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Okay:
I am going SET with my rig, selling my Manley Mahi / Shrimp electronics to try to achieve SET bliss with my Reference 3A De Capo BE's.
It's either the Decware "Rachael"SE34I.4 (6 watts, EL34) or the new Coincident Dynamo 34SE (8 watts, EL 34). The Decware will cost just a bit more but they are very similar in price.
The Dynamo has been getting rave reviews online and apparently TAS will be giving it high marks in the January issue. The Decware also seems to be very well loved, but that's mostly based on owner reviews on the Decware forums.
The Decware has a lifetime warranty and 30 day home trial. The Coincident has a 5 year warranty and no trial period.
The Decware can be configured at extra cost with 1, 2 or 4 inputs. The Coincident has only 1 input so I'd either have to hook/unhook cables or buy a switch box to move from DAC to phono preamp.
The aesthetics of the two amps are very different. Decware has more of a retro, home brew look; Coincident is all polished stainless steel.
Coincident has a headphone amp which is supposed to be very good. Coincident also claims that any speaker with a rated sensitivity of 90 db or more will sound great. Decware told me that there will be limits to how loud the amp will play but "I won't care because it will sound so amazing."
What would you guys do????? And do any of you have experience with either amp?
Follow Ups:
No experience with Coincident amps but I've owned two Decware models, first the Torii IV, and currently the ZMA. I have 87dB speakers so my power to efficiency ratio is similar to what you are looking at. Steve builds great amps. I tinkered some with good results with different tubes on the Torii, but I'm standing pat with how he has the ZMA voiced. I love his sense of what a tube amp should sound like. Can't beat the return policy and warranty.
Call Steve and discuss your setup. He is great to talk to.
I read the post and wanted to thoughts on the Wright Audio Lolita, I have been reading about the Coincident and Decware as well.
Yes, I saw that one too and couldn't find anything about it. They also sell their amps on eBay.
someone else commented on the Wright in another post but I can't remember where. With the Decware you can customize somewhat which is nice, but at the end somewhere it says the unit may sound better with different cables
As a past customer of Reference 3A, I might be able to get a break on the Antique Sound Labs AQ 1005 MARK II DT. Anybody have any experience with this piece?
Rebbi,
You have heard my thoughts on the De Capos and various amps. I have the mini torii right now and in a 12x20 room open on the side (half wall on one side) they produce a solid amount of sound for 4 watts. I do every now and then want a few more watts but dont really need it
Grinnell,
Thanks a lot for that. I think I'm gonna go Decware, probably the 6 watt "Rachael."
someone had a Rachel for sale 3-4 weeks ago. I was very tempted.
Grinnell,
Yes, I saw that, too. It was the .3 version, I think, Pretty sure it sold.
I have a Decware Mini Torii and will never sell it. The treble cut circuit is excellent and it can be used as a /headphone/pre-amp. It sounds much more powerful than it should. It's driving Klipsch Heresy III's 99db with a complex xover. Call Decware and talk to them about both amps.
Great to hear, thanks.
I would suggest you to transform yourself from "consumer audiophile" to "DIY audiophile".
Once the transformation is completed, you would have a good laugh on past choices, while a world of possibilities would open in front of you...
******
http://rh-amps.blogspot.com/
Thank you for the feedback. I have done some do-it-yourself projects myself – my phono preamp is a Bottlhead Seduction. Options for these kind of amps in the world of do it yourself seem a little limited. The Bottlehead Paramount Mono blocks will set me back about $1600. I absolutely loved building the stereo preamp but I am on kind of a tight budget right now and need more of a "sure thing." I imagine that if I wasn't happy with the results of that kit the resale value would be pretty minuscule compared to one of the "consumer" options. Unfortunately, I have to take that into consideration here.
Eli,
Thanks a bunch for your thoughts. I feel pretty confident that an 8 watt SET amp will drive the De Capo's well. They are rated at 92 db efficient and an 8 ohm load. Also, they have no crossover besides a capacitor on the tweeter so a complex crossover isn't sucking up power, either. The owner's manual says that "only a few good watts" will make the speakers sing and that "excellent results have been achieved with low power, purist amplification." So I think I'tll be okay. My room is also 16x11x8, closed and not huge.
I ran the De Capo's in a 12 x 10 x 8 home office with 2 watts of 45 power and they sounded great. Either of these amps should do just fine.
Thanks for the feedback, Rick!
FWIW, I own a pair of DECWARE SE84Bs. They sound good.
Be very cautious about your power needs. Apply Paul Joppa's 102 dB. rule to the situation. Joppa's Rule states that for an "average" listening space an amp/speaker combo should be capable of producing at least 102 dB. SPL peaks at a 1 M. distance.
If the nominal impedance of the speaker's in question is less than 8 ohms, carefully examine the claimed sensitivity. 2.83 V. of drive into 4 ohms is 2 W. The claimed sensitivity of the speakers has to be reduced by 3 dB., under those circumstances.
Another thing to watch out for is dips in the impedance curve. A no loop NFB SET amp can't control voice coils as well as an amp that does employ loop NFB.
Eli D.
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