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concerning tubes


bkrop

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you wont Spend Entirely Too much if you isten to some of Steve Deckert's designs. http://www.decware.com

I run a pair of steve's ZenSE-84C Select amps (bridged), and I am about to pair them with a pair of RF7s (which is what has brought me here)

I auditioned the RF7s with just one of my amps. I had six sales people shaking their heads in disbelief, and wondering how a $695 3watt tube amp could be making such beautiful music (at pretty unrestricted volumes) with such timbral accuracy, transparency, and simply concert hall sized image.

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The ole Zen Select is more like 2w or less. It barely will clear 2w running downhill perhaps even on a skateboard. But they are neat little beasts and ole Steve was a marketing king. He used the internet and the Net loons like cotton candy at a county fair! Still, you could do FAR worse than a single Select. 3-3.5w is more the 2A3 domain.

kh

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R.L.T.

I have a single Decware Select. I read someplace they make 1.8 watts (rms measurment). They sound very good indeed. Very sweet with good but polite bass output to boot. However they pale in contrast with my Welborne Moon doogs which have greater dynamics and real bass output and cost more. I switch back and forth powing my Cornwalls .

I feel the real bang for the buck king are my Bottlehead Paramours monos. The'er only 549.00 (kit) for 2a3 power.

The Decware may inpress the boys at the retail stereo shop but the Bottleheads will make them cry.

RB.

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KH

I started with the Decware as my first tube amp. That little amp made me try my first Klipsch speaker. Later I found some Cornwalls and ran the Select straight from my cd player. The Corns and that little Decware amp make very nice music. I then ordered the Bottlehead Foreplay, but never made the time to build it. I followed the Bottlehead forum and found a local club that was holding meetings that showed off what they could make, mosly Bottlehead fans. The Bottlehead fourm is another very good reasom to try a Bottlehead product. I picked up the Paramoures off ebay. I had just received the Mours when Moondogs (Audiogon) went up for sale a short drive away. I had to try them. I blame you for that purchase (I guess credit you is more correct). I reasoned I could always put the Paramours back on ebay but I still stop into those mostly Bottlehead audio meetings. Another meeting is coming up later this month (I took the M-dogs to the last one I attended, it was very well received). I may someday sell the Paramours for a better preamp.

I just think that Doc Bottlehead make such a good amp for such little a small entry fee it should be mentioned more when people are asking how to start with SET .

RB

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You are entirely correct. If someone is wanting to build a SET amp for the least amount of money, I think the Bottlehead designs are the best choice, especially if it's your first kit as there is literally NO ONLINE forum that is as helpful and knowledgable as the Bottlehead Forum for people making the gear. As you know, they havea band of fiends ready to answer any wiring problem or upgrade idea you might entertain. On the other hand, most people in here are not building amps from kits. I have talked about them a lot in the past - they represent a whole different idea with no tube rectification and other tweaks like the C4S and snubber etc. Still, I might argue it is worth moving up the chain in SET amps but the Paramour does represent a great bang for buck.

Where else can you open a box to this band of parts with a whole gang to lend online help?

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kh

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