (and some critical attention) has been such a boost for Decware! We all want them to progress and succeed.

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Dominick Seasoned Member Still like that old time Rock and Roll!! Posts: 1157	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #32 - 02/07/21 at 14:40:22 Steve, Great to hear the DeVon is in back to normal. I battled the virus almost a year ago and it kicked my ass. Thank God no hospitalization required either, bit I know what you guys went through. Please give her all my best and keep those 55097632.04Hz & 50895356.8Hz frequencies flowing! Dominick
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DPC Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #33 - 02/10/21 at 18:17:29 The list might get even longer. Got the latest issue of Stereophile mag today. Herb Reichert writes an article on the SE84 and the 25th..
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Divasson Verified Member Posts: 32	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #34 - 02/10/21 at 19:14:12 Now that's a review! Now, he makes reference to the beauty of sound (something that I have not experienced since I had my SE84b), but nearly no mention to the cavernous soundstage the Zen provide. The full surround system I had with just 2 speakers was to behold. In many respects, the Zen is a goosebumps machine.
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drford Seasoned Member Posts: 197	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #35 - 02/10/21 at 19:33:52 Heh... I'm just celebrating that I just made it into the Top 150 of the waitlist... R.
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Blueone302 Seasoned Member Posts: 136	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #36 - 02/13/21 at 00:47:11 I'm near the bottom holding you up. tv
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ZYGI

Seasoned Member

HR-ONE

Posts: 757

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #37 - 02/14/21 at 18:22:25

Paul Jensen....speaker build time on my speakers has been holding around 16 weeks. Again, that is for the speakers I build.

As Steve finds new help, amps will be going out the door faster, and I'll have to work faster harder to keep up with the amp bases I build, which could slow things down.

I'll tell you, when this covid thing first hit, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. What happen wasn't even close to the scenario I had conjured up in my mind, luckily!

Thanks for all the orders!

Bob Z.

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All Decware amps and sources, Turning Point Audio speakers

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Drew T

Ex Member

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #38 - 06/01/21 at 23:15:41

Hi all,
I’m a new member from Canada 🇨🇦. I just ordered myself the 25th anniversary Zen Triode after much online research and a great phone conversation with the man himself - the very gracious Steve Deckert .
I’m trying to temper my excitement as I have a looong wait ( 7 months ) in front of me . There are well over 600 people ahead of me in the queue according to the wait list ... yikes . I’m actually still waiting for my name to be posted to the list - but I know they’re very busy .
After placing my order with Sarah I posted a picture of the Zen 25th anniversary on my Instagram and I received dozens of likes and positive comments from all over the US and overseas . Speaks volumes for Decware’s excellent reputation .
Best wishes from Canada .

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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6246	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #39 - 06/02/21 at 17:34:52 Drew, welcome to the family! We will make sure it's worth the wait. -Steve
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Drew T Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #40 - 06/02/21 at 17:55:31 Thank you Steve - I have no doubt
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piezoman

Ex Member

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #41 - 06/02/21 at 22:25:41

@ Steve irt your earlier post (reply #18).....God bless you & yours as well.....I'm elated to be back on your wait list again, this time for a Torii MK 4! [25th A-mods, Miflex caps].

I hope the best for all and everyone, welcome to all newcomers. You will never find better engineering and craftsmanship for the dollar, anywhere on the planet.......not even remotely.......and I'll put my net worth on it. I joined a year ago, and am a devotee for life. The Decware team is a very special one, specializing in goosebumps and pure awe.

- Brad

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DPC Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #42 - 06/03/21 at 00:26:41 Brad speaks truth there!
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Steve Deckert

Administrator

If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6246

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #43 - 06/03/21 at 06:31:37

So getting back to letting the cat out of the bag... it's starting to get really serious folks!

Right now the best thing I can say with over 600 (Sarah estimates 700) orders and still climbing, Decware is starting to feel like the 72 Monte which btw is feeling extra perky this Spring. If you haven't met my mechanical soul mate... this is it, my 72 stroked-out monte - I hand built it the same year I started Decware. It has been my daily driver (when it's not snowing) ever since.*

Part of the reason the waiting list is growing is because we are getting better instead of finding ways to get the stuff out the door as fast as possible in an effort to grab it while it's there. My theory is make sure it's good enough to wait for. Easier said than done. But as we experience some growing pains, things just keep getting better, more refined, more polished.

I put CoVid 19 as the staples in the middle of the Decware book. The first 20 years came a long way. I couldn't imagine being here 20 years ago. I can't image where we'll be 20 years from now, but I am fairly certain that with the advantages of now compared to then, the next 20 years of Decware are going to be killer!

*The monte has always run decent, and a few times on those magic days almost made me piss myself... but I could never get it to do that when I wanted it to -- let alone with a passenger in the car -- God forbid. But this year due to an epiphany I had that vacuum advance is actually evil on this exquisite carbureted motor the fully analog muscle car is now in serious mode and puzzled the living crap out of a menacing gun metal gray colored Dodge Demon with "HEMDOG" on the license plate who couldn't pull away in a full-on 1/2 mile race. Sad when you consider I only have 3 gears. The Monte is mean. It's like a Zen amp. It is a Zen amp, just a different kind that's not for sale. It was damn near clipping during that race, but never did. Just like a Zen amp. Hehe, I've been blaming my neck problems on building amps but it might be the car.

Steve

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JBzen Seasoned Member Posts: 1377	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #44 - 06/03/21 at 14:03:15 If we would have met brest to brest at a red light with wide open road ahead, I'll bet it would have been on.
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Steve Deckert

Administrator

If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6246

Re: So the cat is out of the bag
Reply #45 - 06/05/21 at 04:45:40

Hmmm... How mean can it be without any dents or war wounds from 49 years on the street? Hell, do you know how many wrenches I have thrown it during that time? The bike is a lot prettier which is a good thing because it will be going by a lot slower to where people will actually be able to see it!

(Just kidding ; ). I couldn't resist.

Steve

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spyder1 Ex Member	Re: So the cat is out of the bag Reply #46 - 06/05/21 at 20:16:08 Steve, I think it's time for you to contact the SEC, to let them know that Decware is preparing to offer a IPO.
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