I wasn’t expecting to get my Dynagrid until late Saturday evening but I had a knock at the door right after lunch Saturday afternoon and it was the UPS driver who I greeted upon opening the door. He stood there, holding two boxes and asked that I sign for the packages which I was only to happy to oblige.
We had a lot of errands to run but fortunately my wife wasn’t close to being ready so I carried the boxes downstairs like an excited toddler on Christmas morning. I shave to say, the shipping department does an amazing job packing their products. It took some time to get all the bubble wrap removed from the DGR but once it was clear of all packing materials I finally had the chance to admire the build, fit and finish of the Dynagrid.
I know it has nothing to do with the SQ of the component but the ascetic of Steve’s creations are part of the draw to Decware for me. This thing is solid and just has an incredible look and feel to it. That big 845 looks fantastic and I have spent the past 24 hours admiring the look of it as much as listening to it.
Now, I have to admit that I’m new to world of Decware and audio tube gear so I’m probably not going to be the definitive voice that Steve would prefer writing about his latest product, so an important caveat.
I have had a pre-owned UFO25 for eight months and have quickly surrounded it with a ZP3 and ZSB with Decware DSR3 ICs and DHCs with ZSTYX connected to Klipsch Forte IVs. I have been using the tube complement that came with the amp and have no idea as to the age or hours of said tubes.
It has been a glorious journey thus far. A month-and-a-half ago I got my hands on a Mullard GZ34 and have swapped the Decware 5U4G that came with amp with the GZ34. I probably have about 60 to 70 hours on that tube and loved the increased bass and deeper 2D sound it has produced. There was definitely more clarity across the soundstage that I enjoyed and was really wondering if I would notice anything different with the Dynagrid.
I have about seven hours into the DGR so far but I can say right off the bat I notice a distinct difference in the SQ. Before plugging the DGR into the UFO, I put a UHQR copy of CSN on the table and played Wooden Ships. I love the mix on this song which places vocals and instruments across the soundstage.
I then turned everything off, let the tubes cool a bit, and then removed the 5U4G and plugged in the Dynagrid. Using Steve’s suggestion, I powered up the Dynagrid, waited a couple of minutes and then turned on the UFO25 and watched the voltmeter slowly rise followed by the amp meter. Once everything settled, I dropped the needle on Wooden Ships and sat back to listen.
The change wasn’t striking but it was there. I used to always fiddle with the tone controls on my old SS amps/receivers, always trying to find the right balance of trebl, bass and midrange. With the Decware setup, I never was too concerned about that, especially when I swapped to the GZ34. But for me, the Dynagrid really removes my need to tweak anything. The dynamics and presence across the soundstage are really spectacular.
I was struck by the increased separation of voices and instruments, specifically how voices were coming from a higher space and the guitars a bit lower. I didn’t change anything other than removing the 5U4G and plugging in the DGR, but I also noticed a tad more volume.
I proceeded to listen to both older vinyl and some of the newer stuff I’ve acquired over the past six months with varying levels of difference. Clearly, the UFO25, ZP3, Dynagrid combo allows the UHQR recordings to truly shine. But my older stuff sounds really good as well. I am looking forward to listening to more vinyl in the next few months and continuing this journey of sonic bliss!
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Decware's DynaGrid Rectifier design log (Read 21105 times)
