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05/02/24 at 01:18:27

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Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks? (Read 163 times)

GeorgeInAZ

Verified Member

Posts: 3

Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks?
04/18/24 at 22:32:30

The Decware ad copy for the Rachael discusses how it can be bridged into mono to get ~12WPC. I've read a couple of threads here where that topic is debated, but I'm looking for some clear direction around whether or not I can use two Rachaels as monoblocks at ~12WPC to each channel.

To give some context... I'm on the list for a Zen Torii Jr.. While I've waited, I purchased a Mini Torii and I absolutely love it. I originally came to Decware for low-wattage SET topology, but was swayed by the Zen Torii Jr.'s higher wattage and the fact that Steve has figured out how to get even-ordered harmonics from a push/pull design. This is why I ordered the Zen Torii Jr.. Now that I've listened to ~3WPC, my hesitancy around flea-watt amps has been blunted and I'm re-thinking the move away from the SET amps. That re-think involves a meeting-in-the-middle approach and the idea of getting two SE34l.6's and bridging them to get the advantage of a little additional power output and all the goodness that comes with SET topology.

The other option I'm considering is the SE84UFO2.1. In the ad copy for these, it's a little clearer that you can use a pair as monoblocks: "Also it can be bridged into mono for around 6 watts. Because of our floating output stage design, a pair of these amps can even be run as fully differential balanced mono blocks."

Am I:
A) Thinking about this correctly?
B) Misguided?
C) Misunderstanding how these concepts actually work?

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CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 1699

Re: Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks?
Reply #1 - 04/19/24 at 00:56:47

Hi George, and welcome!

Let me say 2 things up front, my lawyer's disclaimers if you will. I can't speak about a Rachael from experience, and if you want to know anything absolutely positively for certain you should set up a call with Steve.

That said, I'm sure you can configure Rachaels as monoblocs. Look at page 6 in the manual and it will give you the details.

https://www.decwareproducts.com/_files/ugd/f1f204_778fc11e06344863a8011087bacad2...

What I can speak about from experience is using UFO amps as monoblocs. And it is awesome. I started my Decware journey with a pair of UFOs that I configured as balanced monos. And they were so good I got back on the waiting list for a pair of UFO25s that I received about 6 months ago and I couldn't be happier.

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of threads on this site by folks who aren't sure what amp to get. And the good news is you can't go wrong with any Decware amp. If the only thing that is holding you back from getting a pair of Rachaels is fear of failure when strapping them in mono then I would rest easy. Read the manual and if necessary talk to Steve and I'm sure you'll be fine. If you're happy with the power from you 4 watt amp then I would highly recommend a pair of UFOs. And if you have a balanced front end then I would recommend running them as balanced monos. To do that you need a custom XLR -> 2xRCA interconnect. Details on page 17 of the UFO manual:

https://www.decwareproducts.com/_files/ugd/f1f204_c93e1ffb7c8d472bbc314c7d4cdae4...

The UFO2 and UFO25 all work the same.

Good luck, there are a lot of helpful people around here and you are likely to get plenty of other advice.

[FOOBAR2000 | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Maple-tree Phono 3E
Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Senn HD-650

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GeorgeInAZ

Verified Member

Posts: 3

Re: Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks?
Reply #2 - 04/30/24 at 22:48:59

Just a quick update on this topic. I had a conversation with Steve. I guess I should have stipulated that my question was around BRIDGING, potential power increases, and any drawbacks thereof.

Long story short, bridging two of these amps is possible and power increase would be realized AND you can get both right and left channels from this mono-block approach. I won't get into the wiring configurations, here, as that is readily available in the amps' user guides.

Key takeaways from my conversation with Steve:
1. Bridging is possible with the SE34l.6 and the architecture of the amp is such that the down-sides surrounding bridging is eliminated (e.g. sound smearing and halving the effective speaker impedance)
2. If your speakers need the extra wattage, it can be a good way to go
3. If you don't need the extra wattage, using the SE34l.6 on its own in stereo provides a slight edge in sound quality (but likely imperceptible in a typical set-up)
4. Key drawback is that you have to double everything that supports the amps, i.e., cables, which can lower the ROI of bridging considerably

Hopefully this helps someone looking for this information. I've simplified it as much as possible for brevity. All of the above is applicable to the SE84UFO2.1 (as is the case for any of the amps that show output at Nx2 and Nx1 where "N" is the listed output).

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CAJames Seasoned Member "I've run every red light on memory lane." Posts: 1699	Re: Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks? Reply #3 - Yesterday at 02:49:50 So, do you think you’ll get the pair of SE34I.6s and set them up as monoblocs?
Back to top	[FOOBAR2000 \| Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Maple-tree Phono 3E Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Senn HD-650 IP Logged

GeorgeInAZ Verified Member Posts: 3	Re: Two SE34l.6 Rachaels as Monoblocks? Reply #4 - Yesterday at 23:12:59 I do not believe that I will go in the direction of monoblocks. I'm planning to spend the extra funds on a phono stage upgrade and going with open baffle full-range driver speakers.
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