I’m a newbie here and anxiously awaiting the delivery of my pre-owned UFO25.  I’ve been contemplating what album I’ll place on the platter for my first listen.  

My first experience in the world of “audiophile” systems was as a late teen when a co-worker invited me over to listen to his system.  I have no memory of his rig other than two Bose 901s sitting on opposite sides of the room.

The life-long impression left on me wasn’t necessarily the 901s, but rather the album he put on to fire those speakers:  Little Feat’s Waiting on Columbus.  Man, the way the percussion dances across the soundstage was amazing and I find myself putting that album on every time I set up my system in a new location.

I have so many others from which to choose, David Crosby’s If Only I Could Remember My Name, just about anything from Floyd, Yes, or Bruce Cockburn.  Geez, so many to enjoy.

But I’m also a little nervous.  What if I don’t really hear much difference between my old Onkyo SS amp and the SET UFO25?  What if my old ears aren’t that sophisticated?  I have spent so many hours lurking here and reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews of Steve’s creations that I’m sure I’m going to absolutely love the amp…but, I’m worried over overhyped myself!

What was your first reaction upon that first listen?

Hi Bluzrover, and welcome to the Forum. Congratulations on finding a UFO25. I am positive you will smile when you sit for the first listen. It is a great-sounding amp. The UFO25 was my go-to amp until this year, when I received the 300B. Still, I play the UFO25 downstairs daily. It holds a very special place in my listening experience. I look forward to hearing your impressions, and I'm sure it will knock your socks off

Tony

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What Lon said. My Decware journey started with a pair of UFO amps, configured as balanced monoblocs. They were so good I got back on the waiting list for a pair of UFO25s that I've had for about a year and a half. They sound remarkable and I'm thankful everyday that I found Decware and this forum because it is taken my listening experience far beyond what I thought I would ever own.

FWIW I've had three go to tracks that I've been playing for decades to test/compare systems, in the order I listen to them.

Spanish Harlem - Rebecca Pidgeon

The Girl From Ipanema - Getz and Gilberto

4th movement Scheherazade - Fritz Reiner and Chicago Symphony

Regardless, welcome and congratulations! You will not be disappointed.

I had ‘87 Forte’s when I got my first SE84UFO, 8 years ago. A very good match!

The UFO25 arrived Monday but it wasn’t until Wednesday that I had time to set it up and sit down for my first listen to this amazing little amplifier.

Out of so many options from which to choose, I settled on an Analogue Productions pressing of David Crosby’s If only I Could Remember My Name.  I love this album and this 45RPM remaster is superb.  

First thing’s first.  I’m running a Rega P3 TT through a Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 into the UFO25 and out to Klipsch Forte IVs.  Everything is whisper quiet, volume at 3/4, I drop the tone arm and wait.

Whoa…

Tony, you were right.  A small twinge at the corners of my mouth slowly turned into a big ol’ grin.  Listen, I’m no audiophile, I love music and always thought my 1970s SS amplifier, turntable and speakers sounded pretty good.  I’ve read all the reviews and thought I knew what was meant by “soundstage” but I really wasn’t prepared for what I heard.

On my right, the distinct sound of plectrum to strings rises in level, a clarity I’ve never heard before.  Slowly the guitar passes in front of me and is joined by David’s familiar tenor and then I hear what I always thought was a defect in the recording but now I know it was intentional, meant to be there, part of the texture and layering of the sound, or maybe just part of the live recording process.  But what is it?  A clap perhaps, maybe a drumstick tapping the rim of the snare…better yet, the slap of someone’s hand on his thigh.  David, is that you?

For the next three hours I pull out Little Feat’s Waiting on Columbus, Genesis Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme, Santana’s Abraxas, Pink Floyd’s Animals (my dogs were looking for the dogs that were barking in their basement) and Ambrosia’s first album.  

Wow, just wow.  I can’t get over the clarity, the layering, spatial distribution of sounds, the SEPARATION of each instrument and voice.  

I have a ton of stuff to do but all that I want to do is sit between my Forte IVs and spin records and lose myself in the bliss that is music!

But then my wife came home and I lost my prime listening spot.  She’s never really cared about audio systems, never thought there was much difference between stereo or portable Bluetooth speakers.  I put Crosby back on (she’s a fan) and, despite having “things to do,” didn’t budge until I played the entire album, followed by Abraxas.  

She turned to me and said, “That was incredible, you can hear the squeak of his fingers sliding up the strings.”  At this I was absolutely thrilled but slightly bummed.  Thrilled because it was affirmation of my own observations about the incredible ability of this amp to reproduce the sound of recorded music and deliver it with such power and dexterity.  But bummed because my hearing isn’t quite what it used to be and I wasn’t getting the full experience that, clearly, others can get from the UFO25.

Needless to say, I’m absolutely thrilled with this amp.  I have a ZP3 on order but just can’t imagine how much better the audio experience can get from what I’m currently hearing.  Seeing that I’m on page 12 of the waiting list, I guess it’ll be a while before I find out!

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Right on! and welcome aboard. Keep listening and keep posting, it will just get better.