Decware SE84C+ Zen Triode Stereo Amplifier Reviewed Going a different route with their amp, Decware's SE84C+ is a single ended triode amp with, wait for it. 2.3 watts into 4 ohms. Feb 10, 2018 The Zen Torii MKIV twenty-five watts per channel amp is sold direct by Decware for $3,499 (about £2,540 or AU$4,400). The main thing I appreciated about my Zen Torii MKIV listening sessions was. May 08, 2012 I was initially looking at the Zen TORII MK3, however after reviewing a number of posts here, some other Decware products from the SE84C+ and TABOO to the MINI TORII have been highly recommended for driving an efficient speaker. I would be driving a pair of Klipsch Forte II's at 99dB.

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Decware SE34-I Integrated Amplifier

A dual-mono, integrated, single-ended triode amplifier

Decware SE34-I Integrated Amplifier

Product: SE34-I Integrated Amplifier
Manufacturer: Decware, High Performance Audio - USA
Retail price: $1,495.00 USD
Reviewer: Richard George
Reviewed: May, 2002

I was initially looking at the Zen TORII MK3, however after reviewing a number of posts here, some other Decware products from the SE84C+ and TABOO to the MINI TORII have been highly recommended for driving an efficient speaker. I would be driving a pair of Klipsch Forte II's at 99dB. AN OWNER'S REVIEW OF THE DECWARE TORII JR. In 2016 Decware owner dovishly posted this review of his newly-arrived Decware Torii Jr. He wrote:' I am a committed Decware user for six or seven years now, starting with the Torii MKII. For the past couple years I have run a pair of the 6-watt Zen monoblocks, driving my ZOB.

Do you savor the sweet and sultry sound of a directly-heated, single-ended triode like a 2A3? Perhaps you prefer the incredible speed, accuracy, and detail found in the best single-ended pseudo-triode amps, like those using the SV83 tube. Maybe, 1.5 to 3 watts per channel isn't enough, and you long for more potent output from a 300B amplifier. Perhaps you prefer to compromise: decent power with very good detail. Or, maybe you want them all, but you can't afford several amps or sets of monoblocs. In the last few years, tube amplifiers have become more common, more affordable, and more versatile than at any time in recent memory.

Steve Deckert is the founder and chief engineer of High Fidelity Engineering, better known as Decware. As such, he is primarily responsible for Decware's somewhat eccentric, high fidelity-oriented, audio products. Decware is known for producing amplifiers and preamps based on very inexpensive and easily obtainable tubes, very simple circuits, and assembled from high quality components. Their first, and most popular product, the SE84 Zen Triode, is a prime example. The current version of this little amplifier, the SE84C, uses the 5Y3GT rectifier, SV83 pentode, and 6N1P dual-triode tubes. It has been lauded by most who have heard it. While it has very low power output, its low price combined with tremendous speed and detail have made it a favorite of many audio enthusiasts who cannot afford, or simply choose not to spend thousands of dollars on esoteric equipment with prestigious brand names. Not surprisingly, the most vocal critics of the little Zen amp have been other manufacturers, although there are a few that now make products with similar designs.

Decware builds two different preamps and several models of stereo and monobloc power amplifiers based on the Zen circuit. Missing from Decware's lineup was an integrated amplifier. Enter: the SE34-I, a stereo, integrated amplifier that combines basic circuit designs of Decware's ZTPre preamplifier and the Zen Triode power amp, but with a major difference: instead of using Decware's ubiquitous SV83 output tube, the SE34-I uses EL34 pentodes.

What Is the SE34-I?

The SE34-I is an integrated, stereo amplifier that uses three 6N1P dual-triode tubes, one for the preamp circuit, two as driver tubes, and four EL34 pentode output tubes wired in triode mode. The unit is built into a metallic brown, powder-coated, steel chassis. Two large power transformers are located on top of the chassis near the back edge. As with all Decware power amplifiers, the output transformers are inside in the front portion of the unit. All of the tubes are located on top of the chassis in front of the power transformers. From the custom-wound transformers to the resistors and the Alps volume pot, high quality parts are used throughout. All wiring is point-to-point; there are no circuit boards in this amp.

Nearly all the controls are placed on the top of the chassis. Two toggle switches next to the driver tubes change the circuit voltage between the preamp and each of the driver tubes. A third toggle, which is centered between the driver tubes, changes the output tube bias. The two rocker switches, located at the front edge of the unit, are stand-by switches. The right knob controls the volume, while the left knob is the input selector. The main power switch is located on the back of the unit, along with four pairs of gold-plated, RCA input jacks. There are four speaker binding posts per channel. Options include preamp and tape output jacks, which were not included on the test unit.

The design of this integrated stereo amplifier is unique. The integrated preamp is a dual-mono unit that uses a circuit similar to Decware's ZTPre. However, the gain stage shares one tube for both channels, and, of course, it is not isolated within a vibration-damping sub-chassis, as is the ZTPre. There are four line-level inputs, but no phono stage. Instead of utilizing a single, stereo power amplifier as is commonly done with integrated amplifiers, the SE34-I combines two mono power amps into one chassis, hence the dual power transformers. Each power amplifier uses a pair of EL34 output tubes, but they are connected in a very unusual manner. While the layout looks like a push-pull arrangement, with one driver tube and two output tubes per channel, in fact, the topology is single-ended with two tubes per channel operating in parallel or in series, depending on the user's choice. Since there are four output transformers, two for each side, the SE34-I may be operated with only one output tube per channel.
In addition, since the EL34 tube can be wired as a pseudo-triode or a true-triode, Steve has done both - the inside pair of tubes are wired for true triode, and the outside pair of tubes are wired for pseudo-triode. Each tube has its own pair of binding posts. As such, if the two inside tubes are removed and the speaker cables are attached to the two outside binding posts, the amplifier operates in pseudo-triode mode at about 3.4 watts per channel.
Conversely, if the two outside tubes are removed and the speaker cables are connected to the two inside binding posts, the amplifier operates in true-triode mode at about the same power output. When using two tubes per channel and wired in parallel, the SE34-I produces about 7 wpc. Series wiring produces less power than parallel, but still more than single-tube operation. Another aspect of the quad speaker binding posts per channel is that a user has the option to run two speakers with single cables, two speakers with bi-wiring, or four speakers - all two channel, of course.

The SE34-I was tested with four sources including a nOrh CD-1, tube-output CD-player, a Pioneer DV-525 DVD player with a slightly modified ART DI/O DAC, and a Dynavector DV20X and Benz Micro Gold phono cartridges using Creek Audio OBH-8 and OBH-9SE phono preamps.
The speakers included Moth Audio Cicada (single-driver, bass-reflex, 94dB), Hornshoppe Horns (single-driver, horn-loaded, 94dB), and nOrh SM 6.9 (2-way, bass-reflex, with a synthetic marble, inverted horn cabinet, 88dB). As a final experiment, a pair of B&W DM602 speakers, which are a 2-way, bass-reflex design, were bi-wired allowing separate output tubes and transformers to drive the tweeters and woofers.

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Inside of SE34-I showing four output tr