If you love S.E.T. amplifiers, then you know why you're here... If you're new to the Single-Ended Triode (S.E.T.) concept, here's your chance to get it right the first time !
In it's 12th year of production,
this 6 watt per channel S.E.T. amplifier's popularity has withstood the test of time. It's been upgraded three times over the years with subtle improvements, but this time the change is big!
For the first time since it's release this wonderful amp is bridgeable into mono using the Decware Series Floating Output Bridge that eliminates the typical smear you get when you combine the channels of stereo amplifiers.
Also for the first time in this amp, you'll have meters that turn your amplifier into a real time tube tester for each output tube! This lets you see at a glance if your tubes match, and how strong they are.
Own one of the best sounding production SET amplifiers in
the world without the expense or biasing hassles common to so many
competitors. Tubes last a long time here.
Similar to our 2 watt amplifier that started Decware, this is an
execution with the purist in mind. It has only 1 capacitor in the
signal path. There is no feedback of any kind so it's a heavy dose
of the completely 3D imaging Decware amplifiers are known for. Of
course it goes against the grain with great bass and a very extended
top end, wonderful neutrality and more density than you would think
possible from only 6 watts!
 It's an easy
amplifier
to
own because there is no maintenance and no bias pots to
adjust. Tubes last a long time. There are no vent holes to
let dirt and dust contaminate the inside. There are no circuit
boards to crack or burn up, and we've got you back with a lifetime warranty.
You will simply turn it on and enjoy the
music, every time.
*
Taking advantage of the unique qualities of the EL34 this
amp comes standard with the Hazen Grid Mod. As a result, the
transparency and musicality it has sets a new benchmark for EL34 that
exceeds directly heated triode amplifiers at twice the price.
More
on
the
Hazen
Grid
Technology
(also
known
as
the
Christmas Comes Early
mod)
can
be
found
here and in our forums,
here.
This
amplifier features an interchangeable wood base design. That
means you can choose how you want it to look or even change it's look
down the road by changing the wood base it sets in!
You can select from the Black Figured Base
(shown at the top of this web page) OR the Contemporary Walnut Base
(shown here). Different woods can be selected from the shopping
cart. The Black Figured base is only available in Black.
There
are
also
some
knob
choices.
From
left
to
right
are
Ebony,
Gold,
Black, Cream, Walnut (matches the contemporary walnut
base). You can configure your amp with any of these knobs
from within the shopping
cart.
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS CAN BE SELECTED IN THE SHOPPING CART:
(Screen shot from the shopping cart.)
OPTIONS EXPLAINED:
Tubes
Ship the amplifier without tubes and waive the 30 day trial. Saves
$150.00 This option is for people on a tight budget. We highly recommend
getting the amp with our tubes because we know it will sound right, and
the tubes have been testing in the amplifier.
6N2P
This options gives you both the standard 6N1P's and these higher gain 6N2P's so you'll have both
kinds to try. It's like having two completely different sounding amplifiers
Inputs
You can configure your amplifier with one, two, or four pair of inputs
for up to 4 sources. We also offer Silver RCA jacks as an upgrade over
the stock gold plated jacks.
Outputs
If your configuration has a volume control, then you have the option of
adding variable line level outputs. These outputs can be used to
driver a second amp (bi-amping) or a subwoofer(s). The signal
coming from these outputs will match the signature of the amplifier.
That means you could run this amp on mids and highs and a "slave" amp
on the bass that takes on the signature of the tube amp for a more
coherent sound.
Signal Capacitors
The amplifier comes standard with Cryo-Treated High Temperature Beeswax
Capacitors with silver leads from Jupiter. Alternately we have a type
II Beeswax capacitor that uses flat stacked copper foil and beeswax that
we feel pushes the amplifier's fidelity to a justifiably higher place.
And finally, you can also elect to have the amplifier made with Teflon
VCAP's which have been a popular upgrade in Decware amplifiers since the
beginning.
Volume Control
We offer a 20 step 1% precision metal film attenuator with gold contacts
as an optional replacement for the stock volume controls. These
are not needed to hear how good the amp sounds... they're really just
icing on the cake for that last 5% improvement.
THESE OPTIONS CAN BE ADDED AT PURCHASE OR ANY TIME DOWN THE ROAD AND ARE REVERSIBLE
OUTPUT TRANSFORMER COUPLING
The Zen is a very stable
amplifier capable of driving all high efficiency loudspeakers
because of it's transformer-coupled output stage. This creates a
hand-shake between the amplifier and the loudspeaker and protects the
speaker from DC voltages should a tube ever fail. Of course most
tube
amplifiers use output transformers, which tend to be the most expensive
single components in the amp. This is where most amplifiers fall
short
by trying to impress you with big heavy transformers of average or low
quality. The more power the amp has, the more likely it is to use
moderate quality transformers - at best.
Decware transformers were
designed and are built specifically and only for THIS amplifier.
They
use the highest quality grain-oriented silicon steel laminated cores
with exhaustive interleaving to produce the most phase coherent wide
bandwidth sound
possible. Our transformers have always been proprietary and are a
big
part of the secret behind the Decware sound.
VOLTAGES
This amplifier comes standard with our World
Voltage Compatible Transformer. Your amp will be automatically wired
for the correct voltage for your country and be supplied with the
correct removable power cord.
TUBES
The
stock configuration
is a pair of 6N1P's driving a pair of EL34 output
tubes. You can
use 6N2P's, 6DJ8's, 7DJ8's or 6922's in place of the
6N1P's.
Output tubes can also be "rolled" with KT77's, 6550's
and KT88's or even
6L6's. Output tube life
is whatever the tube is rated for. This amp does
not drive tubes
hard so you can expect a long healthy tube life.
Because this amp
has the Hazen Grid Mod that activates only when EL34's
are used, we
ship the amp with the top grade EL34/6CA7 that have
been fully tested IN the amplifier. All tubes come with a 90 day
warranty.
BIASING
The
amplifier is self
biasing so you NEVER have to set or adjust the bias for the output
tubes. If you've ever owned an amplifier that you had to bias all
the time you'll completely appreciate this design. Most amps are
not self-biasing because it reduces the potential power output that you
could otherwise get out of the tubes. We're not overly concerned
about getting the max possible power, only the max possible
fidelity. The less efficient self-biasing approach usually sounds
better and
removes the headache of biasing tubes.
IDEAL SPEAKERS
We have
successfully driven hundreds of different
loudspeakers ranging in efficiency from 90 to 100dB 1w/1m. On 90dB
speakers it works nicely in smaller rooms or for late night out of body
experiences. 94 to 96 dB speakers are almost ideal in that they let you
play beyond a normal listening level and preserve the dynamic
headroom. When these amplifiers were first designed in 1997 there were
a minimal number of "high efficiency" speakers to choose from. Today
that is no longer the case - they are everywhere. We also offer several
different types of
loudspeakers that will work with this amp.
If you
own speakers that
you love and are afraid this may not drive them
understand two things:
A) Most people report that it drove their speakers
louder than they were expecting and B) a good tube preamp can
really turn this amp on giving you more volume before
clipping.
CABLES
This
amplifier is so transparent that
differences between cables will now become big differences. If you
don't have good interconnects or speaker cables or just you're just not
sure how
good yours are... we offer reference quality cables that will let you
hear the amplifier's full potential. It is important to us that
you hear what your new amp is capable of so we provide the same cables
Steve Deckert, the designer, uses in his own personal system.
SUPPORT
This
amplifier is hand built in the USA by
DECWARE / High Fidelity Engineering C0. It comes with a lifetime
warranty to the original owner. If you purchase one second hand and
ever have questions or technical problems we WILL be happy to check it
out for you and service it if needed for a very reasonable rate.
We also
have a support forum
with
many people who own this amplifier who's experiences you may benefit
from.
REVIEWS
You may
read
reviews
on
this
amp going back 12 years.
HISTORY of
REVISIONS
|
SE34-I /
Manufactured from 2000 to 2004
The original Integrated featured 4 output tubes, each with their own
transformer making it ideal for bi-amping, but a little complicated for
some people's taste.
|
|
SE34I.2 / Manufactured from
2004 to 2009.
The 4 output tubes were traded for 2 output tubes and 2 rectifiers
making the amp simpler to operate and giving it better
transparency. The power stayed the same.
|
|
SE34I.2+ /
Manufactured from
2009 to 2012.
The output tube section was upgraded with the Hazen Grid Mod pushing
the performance and fidelity of the EL34 beyond what any of us thought
possible. And the amp is now also compatible with KT77, KT88 and
6550 output tubes.
|
|
SE34I.3 / Manufactured from
2012 to 2014.
This is where things obviously changed with the addition of meters and a
cleaner layout both internally and externally. Circuit remains
the same, power supply is simplified reducing heat and cost of operation.
|
|
SE34I.4 / New
The top plate was changed from white painted
aluminum to black powder
coated steel adding considerable mass to the
chassis. These are
also now made standard with Cryo Treated Beeswax
Capacitors like all of the latest Decware amplifiers with black top
plates.
|
This Single-ended zero feedback amplifier requires no
adjustments
or maintenance other than changing tubes every couple years. It is a
self biasing design using the EL34 and compatible output
tubes
wired in triode.
| Weight
|
|
18 lbs. ea.
|
| Dimensions
|
|
8.0" H x 16"
W x 12.0" D
|
| Circuit type
|
|
Single ended
Class A Triode
|
| Power output
|
|
5.8 watts
RMS into 8 ohms
|
| Input voltage
|
|
2.5 volts for
full output
|
| Noise / Hum
|
|
Less
than 1.5 millivolts
|
| Response
|
|
20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
|
| Feedback
|
|
ZERO negative
feedback used
|
| Rectification
|
|
5U4G / tube
rectification
|
| Output tubes
|
|
EL34 or KT77 or
KT88 or 6550
|
| Signal tube
|
|
6N1P or 6922 or
6Dj8 or 6N2P
|
| Transformers
|
|
Decware
|
| Biasing
|
|
Self-Biasing
|
| Resistors
|
|
precision WW/MF
by DALE, VISHAY
|
| Signal Cap
|
|
Polyurethane
Film
|
| AC cord
|
|
Removable power
cord
|
| Consumption
|
|
85 watts at
full power
|
| Input jacks
|
|
RCA type 24K
Gold / Teflon
|
| Output
jacks
|
|
5-way
binding
posts
accept
8 gauge wire
|
| Speaker
dB/1w
|
|
89
dB
minimum
/
96
dB
or higher is
ideal
|
| Warranty
|
|
Lifetime
to
original
owner
|
RELATED
INFO
download pdf now
|
