Decware Decware SE34-I Operating instructions

Brand: Decware

Model: Decware SE34-I

Type: Operating instructions

Decware Decware SE34-I is a single-ended triode amp. It is dual mono and features an integrated preamp. The SE34-I has dual-core hand wound output transformers with quad binding posts foe each channel making it possible to segregate the amplifier into four output channels. There is an input selector (silver contacts) to allow you to easily switch in up to four different line level sources. A high quality ALPS stepped potentiometer gives you precise control over the volume with a fixed balance between channels.

High Fidelity Engineering Co.

www.decware.com

OPERATION MANUAL

Model SE34-I

Zen Triode Integrated Dual Mono Amplifier

DESCRIPTION:

ESCRIPTION:ESCRIPTION:

ESCRIPTION:

The SE34-I is a single-ended triode amp. It is dual

mono and features an integrated preamp.

FEATURES:

FEATURES:FEATURES:

FEATURES:

The SE34-I has dual-core hand wound output trans-

formers with quad binding posts foe each channel

making it possible to segregate the amplifier into four

output channels.

There is an input selector (silver contacts) to allow you

to easily switch in up to four different line level

sources.

A high quality ALPS stepped potentiometer gives you

precise control over the volume with a fixed balance be-

tween channels.

There are two “presence” switches, one per channel, that

allow you to quickly alter the signature of the amp to

better match the differences between sources.

Each channel has a separate on / standby switch prov-

ing it is indeed a true dual mono design—all the way

through to the dual mono preamp.

High quality jacks, binding posts, and removable

power cord complete the package.

SETUP:

SETUP:SETUP:

SETUP:

Once you unpack your new amplifier you will need to

install the tubes and power cord before you do anything

else. There are two sizes of tubes used in this amplifier,

large and small. The large tubes (EL34) are the output

tubes and the small tubes (6N1P) are the driver tubes.

Your amplifier is shipped with a matched

Quad of high grade output tubes. Input tubes are also

matched so you need not worry which sockets you install

the tubes in. BTW, matched tubes are not required in

this design.

CONNECTIONS:

CONNECTIONS:CONNECTIONS:

CONNECTIONS:

Never operate a tube amp without having speakers hooked

up to it. Although we doubt you could damage this one,

it is kind of a universal law.

There are two pairs of binding posts on each side of the

amp. What you have here is a separate set of posts for

each output tube. This is explained in great detail in the

white paper on the web site for this amp.

In short these jacks can be paralleled or series to make up

each channel. There are a multitude of other options that

are discussed in the white papers.

To get started now, simply parallel the jacks for each

channel by connecting red to red and black to black.

High Fidelity Engineering Co.

www.decware.com

Your amp is shipped with four jumper wires that have

been terminated with banana jacks to accomplish this

purpose.

INPUTS

INPUTSINPUTS

INPUTS

Continuing along, hook your left and right inputs to

the input jacks marked “A” and rotate the selector

switch all the way to the left. Turn the volume control

counter-clockwise till it stops and turn the main power

switch on.

Once the tubes glow, you may turn each channel on

with the standby switches located between the controls.

Press play on your source and slowly raise the volume

control.

Enjoy the music.

When you are done listening, you may simply turn

off each standby switch and allow to tubes to glow if

you like. This keeps the amp warmed up and ready at

all times, and actually prolongs tube life.

HEAT

HEATHEAT

HEAT

You will notice your amp runs very warm. Some

would say hot. The heat you feel on the power trans-

formers is created from the radiant heat of the nearby

output tubes, not the current draw. We have designed

this amplifier to run hot, but even at this high tem-

perature, it is well within its operating parameters so

don’t be alarmed. Always keep the unit in standby or

turned off when you’re not listening to it.

BIASING

BIASINGBIASING

BIASING

The amp is self-biasing and self balancing. You do

not need matched tubes to get good sound.

CIRCUIT

IRCUITIRCUIT

IRCUIT

The circuit design for the SE34-I is loosely based on

the Zen Triode Signature monoblocks, and the

ZTPRE signature preamplifier. We have from the fac-

tory built this amplifier with all of our top grade sig-

nature parts so little or no tweaking will ever be re-

quired to improve the sound. In depth design notes are

available on this special zen circuit on the web site and

Is recommended reading.

SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONSSPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONS

The amplifier has an RMS output into 8 ohms of 3.4

watts per tube.

The amplifier is optimized for 8 ohm and 16 ohm

speakers with no adjustment needed. It will also drive

4 ohm speakers with slightly less power.

The input sensitivity is 2.4 volts to bring the ampli-

fier to full power. Even though it has an integrated

preamp with lots of gain, we have intentionally tamed

it down so that you can’t clip the amp with the average

2.0 volt line source such as common CD players.

The current draw when the amp is in standby is 27

watts per channel, and when operating at clipping is

71 watts per channel.

TUBES

TUBESTUBES

TUBES

Tube life in this amplifier is long. You should get

anywhere from 1 to 4 years from the tubes depending

on how much you listen to it.

The smaller 6N1P tubes can be rolled with 6922’s or

6DJ8’s with no further modifications.

FUSE

FUSEFUSE

FUSE

The fuse is located in the IEC connector for the remov-

able power cord. Use only fuses rated between 4 and 6

amps.

SERVICE

SERVICESERVICE

SERVICE

We offer a lifetime warranty on the SE34-I. Service

problems can be handled quickly by calling us dur-

ing business hours (9am to 5pm CST)

The Zen

High Fidelity Engineering Co.

www.decware.com

DESIGNER'S NOTES:

Steve Deckert, High Fidelity Engineering Co.

While we've been enjoying the success of

our our Zen Triode amplifiers this past 4

years, I have personally talked to every cus-

tomer (over 1000) before and after his or

her purchase of an amplifier. This feedback

about how our products are received in the

real world (vs. a lab bench and reference lis-

tening room) has brought about tremendous

insights as to what works well and what

doesn't. Before, during and ever continuing

are a whole family of secret Zen amps that

no one knows about - an ongoing experi-

ment that results in prototype after proto-

type.

In these prototypes, as mentioned in the

previous page, there are several different

tubes. Sticking to just the popular triodes,

we have found that we can make some very

impressive sounding amplifiers with them.

We have learned that the signatures com-

monly associated with particular tubes are

predominately effected by the design of the

amplifiers using them... point being that

stereotypes where tubes and or tube amps

are concerned can be misleading.

During these cycles of R&D that we go

through, we're not afraid to experiment with

off the wall tubes because we frankly don't

care about anything other than the final re-

sult, the sound of the amp.

Our very first amplifier was the original Zen

Triode Amp that used the EL84/6BQ5 output

tubes. These are pentodes that can be wired

in triode. The SV83 tubes is a special version

of this made for Video applications such as

Radar Displays in the Russian Military. Be-

cause it was a video tube it had some special

qualities not found in the EL84/6BQ5 tubes

that we were simply not too blind to recog-

nize. Sventlana, who makes the tube, con-

tacted all the major tube amp manufactures

suggesting it might be a special sounding

tube to base an amplifier design around. Not

one of them listened.

The appeal in designing around these small

envelope tubes comes from years of listen-

ing to them in a wide variety of amplifiers

throughout the 60's and 70's. I recognized

these tubes had speed that many larger

tubes did not, and I always enjoyed them.

Of the larger envelope tubes, the big brother

of the EL84/6BQ5 was the EL34. It has the

narrowest envelope of any output tube, and

was used in just as much gear in that time

period. Like the smaller one, I noticed it too

always seemed to have better speed, and

tighter bottom end than the larger valves.

The EL34 also has a unique feature in that it

is the only pentode made that can be wired

in true triode for lack of internal jumpers be-

tween the grids. This gives you limitless pos-

sibilities for how you combine the grids and

plate to accomplish triode operation. With

exhaustive research I have found that it is in

this key part of the tube that you can control

the depth and dimensionally of the resulting

soundstage.

In true triode it sounds like other triodes,

with an immediacy and presence triodes are

famous for. In Zen triode (get it), holo-

graphic imaging and huge soundstage along

with more attention to harmonics can be ex-

tracted. The EL34 makes it possible to take

this a level deeper which I feel I've been

able to do.

In audio it's hard to pay Peter with our rob-

bing Paul. Everything is a tradeoff it seems,

and it's hard to have both. There are things

that I really like about the pure triodes, and

being a soundstage fanatic, there are things

that I really like about pentodes wired in tri-

ode, especially EL34's. So to have both, I

designed an amp that has both.

High Fidelity Engineering Co.

www.decware.com

Integrated has two output tubes

per channel. One wired in pure

triode, one in zen triode.

Each tube has it's own core in the output

transformer making it possible to create 4 dif-

ferent combinations -each resulting in a differ-

ent signature. This is a technology we bor-

rowed from our Signature Zen Triode Mon-

oblocks.

For example:

There are two pairs of binding posts for each

channel on the rear of the amplifier. Each set

of posts is driven by one single ended EL34

tube. You can remove the two tubes wired in

zen triode, and using the correct set of binding

posts, you can have a single tube, single

ended pure triode amp. Oh and don't forget it's

dual mono.

Or, you might want to hear what the zen tri-

ode wired tubes sound like vs. the true triode

so you simply do the same thing with the other

tubes.

Perhaps you'd like to hear them both together

(my favorite) then you can parallel the two

jacks reinstall the other two tubes. Let's see,

that's three different amplifiers so far.

Or, you can series the two jacks instead and

experience a completely new window into the

signature with both tubes and both cores

working in perfect harmony as one entity.

These four options are no different that owning

four different amplifiers. Add to that a pres-

ence switch that changes the coupling imped-

ance between the driver and output stages of

the amp, and you really have 8 different am-

plifiers to listen to. Then realize that the driver

tubes, the very special 6N1P can be rolled with

6DJ8's and 6922's and you multiply the poten-

tial signatures of the amp even more. And of

course don't forget it also has a dual mono

preamp built-in, hence the term "integrated"

using the same 6N1P.

It should go without saying that the serious

tweaker will be in pure heaven without ever

having to crack the cover, or re-bias the ampli-

fier.

Sorry, I just couldn't think of a short way to

explain why we choose the EL34 output tubes

for our long awaited integrated amp.

The result I am confident will have superior

sonics to many if not all 300B or 2A3 type am-

plifiers with equal or better power.

Steve Deckert

August 2001

Original concept

Prototype

End result—Model SE34-I

Decware Decware SE34-I Operating instructions

Brand: Decware

Model: Decware SE34-I

Type: Operating instructions

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Decware Decware SE34-I Operating instructions

Decware Decware SE34-I Operating instructions

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