[Pentode Guy]

  I am still waiting for a response from Steve.  The noise in my taboo off the 4pin XLR is a loud hissing/wailing tone, not a humming one.  When I touch the left speaker taps between + and -, the noise would change tone like I am playing an electronic saxophone.  When I touch the right speaker tap shorting + and -, the noise would decrease significantly to barely audible.  Also, if I plugged another HP into the 1/4" TRS while the HE500 in the XLR, the noise will disappear.  All these are with both lucid modes off.  This is just so frustrating...

 
I've been following your posts and your problem with the Taboo. IIRC, Steve built you a new Taboo.
It seems like Decware is having issue with QC. I'm worried my Taboo on order will be having some issues too. Sending the unit back several times is really a big hassle even if Steve pays shipping back and forth.

 

[koiloco]

   
I've been following your posts and your problem with the Taboo. IIRC, Steve built you a new Taboo.
It seems like Decware is having issue with QC. I'm worried my Taboo on order will be having some issues too. Sending the unit back several times is really a big hassle even if Steve pays shipping back and forth.

 
I might be the unlucky one but so far, I am not impressed.  I live in the US but like you said, it is a big hassle shipping back and forth on top of my time.  Not to mention, not being able to enjoy the unit at all so far.  For something that costs couple hundred dollars, it's not acceptable.  For something that's 10x more, it's absolutely beyond unacceptable.  You might have better luck than me.

 

[clowkoy]

A Decware Problems Thread ?
I personally received a CSP2+ (long gone) with reversed line out.

 

[ZenTriode]

Hi Koiloco,
 
I just thought I would check in here as I occasionally like to do, and noticed your post.  As you might know, we had our annual DECFEST here on Friday, Sat, Sunday and have been closed so I haven't worked my way down the list of e-mails far enough to see yours yet.  Today is my first day back to work, assuming cleaning up after the fest isn't work
 
Naturally I wasn't any more pleased than you to find out you are now having more problems.  I completely understand your frustration and have no problem with your sending it back.  However there are a couple things that I think are important to point out regarding our Quality Control...  
 
A) The problem you originally had with your Taboo turned out to be the DAC not the Taboo.  The amp was perfect.
B) The problem and or cause of the problem you're having now can not be confirmed until the amp makes it's way back here and is re-tested ~ making it too early to jump to conclusions.
 
Irregardless we still feel bad that you are having so many issues with it.
 
 
- Steve

 

[koiloco]

  Hi Koiloco,
 
I just thought I would check in here as I occasionally like to do, and noticed your post.  As you might know, we had our annual DECFEST here on Friday, Sat, Sunday and have been closed so I haven't worked my way down the list of e-mails far enough to see yours yet.  Today is my first day back to work, assuming cleaning up after the fest isn't work
 
Naturally I wasn't any more pleased than you to find out you are now having more problems.  I completely understand your frustration and have no problem with your sending it back.  However there are a couple things that I think are important to point out regarding our Quality Control...  
 
A) The problem you originally had with your Taboo turned out to be the DAC not the Taboo.  The amp was perfect.
B) The problem and or cause of the problem you're having now can not be confirmed until the amp makes it's way back here and is re-tested ~ making it too early to jump to conclusions.
 
Irregardless we still feel bad that you are having so many issues with it.
 
 
- Steve

Steve,
Thank you for posting and let me know what's going on.  I will ship the taboo back to you today.  UPS ground.

 

[koiloco]

A Decware Problems Thread ?
I personally received a CSP2+ (long gone) with reversed line out.

  I am glad I am not the only one.  Though, I am still very much in love with the SQ of the taboo.

 

[ZenTriode]

koiloco,
 
I got your Taboo MK III back today along with the tubes and found an input tube that was excessively noisy (hum).  I know it was not noisy when it left here because I personally did the final QC on the amp.  That means that either the tube was compromised during shipping or simply contained a defect that took several days to show up.  Either way, if the tube was like this when you had it, it may have contributed to the weird noise that you heard.  From your earlier descriptions the noise sounds like it might have been an oscillation.  I have never been able to make a Taboo oscillate with a bad input tube... but perhaps we shouldn't discount that there is always a first time for everything.  
 
Since the unit was tested with both the bad tube and a good tube and found to be in perfect shape, no problems or noises found whatsoever, it leads me to suspect a problem with the headphone cable perhaps having an intermittent ground on one channel or the other.  I am of course assuming it is the same cable you have been using all along.
 
I know you're new to tubes, and now that father murphy has gotten involved you're frustrated and I completely understand.  Please contact me via my private e-mail to confirm that you want to return the unit.  
 
Thanks,
 
Steve

 

[koiloco]

Steve,
 
Please check your private email @decware.com.  I just forwarded the email I sent you/Sarah on Wed when I shipped out the taboo.

 

[negura]

  Thanks,
 
Steve

 
Hi Steve,
 
How's the Taboo expected to work with these:
http://www.audeze.com/products/headphones/lcd-x
 
New 22Ohms planars from Audeze. More efficient.
 
Thx.

 

[longbowbbs]

Judging how well it does with the 300 ohm Sennheiser's in both SE and Balanced I would expect it to be a nice match with the new Audeze's.

 

[jazzgas]

   
Hi Steve,
 
How's the Taboo expected to work with these:
http://www.audeze.com/products/headphones/lcd-x
 
New 22Ohms planars from Audeze. More efficient.
 
Thx.

Negura,  those look interesting.  I'm looking forward to some reviews of both these and the closed Cans....so at $1700 are the $2000 LCD 3s still superior....or maybe just different.  I'm still waiting for the  Balanced Silver Widows I ordered long ago for my LCD 2.2s.  I recently added a Decware ZP3 phono stage bought used that has a hum and will be returned to the seller soon. Today I added a Rega RP-6 TT with Exact 2 MM Cart into the mix.....WOW the Rega, ZP3, Taboo and LCD 2.2 combo is amazing.  I've never heard this much detail from my albums before.  I also have a brand spanking new CSP-3 that's been waiting patiently since last Wednesday to be added to the mix...and a pair of Zu Audio "Soul" speakers that arrived last week.  All in due time.  Mark. 

 

[mwindham08]

  Negura,  those look interesting.  I'm looking forward to some reviews of both these and the closed Cans....so at $1700 are the $2000 LCD 3s still superior....or maybe just different.  I'm still waiting for the  Balanced Silver Widows I ordered long ago for my LCD 2.2s.  I recently added a Decware ZP3 phono stage bought used that has a hum and will be returned to the seller soon. Today I added a Rega RP-6 TT with Exact 2 MM Cart into the mix.....WOW the Rega, ZP3, Taboo and LCD 2.2 combo is amazing.  I've never heard this much detail from my albums before.  I also have a brand spanking new CSP-3 that's been waiting patiently since last Wednesday to be added to the mix...and a pair of Zu Audio "Soul" speakers that arrived last week.  All in due time.  Mark. 

I think everyone is a little confused between the 3 and the X. If the lcd 3 is still the better headphone I would always pay the extra 300 dollars or buy a used lcd 3 for the same price.
Surely they will just be different, they will kill their sales of the lcd 3 if the X is the better and cheaper headphone. Still makes you wonder how different they actually will be. Audeze is also 
coming out with a DAC/Amp now too. Seems they have been very busy the last 2 years.
 
You will love your silver widows, definitely worth the wait. I think Frank is almost all caught up so I would say you should be getting them soon.

 

[Argo Duck]

Agreed about the LCD3 - I will still go for them (next year now) if they're the better hp. OTOH LCD-X specs are interesting - a yet lighter diaphragm and 22 ohms (presumably still flat, resistive) impedance. Taboos should love these.

Of course it's not unheard of for later tech to outdo earlier at a lower price (perhaps it is unheard of in high-end audio? :evil. I await impressions with interest.

 

[negura]

They're coming through: http://www.head-fi.org/t/684394/audeze-lcd-x/120#post_9883562
 
I'm tempted. But, as history teaches us with Audeze, it might be a good idea to wait for a while before pulling the trigger.

 

[Argo Duck]

Yeah I should've read that thread first! Of course, Decware threads are always my first read

Guess you'd expect better transient response from the yet lighter diaphragm. So in terms of mass LCD-X < LCD-3 < LCD-2 (where '<' means "lighter and quicker").

Interesting...sounds like it's a different sound from the "Audez'e house sound"...still, early days...