The Decware TABOO MK 111 Thread
Aug 17, 2013 at 1:55 PM Post #1,216 of 2,112
Aug 17, 2013 at 1:57 PM Post #1,217 of 2,112
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Anything in particular you've learnt that facilitated your decision to order the CSP3? :)

 
Well, a couple things. Okay a few. I tend to be long winded so hang on. 
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 .....But I think this info may be useful to others so I'll post it. There was a lot of info passed along so forgive me if I botch something or misunderstand. 
 
1) Speaking with Steve, I got a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of using the CSP3 paired with the Taboo in a system that is 90% headphone use. The advantages are several. Better punch and weight to the music with an overall sonic improvement. A wider degree of adjustment overall to "tweak" the system to your liking. Other than rolling tubes on the Taboo, you have tubes to roll in the pre, all the trim settings, etc. One thing he mentioned that I thought was interesting was this: Have you had a listening session that just wasn't grabbing you? For whatever reason - the music track, the gear, tubes, headphones combo just wasn't doing anything special for whatever reason. Well since the CSP also has it's own headphone out, try plugging into the other output and you have another window into the music. Then "oh yeah, that's it!" .....Or something along those lines. 
 
He also mentioned that the CSP in the system will make 9 out of 10 DAC's sound much much better. Basically getting all the tube goodness as the analog stage, and creating a stronger signal for the Taboo gets you a good jump in overall sound quality. An interesting thing we discussed is this - My DAC (Audio-gd SA-1.32) has a low and high gain setting, 1.25 and 2.5v. This was kind of speculation on Steve's part, but he mentioned that possibly the low gain stage is more pure than the high gain stage, which may have additional circuitry, etc to boost the signal. So using the low gain setting and having the CSP do the "heavy lifting" may add a bit more. Again, just speculation depending on how the low/high gain in my DAC is handled. 
 
Basically, if you like the sound of their amplifiers, the system that has both CSP and Taboo in it has enough tweakability to optimize for any headphone you may have. And speakers too. All good stuff and looking to be an end game setup for me. Lots of good information shared. 
 
To balance all the upsides, there is one downside to adding the CSP..... A slight loss of transparency. Steve mentioned that since their gear is so transparent to begin with, this is a pretty small consideration. The loss of transparency can be mitigated by using proper silver interconnects, careful tube selection, using stepped attenuators in the units. Also possibly by using low gain in my DAC as mentioned above. 
 
2) Now the other thing that helped cement my decision on the CSP3 is the manner in which my questions about the hum issue with the Taboo were addressed. It is a big deal for me to have a company that stands behind their products. Even though my unit was bought second-hand, DeVon assured me that it would be repaired, no question about it. Just as part of the warranty transfer. That is if it is indeed faulty and needs repair. 
 
Had I heard a response such as, "Uh, well hum may be normal, blah blah, maybe there's nothing wrong with it...all people hear differently" or "sure, we will charge you a whole bunch to look at it and repair it, blah blah" ...some sort of run-around....Well if I heard that kind of thing, I would be questioning if I even wanted to keep the unit, let alone expand the system with more of their products. But the response I got was reassuring and helpful and friendly. Pretty much, "don't worry we will fix it" My kind of company I want to deal with. 
 
Sorry for the long winded response, but there was a lot of good info shared and I figured it's good stuff to pass along.
 
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Let us know how the filter goes.

 
Will do! Should be here Thursday
 
Quote:
Another good example of why Decware is so good. The product and the service are top notch!

 
Yup!
 
Aug 17, 2013 at 2:11 PM Post #1,218 of 2,112
Thanks for the detailed summary. This should be reassuring for many and the reasons I ordered the CSP3+ are along these lines. 
 
I have actually requested to cancel my CSP3+ order. If anyone reading this has the intention to place a new CSP3+ order and wants to try and get my place in the line, please PM me and I will contact Decware to propose to change the owner for my order. The reason for this is I am moving 100% into electrostats and will be selling all my dynamic heapdhones gear in 3-4 months or so, when my SR009s are ready. Which is a pity as I LOVE the Taboo, but I can't have two sets of gear. My new electrostatic amplifier will be connected in balanced mode to the PWD2 so no joy with the CSP3.
 
Aug 17, 2013 at 2:48 PM Post #1,219 of 2,112
Joining the mafia....They made you an offer you couldn't refuse...
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Aug 17, 2013 at 9:27 PM Post #1,221 of 2,112
Quote:
Joining the mafia....They made you an offer you couldn't refuse...
biggrin.gif

 
I don't know what you are talking about. And even if I knew I can't confirm anything. 
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But the SR007s have already convinced me a while ago and it gets better from there. The rest is a matter of time. 
 
Aug 20, 2013 at 6:58 PM Post #1,223 of 2,112
Since everyone has been speculating on the new CSP3 on this thread I thought this would be the best place to give you guys the first look at CSP3 Serial No. 001. Arrived via UPS about an hour ago. Sorry for the poor photos taken with an old Motorola cellphone.  The CSP3 in photos has all of the options Steve currently offers. Notice the new headphone jacks. You can order it with dual phono's or dual XLRs, but not a mix of each (which is what I originally ordered). Before he shipped my CSP3 out he called to tell me that he decided against offering a mix of phono/xlr jacks.
 

 

 

 
Aug 20, 2013 at 7:15 PM Post #1,224 of 2,112
Wow, very similar looking and layout as the current Taboo.  Nice...
 
Aug 20, 2013 at 7:48 PM Post #1,225 of 2,112
Whoa! So they got some wood base CSP3+'s out. Thanks for the pics. Any day now and mine will ship, I hope.
 
Aug 21, 2013 at 7:42 PM Post #1,227 of 2,112
Too quiet today.
 
Thanks for the good tips towards the Philips EL84s. The ones I decided to go for are these: Philips Miniwatt EL84 made in Holland in the Sittard Factory . rX2 construction with D getters. Word is these are actually Amperex, but branded Philips/Miniwatt. I generally had excellent experience with other 1950s tubes. But oh boy do these sound fantastic. 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400547704479?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
 
Finally a complete upgrade over the stock output tubes, as they retain and improve the transparency, but with better details, bass, attack, exceptional clarity and some really fantastic mids. I only had them for a few days but very pleased so far.
 
What I am rolling with at the moment:
Amperex "pinched waist" 6922 (1950s)
Philips Miniwatt EL84 D getter (1950s)
RCA double D getter 1951
 
I am still waiting on the WE274B to complete my rectifer round-up. That will be the last rectifier in the collection.
 
Aug 21, 2013 at 10:43 PM Post #1,228 of 2,112
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I am still waiting on the WE274B to complete my rectifer round-up. That will be the last rectifier in the collection.

 
Ooooo spendy. Never heard that one. It had better not be the best. :p
 
Aug 21, 2013 at 11:00 PM Post #1,229 of 2,112
Aug 22, 2013 at 7:30 AM Post #1,230 of 2,112
Here is Steve's e-mail about gear updates:
 
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This is a note that I am sending out to everyone on our customer appreciation list...
At the end of this e-mail is important info about discounts and price increases.
I am still recovering from a back injury, so I'm not going to be able to get the web site updated as soon as I'd like.  This means a huge opportunity for savings on your end if you're contemplating getting more Decware gear.
We have been slowly transitioning our entire line of tube gear from white to black.  I have finally got all of the chassis done and in stock as I write this.  Besides switching to this exquisite black typewriter finish, we are also changing from aluminum to steel.  The steel adds four times the mass and many additional pounds to each amplifier.  It also costs more, but by lowing the resonant frequency of the chassis with this high mass steel, we get blacker backgrounds and a much harder chassis to bend during shipping mishaps.
Another thing I was able to do is create a separate chassis for every product, which allows me to further optimize and improve things.  In the past, our CSP2 preamp used the same chassis as our SE84ZS (Zen Select) and the Taboo amplifiers!  Now each has it's own, and the layouts have been vastly improved. An example of this can be seen in the pictures below where we see the Zen Select (Model SE84ZS) change into the new (SE84CKCS)  Besides meters and optional balanced inputs, things like the source switch have been moved to the front where it's far easier to access.  Speaker jacks have also been reconfigured to make using these amps in your favorite rack a more friendly experience.
 




Old Zen Select (model SE84ZS still on the site today!)
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New Zen Select (model SE84CKCS getting ready to go on site soon!)
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New Preamp (Model CSP3)
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Here's a quick shot of our new CSP3 that I snapped with my phone.  It has too many improvements to list here, but as you can see it now has dual headphone jacks in the front, and all the trim controls an source selector switch have been moved to the front where it's far easier to use.  This also makes it possible to configure your preamp for XLR headphone cables, 3 or 4 pin, when you order.  Beeswax caps will now fit into the internal layout and will become an option for the first time ever on this wonderful preamp.  



BEESWAX caps - Cryo treated HT Jupiter caps with silver leads are a buzz these days when referencing Decware gear and that is because we are transitioning our entire line of tube gear over to these incredible capacitors at the same time we change from the white to black models.  This will make it very easy to know if a Decware product came with Beeswax caps.... since most black models will come that way.


The LIST so far - Price Increases

OK -  Here's how it works.   Whenever we come out with a new product, those people on our build sheet with standing orders are automatically upgraded to the new model at the old model price.
 
I am obligated to charge what 's listed on the web site, so until I have time to update the site, you can buy these new more expensive models at the current prices.
 
We are now finishing the CSP3.  This new model will likely cost a few hundred bucks more.  You can order a CSP2+ from the site now, and lock yourself into the old price.  We are still running over 8 weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to discover the options it now comes with and modify your order if need be.  Remember, we don't charge until the units are ready to ship, so you have some time to arrange funds.
 
The TORII MK III is days away from becoming the TORII MK IV  and this is really big, because we've figured out how to make it sound even better if you can believe that!  The new amp will come standard with beeswax caps and there will be a significant price increase.  Get your TORII ordered now before I update the web site and save yourself a few hundred bucks minimum.

 
The Super Zen has been a great success, but became as good or better than the Zen Select, which was designed to be and upgraded version of the Regular Zen Triode.  So we have also updated that with meters, and many internal improvements so that it is indeed a step up from the SuperZen as it should be.  Again, if you want one, order the SE84ZS and you'll automatically be upgraded to the new model without the couple hundred dollar price increase!
 
The main thing is to get your orders in as soon as possible before I get the site pages updated.  This will secure your position in the list and lock you in at the old price.   I can answer questions about the changes and options by e-mail or phone once your order is placed.  We can easily tweak your order to achieve the configurations you want so no need to panic about options.  I'll work with each one of you individually.
 
 
 
 



- Steve Deckert

Decware / High Fidelity Engineering Co.
75 S. Riverview Dr. East Peoria IL 61611
Website: www.decware.com
Blog: zenamps.wordpress.com
Phone: (309) 822 5255





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75 S Riverview Dr., East Peoria, IL 61611, USA 

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