Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Decware Zen Triode Stereo Line Amp Preamplifier (Tube) by AndrewH

The Zen Triode Stereo Line Amp (preamp, don't ask me why "line amp") rocks. For $300, it has all the resolution, imaging, soundstaging, harmonics, bass extension, low noise and distortion one could ask for. It's truly as transparent as billed. Here's my long and boring background story:

I was in the market for my first real preamp a couple months ago to pair with my Belles 150a power amp. I had been getting by with my Headroom Little headphone amp as a preamp, and alternately with two Radio Shack 10kOhm mono potentiometers spliced into an OEM interconnect. The Little was inoffensive but not very capable at all -- resolution, body, slam etc. were all lacking. (Of course you can't expect much with a $250 headphone amp). The pots, or if stretching it, my junkyard "passive preamp" had noticeably superior resolution, and actually sounded quite good at higher volumes. Just that they were digusting at lower volumes.

So I needed a real preamp, but I wasn't about to pair a $3000 AI Mod 3A with my $800 used Belles, as several people had suggested. I was hoping for something below $1000, perhaps the DACT stepped attenuator connected to Chris VenHaus' silver interconnect recipe as a passive. My local dealer suggested I check out their Cary SLP-50b preamp for the bargain*cough* price of $1300, which got me thinking about simple tubed active preamps.

I forgot how exactly it happened, but eventually I came across Decware's web site most likely because of their acclaimed Zen amps and noticed that they were selling tube preamps also. My audio system's sound was pretty lousy at the time (MSB Link, abovementioned lousy preamps, Belles 150a, cheap Yamaha bookshelf speakers) and I really wanted to flesh out its harmonics -- tubes seemed to hold the answer. I think I was entertaining thoughts of replacing my SS Belles with a tube amp.

I noticed that Decware also sells another preamp, the $900 Zen Triode Preamp. It had a very good review here on AA, along with a not-so-positive review mainly due to QC problems.

I decided to take the chance with Decware's new Stereo Line Amp. For $300 (factory direct intro price), it wasn't too horrible a risk.

I ended up waiting 6 weeks, or half my summer vacation, for it. I was expecting to wait at least 3 weeks (the web page states "up to three weeks") and realized that it would probably take longer, as other Decware customers on AA mentioned to me that they had to wait 10 weeks for theirs. Anyway, it was a hell of a long wait, but I resigned myself with thinking "what do you expect for $300?". The designer and owner of Decware Steve Deckert himself, also allayed my concerns with good correspondence.

So, finally it arrived, after the Monster HTS-2000, after I completed my ChrisVH CAT5 cables, after the Monarchy DIP, after the nOrh 6.5s, and after the AP Oval 9s (yah, I fleshed out my system this summer). And?

It was worth the wait!

I could instantly hear the improvement over my RS pots and my Headroom Little. My system sounded better than it ever had, but -- you know how it is, fellow inmates -- I bemoaned my system's lack of absolute harmonic fullness, especially in comparison to my friend's AH! Tjoeb 99 replacing my Link DAC as source.

Upgrade time! I got both my Pioneer DV-333 and MSB Link modified by Dan Wright, a somewhat lengthy process, and when they returned I could again hear major improvements in my sound, particularly in harmonic richness and bass extension. Which would indicate that the preamp is not a significant bottleneck in either area. (My source kicks the AH!s ass all over the place now, BTW -- cf. my post in the Tweaker's Asylum archives).

I've only been able to compare my preamp to my own Headroom Little and Radio Shack pots, so I can't get too superlative without running the risk of being dismissed offhand. However, the $300 Zen Triode SLA is so much better than my $250 Headroom Little (albeit not a true preamp, a headphone amp) that I'm pretty sure it's better than anything else in its price range. The designer, Steve Deckert, claims it's comparable to or better than the Cary SLP-50b I was recommended. Certainly, it's cheaper. At its price there are no negatives.

I'm sorry I can't offer any more meaningful comparisons. What I can tell you is my system has reached a point where I'm truly satisfied with the sound. I've heard some superlative setups in the $50k+ range (check www.scsoundgallery.com for one such) and I can honestly say that while my $3k system lacks their sense of ultimate refinement and resolution, it gets a lot of the gestalt right.

The Zen Triode Stereo Line Amp holds its own very well in my motley collection of extensively researched bang-for-the-buck components. I highly recommend the preamp -- it's an excellent bargain.

~*~

Addendum 1 The included silver XLR interconnects are icing on the cake! :)
Addendum 2 Email me if you're in the SF Bay Area and would like to hear for yourself. Maybe we can make some comparisons.

REVIEW: Decware Zen Triode Stereo Line Amp Preamplifier (Tube) Review by AndrewH at Audio Asylum