[dukecv]

Hello all, fairly new to AC but love listening to music. My dilemma is that I am considering purchasing a Trafomatic Aries and using it with some future purchased Omega speakers. I'd prolly be going with a Schiit Bifrost dac, but not set in stone. What other int amps would be comparable to the beauty and simplicity of 3 tubes in the Aries? Is the Decware a better performing amp, lesser, or equal?

Thanks

[FullRangeMan]

The Decware is not my first choice: its OPTs are so small it sit underside.
I would suggest this:
http://www.wrightaudio.us/lolita.htm
However I never listen these 3 amps I would suspect they sound similar.

[Lonely Raven]

Not sure what the big deal is with the transformers - the Rachel is a fantastic amp. I just spent an evening with an older one at a friends house, and it was some of the best listening I've had in a long while.

http://www.decware.com/newsite/SE34I.htm

[FullRangeMan]

Big core transformers have more power(W), less heat and last longer.
Guy 13 had to change an output trafo last year from a Decware EL84.

[FullRangeMan]

Hello all, fairly new to AC but love listening to music. My dilemma is that I am considering purchasing a Trafomatic Aries and using it with some future purchased Omega speakers. I'd prolly be going with a Schiit Bifrost dac, but not set in stone. What other int amps would be comparable to the beauty and simplicity of 3 tubes in the Aries? Is the Decware a better performing amp, lesser, or equal?

Thanks

What is the Trafomatic price?

[doorman]

Big core transformers have more power(W), less heat and last longer.
Guy 13 had to change an output trafo last year from a Decware EL84.

Decware products come with a lifetime guarantee, they are very well put together.
Oh, and they won't break the bank for most folks either !

[dukecv]

Price on the Trafomatic is around $2200. I'm gathering that the support on a decware product would be far superior. The Traf is from Serbia so...

[HPDJ]

The Decware support can be iffy in my experience... Well intentioned, but iffy.

So, yes, a lifetime warranty...But...I had two different amps from them that both had issues in less than a year of receiving them and the problems never got solved... Even after repeated trips back to them for fixing so... Yeah started looking like a lifetime of problems for me.

Sorry, just had to offer another honest point of view on this. They are nice people though and plenty of other folks are happy with their amps....I have no experience with the Trafomatic gear..

[dukecv]

The Decware support can be iffy in my experience... Well intentioned, but iffy.

So, yes, a lifetime warranty...But...I had two different amps from them that both had issues in less than a year of receiving them and the problems never got solved... Even after repeated trips back to them for fixing so... Yeah started looking like a lifetime of problems for me.

Sorry, just had to offer another honest point of view on this. They are nice people though and plenty of other folks are happy with their amps....I have no experience with the Trafomatic gear..

Yea I understand how that can go. Not a fun time. I might be looking at solid state options also which could very well just kill this thread.

[FullRangeMan]

The Decware support can be iffy in my experience... Well intentioned, but iffy.

So, yes, a lifetime warranty...But...I had two different amps from them that both had issues in less than a year of receiving them and the problems never got solved... Even after repeated trips back to them for fixing so... Yeah started looking like a lifetime of problems for me.

Sorry, just had to offer another honest point of view on this. They are nice people though and plenty of other folks are happy with their amps....I have no experience with the Trafomatic gear..

Seems Decware is a big company now, at least they work as a big business, the attention to detail gone.

[doorman]

Seems Decware is a big company now, at least they work as a big business, the attention to detail gone.

Curious as to what you base your observation on. My experience from dealing with Decware, fwiw,
has been excellent. Including repairing a dumb mistake made by me, at no charge.

[FullRangeMan]

Curious as to what you base your observation on. My experience from dealing with Decware, fwiw,
has been excellent. Including repairing a dumb mistake made by me, at no charge.

Small companies offer great custumer service.
The treatment HPDJ received is usually that of a large and inefficient business.

[dukecv]

How about Red Wine Audio? Products and service?

[Guy 13]

Hi all,
I am the happy owner of a Decware SE84C+
at one time the left channel of my amplifier
was dead, I contacted Steve directly and got and
got an answer the next day.
I could have sent back to the USA my amplifier but the cost
was way too high,
so I brought it to a local repair shop here on planet Vietnam
(I knew him from previous repairs) and he told me that the output transformer was shot
so I contacted again Steve and he was ready to send me one free of charge,
but I did not wanted to wait and also deal with the Vietnamese custom,
please doing the repair myself was not something that I wanted to do,
since it's pretty crowded under the hood and I have ten clumsy fingers.
So, the Vietnamese repair man suggested that he could rewind the transformer
for 10 USD and I agreed.
After the repair was done the left and right channels sounded identical,
no difference in the sound.
However, two weeks later the same left channel, almost overnight,
lost 50% od is output power,
I brought it back to the repair man and he fixed it for free and
since then, no problem what so ever.
Failures can happen with any makes and models of any things.
I consider Decware to still be a small business and aftersales service
and/or support is better than any big corporation (Comcast for example....)
My Decware is now about 6 years old and still running strong.
If I had to buy another amplifier, I would buy the SE34I because the replacement tubes
are still inexpensive, construction is still simple and you have a little more power
which is always welcome.
This is my real life experience with one Decware product.

Guy 13 on planet Vietnam,
where customer support is important due to the distance
between the two planets (Vietnam and USA)

 
 
 

[HPDJ]

Now Red Wine Audio?? I can vouch for their products for sure and say the products and the service and excellent! I have their Signature 16 integrated and it is just fantastic.

Vinnie is just an awesome guy, his products are innovative and unique and he is a true music lover first and foremost. Correspondence with him has always been quick and easy.

If I was in the market for a new amp I would look into his new line of products under his full name Vinnie Rossi LIO for sure.

[dukecv]

Now Red Wine Audio?? I can vouch for their products for sure and say the products and the service and excellent! I have their Signature 16 integrated and it is just fantastic.

Vinnie is just an awesome guy, his products are innovative and unique and he is a true music lover first and foremost. Correspondence with him has always been quick and easy.

If I was in the market for a new amp I would look into his new line of products under his full name Vinnie Rossi LIO for sure.

Well I would be foolish not to look down all the avenues for possibilities. So yea, RWA. Nice to know peoples thoughts. I know one can't depend solely on reviews. I'm getting mixed reviews with the units originally mentioned.
    I'm excited to see what RWA has new for 2015. (LIO)

[FullRangeMan]

How about Red Wine Audio? Products and service?

There is an integrated amp for sale here AC:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=81n4otphqmntus9sl2k96i0r60&topic=131781.msg1394702#new

[dukecv]

There is an integrated amp for sale here AC:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=81n4otphqmntus9sl2k96i0r60&topic=131781.msg1394702#new

I appreciate the lead on the RWA integrated. What a beautiful looking piece. It looks like I was a little late getting to the party on that, as it has sold already. I'm really wanting to hold out to see what RWA comes out with for 2015. Can't decide between tubes or ss. That's always a taboo subject as they both have pros and cons.

[FullRangeMan]

My personal taste is tube or Class D, not regular SS, unless price is a bargain.

[Wind Chaser]

No ifs, ands or buts; I'd go with the Decware. It (the Zen) is one of the very best amplifiers I have ever heard regardless of price. Rocket Ronny (AC member) knows of a chap (not an AC member) who seems to an unlimited disposable income. This guy buys whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, with no financial constraints, impeding wife or other consideration. He's one of those guys who buys new and frequent, and flips it shortly thereafter disregarding the loss. Anyhow, having owned a wide variety of far more expensive gear, he bought a Decware Tori and told Ron it was  by far hands down the best amp he had ever heard.

If you can live with relatively modest power output, then you'll be very happy with that reco.