Decware.com

[Cam 10+ year member]

Does this dude know what he's talking about? he has a LOT of technical information on his site about verious audiophile subjects, but he seems like an odd duck with his "zen" design processes and oddball designs. I just wonder if it's worth trying to understand all the stuff he's saying about audio science.

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[CBFryman2 5,000+ posts]

Decware > Joo

SOme of his designes are a little overhyped, but they all work flawlessly. IE I havent heard a complaint yet.

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

I've built 3 DBII for 12's and a WO. All have been good to me!

*waits for the glow-bug junkie*

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Steve's a pimp, and his wife is uberhot on the phone when you call for tech support //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I disagree with some of his "treatises", like Chris mentioned some of the things he writes about are a little sketchy. For example, he sells overpriced interconnects, but so does almost everyone else in the hi-fi industry today //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

But his engineering is solid. I've owned two Decware products (a pretty heavily modded SE84CS Zen and a CSP preamp), and the only complaint I ever had with them was that the CSP was way too noisy with my system. AC heaters for the filaments just didn't work in my application, and I preferred the ergonomics of the Rogue 66 anyway. But man do I miss that Zen, why did I sell it...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crying.gif.ec0ebefe590df0251476573bc49e46d8.gif

http://www.carstereos.org/gallery/showimage.php?i=4014&c=189

http://www.carstereos.org/gallery/showimage.php?i=4015&c=189

 

[PESteele 10+ year member]

i don understand his amps only put out like 6 watts

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

i don understand his amps only put out like 6 watts

Seems like you understand perfectly //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

The SE84 Zen does a little less than that actually, around 2wpc RMS...

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

Ive built and used a DBII 10" Sounded pretty good.

 

[PESteele 10+ year member]

i might just be a dumbass cause im to lazy to read but what good is a 2 watt amp

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

i might just be a dumbass cause im to lazy to read but what good is a 2 watt amp

If you have the right speakers...quite good.

Low power amps require you to match them with the speakers very well - you need both high efficiency (dB/W ratings in the mid '90s) and relatively flat impedance curves to make an easy load for the amp to drive. My Klipsch Forte II's are 96dB/W, and the 3.5 watts I had coming out of my 2A3 integrated was plenty to make them rock. But even that was a little too inefficient, so I upgraded to 8 watts //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif The guy I sold the amp to had homebuilt horns somewhere in the 110dB/W range.

As long as you know how the amplifier's output stage and speaker are reacting with each other, you can run crazy low amounts of power without any problems - but this takes planning and thought, and therefore isn't popular with the receiver-and-tiny-box-speakers crowd //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

Decware is the only site that I've put $30 into, have nothing physically to show for it, but don't regret in the slightest bit. His designs are very solid performers, albeit some need LOTS of volume (Wicked one, housewrecker), and his technical article provide a lot of insight.

 

[PESteele 10+ year member]

so you have to find the right speakers that match perfectly with it

 

[PESteele 10+ year member]

still there expensive

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

so you have to find the right speakers that match perfectly with it

Pretty much...will make or break the system //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

still there expensive

For pre-built stuff, it's a steal.

You can DIY cheaper, of course...but even then, you're looking at $200 to replicate a Zen.