REVIEW: Decware Select Zen CSP2 Tube Headphone Amp - Page 3

Bought three NOS JAN Philips 6922 today. These are rated the "best buy" by Vacuum Tube Valley magazine in their 6DJ8 / 6922 tube shootout.

JAN-Philips 6922 Low Noise

When i start up the Decware now, I hear crackling noise in the headphones. this lasts for about 5 seconds. Then I can play the CD and everything sounds good. Is this normal? I have tried changing all the tubes, but the same thing is happening.

Yes it is only when I turn it on. But they are not nice sounds. I will email him, or maybe try to call them tomorrow.

Does it sound like low level pings? If so, that could be normal. My Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 did that when powered up for the first 10 seconds. I was using the same tubes as well

No, it is just nasty distortion. Like the distortion you hear when searching for channels on the old radios. But a bit louder. Nice picture you got there!

It all started when I plugged in my graham Slee Solo and a cd-player in the same environment of contacts. My CSP2 where playing music into one set of headphones, and on the same time I let my Solo burn in some headphones. Once i started the cd-player connected to the Solo, the Decware started giving very bad noise in the headphones connected to it. I turned off both equipments, and started the Decware again. Just a lot of noise came into the headphones. I let it rest for a while. Changed all the tubes, and it started with high noise, which settled after 5 seconds. Then it was quiet and the sound very good. Something must have happened, because the amplifier was silent when I started it in the first days I had it. My powercable has not been put in a grounded environment. Is that very bad? My two Darkvoice 336i has never been in a grounded contact, but I have never had any problems with them?

Thanks. I took it with a Nikon D50 with the cheap kit lens. Pretty amazing for such an inexpensive SLR.

Well anyway, I wish you the best of luck with you noise issue. I'm sure it's nothing major. Your amp comes with a lifetime warranty which is awesome. And from what I hear, Decware is a great company to deal with.

Glenn

Thank you! One way or another a solution will be found in the near future!

I called Steve Deckert today. When I should demonstrate for him the bad noise which came through the start up of the amplifier, then it had suddenly disappeared. He was a very serviceable man to talk to. We had a quite long talk and he gave me some advices. He asked me what my impressions of the Decware was, and I told him it was the best amplifier in the house. If I had any issues regarding the CSP2, I should just call him. I love my CSP2 so it`s good that I`m back on track. That will say 5-8 hours of use every day.

The noise came back. But it is just the 5 first seconds. Then everything is allright. I changed the tubes for what i thought was 3 Sylvania 6DJ8. Now the noise was totally gone. After a while I took a closer look at the tubes and see that I have received 2 Sylvania 6922 and one 6DJ8. So now the CSP2 was playing with one 6DJ8 in the front and two 6922 in the back. This combination worked great, but I still wanted to have three tubes of the same type in the amplifier. I took out the 6DJ8 and put in one of my Philips 6922 and then I had noise again. Tried a new one , noise again. then I tried the third of my Philips and this worked 100%. No noice at start-up. As a rectifier I use a Sylvania 5U4GB. I wonder if it is a big risk for making some damage to the tubes during tuberolling? But anyway now it works great and I am very satisfied! I have ordered some 6N1P NOVOSIBIRSK 1960~1966 Years military equipment , and some 6N1P-EV Made in Kaluga "VOSHOD" 1973 and 1975.

Now I have three Sylvania 6DJ8 in the front, still the same rectifier. This sounds great! I will buy some 5U4g coke-bottled rectifiers in the near future. I haven`t tried the vintage russian tubes yet, because what`s in the decware now works so good! There are no noises at startup anymore! All in all a very good amp. Now I use this in the first floor and the Singlepower Extreme in the ground floor. The Travagan`s Red gets used once in a while.

What do you think about the Decwares Top of the Line Silver Reference Interconnects, 1 meter $169.00? Is it worth spending 2x $169.00 for interconnects for the CSP2 and the Extreme? I use Oppo DVD-players as transport for both, and an Oritekv V4.1 DAC for the CSP2, and a Lavry DA-10 for the Extreme.

I have had Steves Zen amp for quite a while now. I still power my home brew horns with his "C Select" amp on occasion. Nice Fellow! Good review Mr. Skylab, as always, keep em' coming!