Decware Appreciation Thread (MT review up on first page 2-10-12)

[Argo Duck]

Yes i have one downloaded 8/24/2011. PM me.

 

[SP Wild]

Didn't realise decware made speakers, cool.
 
Long thread, didn't read, just wondering if decware makes a tube unit good for low impedance, high current and high impedance high voltage headphones, If it could drive speakers as well that would be a sweet bonus.
 
Edit.  Come think of it I may be wishing too much from vintage technology.

 

[longbowbbs]

  Didn't realise decware made speakers, cool.
 
Long thread, didn't read, just wondering if decware makes a tube unit good for low impedance, high current and high impedance high voltage headphones, If it could drive speakers as well that would be a sweet bonus.
 
Edit.  Come think of it I may be wishing too much from vintage technology.

Decware has 2 HP amps. The CSP3+ is great with Dynamic higher impedance HP's like Sennheiser. The HD800's are fantastic on the CSP3+. They also make the Taboo MK III which is specifically engineered for the Audeze line of Planer Magnetic HP's. 
 
When not driving HP's the Taboo is a great SET 4.5 watt amp and the CSP3+ makes a great Pre-amplifier for low watt high efficiency speaker bliss. I had the pair running my Decware DM945 bookshelf's and it was a holographic listening experience. 
 
Decware also uses easy to find inexpensive tubes. You can roll them, but the factory installed tube choices are wonderful as well.

 

[SP Wild]

  Decware has 2 HP amps. The CSP3+ is great with Dynamic higher impedance HP's like Sennheiser. The HD800's are fantastic on the CSP3+. They also make the Taboo MK III which is specifically engineered for the Audeze line of Planer Magnetic HP's. 
 
When not driving HP's the Taboo is a great SET 4.5 watt amp and the CSP3+ makes a great Pre-amplifier for low watt high efficiency speaker bliss. I had the pair running my Decware DM945 bookshelf's and it was a holographic listening experience. 
 
Decware also uses easy to find inexpensive tubes. You can roll them, but the factory installed tube choices are wonderful as well.

 Ahh yes, I remeber Frank I used to rave about the Taboo back in the day.  I've got a pair of extremely high efficiency speakers that seem to gel nice with tube amps and it opens new possibilities for experimentation.  The Taboo has my interest and the price is quite reasonable also. 
 
People often rave about flea watt amps, I would certainly like to know what all the fuss is about.

 

[longbowbbs]

They are a lot of fun. Provided you have sufficient efficiency for them to be driven by 4 watts. 

 
You can use just the Taboo as a 2 source integrated for speakers (or HP's). The addition of the CSP3+ will provide more gain to the mix and additional tube rolling options. I enjoyed the combo very much.

 

[SP Wild]

You mean to say, you stick a tube amp in front of a tube amp?  Is it just additional gain, or am I missing something?  I would've imagined this might thicken the sound or maybe a tad too rich.  I have a solid state preamp, this would solve gain issues right?
 
Reading the thread backwards and it seems hum might be an issue.  I regret selling one of tube amps, and I maily sold it because of hum with sensitive headphones...I stii wish I have this amp, it was the Cayin HA-1 and still is one of the best headphone amps I have ever heard in many ways.  It was also EL84 SET or UL swithable with flea watt speaker taps.
 
I guess I am willing to put up with hum on senstive headphones, as long as it doesn't hum with my HD650s, LCD2s and speakers.

 

[longbowbbs]

While both units can drive headphones, each is a piece of stereo gear. The CSP3+ is a Pre-Amplifier. The Taboo MK III is an Amplifier. Decware has designed them to perform more effectively with different styles of HP's.  You will get a gain boost using the CSP3+ in combination with the Taboo. It is not required as Decware tends to provide rudimentary integrated amp functionality in all of its amps. 
 
FWIW, I did not experience the hum that some people have mentioned here. I know Steve has chased that gremlin around for several people. I am not sure he ultimately came up with a source of the hum from the device's perspective. it could have been local line noise, poor ground, a bad tube.....Lot's of variables. I did not have the problem so I cannot comment on that. My Taboo was dead quiet.

 

[SP Wild]

Thanks a million for your insight.  The Taboo is officially on my radar.  I gotta say, the aesthetics of the taboo is certainly gogeous, more the reason to want one!

 

[longbowbbs]

I had the base done in Maple and it was beautiful. 
 

 

[SP Wild]

Nice!  I gotta admit, I hit the internet pages for the taboo...and the first thing that got me was....the VU meter....I want an analogue VU meter on my next toy.  Lame, I know, but the heart is the most illogical part of the whole ordeal...the one area that we must listen to in order to obtain satisfaction.

 

[longbowbbs]

Steve's amps are all auto biasing, but it is fun to see them in action via the VU meters....

 

[Argo Duck]

I was about to suggest you (SP Wild) look for the earlier Taboo mk II as it's 6W - but it lacks the all-important VU meters

I gotta admit I almost upgraded my mk II to mk III just for those meters

 

[SP Wild]

ugh...I can see where this is going...more useable power or a useless VU meter....not sure, decision too difficult to make. 

 

[Argo Duck]

Well, depends whether you can get a Mk II as they're not made any more. You'd have a hard job persuading me to sell mine

Seriously, the III has lots of other changes and improvements - balanced out, increased gain, a "lucid-plus" mode and so on. The gain is a good thing. The II sounds fine (and more transparent) straight from a DAC but it does gain (sometimes hugely) in dynamics with either a preamp or a high-output DAC...

 

[SP Wild]

Well my dac outputs 2.5v single ended and if that isn't enough I can easily bring in the matching preamp which extends the output of the dac in all current domain from dac to amp.