Please leave a like on the video if you enjoyed it ! Really helps me. Have a nice day :) Decware ZMA: www.decware.com/newsite/MYSTERY.html Related Videos: Sonus Faber Electa Amator III: kzread.info/dash/bejne/q419o7mzg8uXoLQ.html Sonus Faber Maxima: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pJV2y8qcnaSqdMo.html My Sob Story: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fWma05NuqZeYdMY.html 0:00 Decware ZMA Unboxing & Intro 3:06 Why I Bought the Decware ZMA 5:38 What is the Decware ZMA ? 8:25 Build/Parts Quality 11:55 Sound Quality

@PetraKann

Жыл бұрын

Would you recommend a pair of speakers suited for this amp?

Hi Jay Again you have Produced a video second to no other reviewer. , superb information, filming, and enthusiasm, love the cheesey smile when pointing out your name on the amp, such a small thing, and yet it would probably touch us all the Same way. Best regards from England.. Have a good day my friend....

Hey Jay! The scene where you pop the ZMA cover open and your face looking like Christmas morning is what I call ‘Audiophile Nirvana’ ….priceless!

I dig your stuff. You got me into hifi during the pandemic. Got KLH model 5's, Fluance RT85 turntable, even before I had any vinyl records. Have an Audiolabs 6000A. And a Bluesound streamer. Been loving it. But now I have the suspicion I am about to go down the tube rabbit hole. Don't know whether I should thank you or curse you. I'm going to go with thanks. Have a terrific one my friend. Much appreciative of your informative and fun content. Keep it up. You rock.

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

Haha. Your wallet will curse me but your ears with thanks me. Don’t worry, mine does the same…

@eliorteza535

2 жыл бұрын

I suspect audiophilia is an addiction. Hmmm...

@fredsanke4070

Жыл бұрын

@@eliorteza535 ..it's an aural disease that won't heal...

@roderickstevens6891

Жыл бұрын

My next acquisition will be the klh model 5's.

I have this amp and I pair with DeVore Fidelity O96’s. For me this is a match made in Heaven. When I got my ZMA I loved it straight away. But!…… after I listened for about 50 or more hours I realized that it needed that much time to really come alive and it sure did! I absolutely love it and Decware in general. Your channel is terrific!

@pesto9

2 жыл бұрын

I have some 0/93s and was just about to ask that paring. Good to hear it works well. Have also been looking at a Line Magnetic with 845s.

Great video Jay. As someone who is new to Tube amps, I have found your videos very helpful. I have decided to order a Decware amp but still undecided on which one. I am not , and will never be , the type of listener you are, but I do appreciate quality sound.

For any amplifier, the sound stage is as much a product of the preamplifier controlling it as it is the architecture of the amp itself. In some cases, a so so amplifier can see quite a noticeable improvement by changing the preamp. My Bob Carver Crimson 275 really came alive when I hooked it up to a Vincent SA-31MK hybrid preamp with a loudness function switch. It gave the bass a boost it needed and sweetened up the mids and highs as well.

Hello Jay thank you for sharing your experience in the audio world looking forward to seeing your show.

Excellent video, Jay. Great explanation. I love the passion with which you talk about sound and its nuances.

Tell it like it is my man- great stuff, again.

aric audio makes some great tube amps fully handmade by 1 guy. That will be a great challenger to decware. They deserve recognition.

I’m intrigued by tube amps and may pull the trigger on one in the future, keep the reviews on them coming to help me decide which one. Love your channel Jay!

Others have said here as well. KT88 power tubes and at least 200 hours of play time will see this amplifier come in in the bass. Holographic imaging will get even better. I hear and listen to this amplifier at Decware every year and it is always a pleasure. The big Li Audio cabinets with the 10 inch full range driver and this amp messed with our heads in a good way last October. It was astonishing to say the least. 92-98db sensitivity speakers and full sized floor standing designs will reward you more than a low sensitivity stand mount with this amplifier. Tonally rich and warm but not lacking on any of detail in the midrange and treble. And I agree with you Jay it looks badass!!!

@jeffmay5024

2 жыл бұрын

This is the fix with a vacuum tube amplifier: roll tubes and you'll find your Nirvana. Even within the same number tube, there's a wide range of voices in the choir.

@bassdroppointsource

2 жыл бұрын

KT88 and 6550s are the tubes for good bass. I recently tried out some Sylvania 6L6’s in my Wilsenton R8 and although I liked what it did to the midrange, I had to change it back to my SED 6550’s for the bass.

@PanAmStyle

Жыл бұрын

@@jeffmay5024Not only power tubes, but rectifiers. I have a UFO and rolling the rectifier was a revelation.

@TheVishaq

9 ай бұрын

Or you get used to the system at that point?

I remember when I picked up my Decware “pelican case” at the FedEx store! I had to sneak a peak in the parking lot before I drove home. Enjoy!

I have the Willsenton R8 paired with Klipsch KG 5.5 now. It is a great match but at first the bass was a little light. My solution was to add a Bellari tone control box and I bumped the bass just a little bit and now it is perfect. Tone controls are contentious I know but to my ears it gives that little bit more to make me not look for anything else. Great review as always Jay.

Decware build and sound quality is second to none. Steve Deckert is an awesome gentleman

Love this review Jay. I’ve owned the Doge 10, now have the Decware Zen UFO II and have tried the Decware Torii MK5 in my home for a week against the Zen. Agree with all your key points - the Decware gear is not designed for dynamics like “modern” tube amps - but the mids and highs are smooth and sweet and addictive. In my room with Klipsch Forte III when comparing all three amps I liked the Zen UFO (it’s also the least expensivene ). I was expecting some more dynamics and bass with the Torii - but it sounded almost the same as the Zen but not as sweet. All three are great amps but Zen remains my go to amp.

@mikeinmontana8875

3 ай бұрын

Zen UFO! 👌

It’s quite pretty. I’m much more excited about better and better class d, but I understand the tubey draw. Enjoy your rig, thanks for the review!

that looks badazz ! i just got a new badazz to opened yesterday Dual Mono pure analog SS lets Go Jay !!! Tube Powaaaa/ Jay pops the trunk 😆 thanks for the video

Nice! I love tube sound and analog, ❤️

I just found your channel. Vintage gear pricing is ridiculous, growing up there was so much gear that I wish I could buy and now at the age of 58 the vintage stuff is untouchable but truth is there is new gear that is better and cheaper such as the amp in this review! I LOVE TUBES!!!

It would be interesting as time goes by to learn what speakers you think do work best with the ZMA.

A tier list of all the tube amplifiers you've listened to would be a pretty cool video

Tubes are the best in my opinion. There are (fortunately) many available and whist you can part with a lot of cash but some lower priced ones are pretty good. Obviously Jay has excellent taste

Nice! I put a deposit down on the Zen Triode phono pre, gonna be almost a year before I take delivery 😞

Jay, it sounds like you need to hear the Lii Audio crystal 10s. I heard them in Steve's listening room and wow, I ordered the little Zen amp immediately.

I'm currently on the wait list for another amp of Steve's. The wait time is just shy of 14 months. I don't imagine you waited that long for yours ; )

Purchase the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. Use it as a preamp-hub. After you run its RoomPerfect software, you can adjust it to provide exactly the bump in the Sonus Faber Speakers you prefer. While retaining the Decware's Midrange, Treble and holographic Soundfield you cherish. The miniDSP Flex is an alternative but it will reduce your file rates to 24/48.

Thank you for your review, please don't forget, resisters also play a roll in audio and its interesting to see they have carbon composite in the audio path, film and metal oxide resistors everywhere else. thanks!

Very cool! I’d like to try the ARC i50.

I own this amp and really like it. If you pair it with a Decware Zrock you can tweak the bass curve on it to your liking.

@omanyaki402

2 жыл бұрын

I own one of the original first units since modded.. found same bass findings and discussed with Steve. The Zrock came out sometime after. In my opinion the Zrock helped but not as much as I was looking for. As said above definitely added a bit more -just can’t say if it was more bass or more punch.

@kentwood2914

2 жыл бұрын

Agree with Krogg...add a Zrock!

The Decware stuff is really good, KT 88's would be worth trying to give you more what you are looking for in the bass region. In the end it's not so much the WPC issue but rather the transformer design being so important to tube amplification.

@roybertalotto6355

2 жыл бұрын

EXACTLY!

Great video Jay, I am a little surprised you chose this amp rather than the Decware mono blocks.

@colingr318

Жыл бұрын

He did explain that the ZMA is cheaper and better sounding than the mono's

Another awesome review!! My blind purchase (12:17) of a pair of new Focal Electra 1008 BE’s, the Hegel H90, BlueSound Node 2i, Cardas Parsec speaker cables, custom Sound Anchor stands and assorted hand made power and interconnects, was worth the risk. I knew the Focals would be on the brighter side. After considering Parasound, Cambridge Audio, PS Audio and Norma as the source; after a ton of research, I went with the Hegel because it offered so much- excellent DAC, lots of digital options, minimalist industrial look and the brilliant Sound Engine Technology. The pairing is a match made in heaven. Interestingly, I was very close to going with one of the lower model Decware Tori maybe and a pair of Zu Audio Dirty Weekends.

Glad you like the tube amp. I started with a tube system in high school. Used system for $50. Smart buying a new Amp. Tube sockets are a big problem with old amps and you having the tubes out for no reason is something that felt unnatural to watch. :) Enjoy the amp!

Interesting review thanks. The bass issues are almost certainly down to the output running ultra linear and with no global feedback....Damping factor will be around 1. Which means your frequency response will vary depending on the impedance curve of the speaker. So the amp will be very speaker dependent.

@jean-paulschweitzer6211

2 жыл бұрын

Not only, you need also an OT that delivers.

@jean-paulschweitzer6211

2 жыл бұрын

seems one from Hammond, size will be ok for 40W.

@PanAmStyle

Жыл бұрын

@@jean-paulschweitzer6211DECware winds some of their own transformers (eg., the UFO) … not sure about the ZMA, but I doubt that Steve would pick just any old transformer from a 3rd party. He’s very picky.

Jay, great review! It is hard to match an amp to Sonus Faber. If you still have some Gershman Acoustic Studio Monitors or can obtain a pair of Devore Fidelity Super Super Nines this amp who probably be nice. Keep giving us these great reviews!

I want that amp. It currently own the Se84UFO2 and the ZP3 phono pre. They are awesome

Great video! How would you compare it to Willsenton R800i with upgraded tubes or the Line Magnetic equivalent?

Great review. Typically, a vintage inspired tube amps can have an issue with bass on 4 ohm speakers.

Jay, you probably want to also try Triode Lab/Finale. They are a company in Canada that makes very good tube gear with great components. And their amps are always very quiet without any hiss, and auto biased

Lol we're watching Jay gripped in the throws of love, evidently broke whilst purchasing cost-no-object tube amplifiers... 😅🤪😻!

Great review…what would happen if you go up on the tubes? KT88? KT150? I imagine bass would improve at the cost of the midrange,..

It's great in the high frequency and midrange because of the kt88. They are very bright, not that warm tho. I'm a fan of single end triode 300b with takatsuki. Not as bright and sharp. But good imaging.

Jay I recommend you try the Octave V70 Class A & Octave Super Black Box with your Sonus Faber speakers...

thanks Jay really great video, that amp is fantastic lookingI imagine it sounds wonderful, love it everything about it. My gut feeling and in simple terms, you are expecting a lot from a small speaker. fyi: I'm running an old Dynaco ST70 upgraded by Dan Steele and in 2021 by Lance Cochrane running KT88's (which I know you can't run in the ZMA) into 2022 Vandersteen 2Ce Sig3 so relatively low budget. cheers

I’ve wanted a decware for so long. Now everyone is reviewing them and their prices are going to go up and I will take even longer to get one.

Good Job!

It’s good that Decware no longer put the reviewer on the same waiting list! cause they have a 300B amp coming and waiting two year for the review and then another 2 years for your order would be a very long wait…

Great video. Could you make a review of the more affordable Tori IV Jr ? I bought one using an information guess, but I would be delighted if you make one of your awesome reviews

It would be nice to have some demos of the stuff you talk about, cheers.

To say it has a better opt than the marantz 8b is a pretty bold statement. As for sound quality haven’t heard it so I’ll take your word for it although the m8b is no slouch.

AT 14:42 What are the speaker's in the background? Are they Polk's and if yes what do you think of the sound? Thank you for all your great video's.

Wait list is over a thousand!

Hi Jay , you have to give the Tubes and Capacitors enough Time to fully Break- In , they will get Better and the Bass will get much Better!! - I bought the Decware - Super Zen Triode SE84UFO Amplifier - ( only 2.3 watts ) , and I am using it with a pair of JBL 530 Bookshelf speakers that are 87dbw , And it was Good at the beginning , . . . But at 50 + hours there was a big change . . . and now I am at about 85 + hours and the sound is - SO MUCH BETTER now !!!!!!!!! - Now the highs are sweeter , and even the midrange is less congested on more Complex or louder Music - !!!!!!!!!!!! . . . -- But the BIGGEST Difference is in the BASS - the Amplifier really ROCKS now and the BASS is So MUCH BETTER - !!!!!!! So PLEASE make sure you have enough playing time on your new Zen Mystery Amplifier , before you make a decision about the Bass on your new Amplifier!! - I really enjoyed the video - Keep up the work - !!!!!

@danlu8445

2 жыл бұрын

I guess Jay had it for months now, did you see that sticker with Jay's name on was put on Dec 2021? it has broken in!

Jay, try the Decware ZRock to see if you get the mid base you need. If not try bi-amping the Sonus Faber Maximas. Use a solid state amp for the base. I love both Decware and Sonus Faber and would love to see you find the right tweaks to get the sound you’re looking for.

@briand66

2 жыл бұрын

Bi-amping/tri-amping is definitely the way to go with many tube amps. Bass response is a common shortcoming.

Would love to hear your thoughts w a Shindo preamp (vs Decware pre) also are using Steve s power cables and RCAs ? And ps at some point his vibration platform

Great review but I'm curious as too how it sounds like when compared with SET like the Line Magnetic 805 or 845 amp. Your thoughts is much appreciated. Thks

Biamp! I do tubes for highs solid state for lows and love it

Good one Jay.Surprised we didn't here a comparison with how the amp sounded on the CSS DIY speakers.Me I'd love to have you get a Rogue Stereo 100 which at $3500 has (duh) 100 watts pf KT120 power.I like the look of Decware and only hear great things but unless I am running very high efficiency Klipsch etc.I use a 50 watt EL34 Push Pull that's a bit more costly thn the ZMA (so I am not a mid power biggot)as my all arounder but really interested more gas if I need it.Anyway it's a beauty with sumptuous looks and build glad your happy

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

I do mention this in the CSS audio video. If I went over every speaker with every amp I have in here that I tried, it would be like a 10 hour long video ! haha. Consider what I say overall as a summary of what I experienced with most speakers :) - When it is REALLY good or REALLY bad is when I will bring it up as an example for people to be aware

Cant afford that now cause i made mistakes on getting something i regret but soon i guess. As a guitar amp collector i can see the the art alone of under the hood alone! Thank u brother awsome review! 💯💢🙏

If EL34 is your thing, you should hear Mullard EL37s … I love them.

I was 1137 on the list when I ordered mine almost 2 years ago - I’m still waiting. Only another two or three months to go! 😅

Take a look at the Harmon Kardon Citation II amplifier. If you can find one grab it. With new tubes and capacitors it is the finest amplifier I have ever heard.

I wonder how a Prima Luna Evo 200 or 300 would sound in your sinus faber’s. There’s several dealers in the GTA. But they may not be the aesthetic style you’re after if you were going for the decware.

Jay, I think you might have convinced me on which amps to use for the highend of my soon to be delivered Tekton Ulfberhts. I will use my Mac 501s for the bass. Thanks 👍

I like ur video.... great review but I'm curious about a review on those Polk l600 ....when is that?

I'm really interested in the Decware. Couldn't you just increase the crossover/gain on your REL sub woofers to recover the loss in bass of low impedance speakers?

Jay, please consider reviewing Minima Amator II and complete the heritage series. Heard it? How they compare to larger sibling?

Hi Jay, like you i'm thinking on pairing a new component to a older one with reservation regarding to power: I have a Prima Luna EVO 100 42 W with Triangle Borea br03 speakers Sensivity 92 8ohm and the system rocks. But I'm thinking of upgrading to Elipson Heritage XLS15 Sensivity 92 6ohm with a recommended power rating of 50-150w. Do you think the prima Lina would manage? Would I be losing like you? I know 92 by itself is good, but on a 6ohm tap, even if the Prima Luna has good output transformers, will I be exploring the full potential of the speakers? Thank you

Hey Jay, so did you and up keeping both long term? I think the Decware yes, and maybe you found different speakers? Curious! The ZMA is certainly a gorgeous piece of musical hardware!

Steve Deckert has been raving about Cryotone tubes lately. I bought a set for my SE84UFO25 and they are fantastic, especially the bass. They may provide the bass weight you are presently missing. I suggest you get in touch with him and get his perspective on them. They are that good.

@ronniecramer1252

2 жыл бұрын

I replaced the tubes in my SE84UFO with two EL84’s , one ECC88 , and a 5U4G from Cryotone. I installed them last week. I loved the smooth sound, but one of the 200 milli amp fuses under the rectifier tube blew after two days. I’m waiting for a replacement now. Also I noticed that the output tubes exhibited a bright flash when I turned the amp on , like a power surge.

@audiorick841

2 жыл бұрын

@@ronniecramer1252 Just ordered 6p15p and ECC88 from Cryotone today. for my UFO2. Hope I don’t get same problem as you.

Try other tubes like kt88’s or others. You maybe get that bass you are looking for.

Hi Jay, interesting to hear if you ever heard the Copland cta 408 . tube amp and if you did,what do you think about it? thank you for your response Ran

I’m always intrigued whenever you talk about tube amplifiers. For myself such a thing would be overkill atm, but I’d love to hear what such an expensive tube amp sounds like. Though since it’s all about sound, I’m not sure if I should even go with a speaker to amp ratio in terms of price… Also - If you don’t mind answering, what is the sick chair you have? Thanks :)

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

The chairs are a 1:1 Replica of the Eames chair

@juliuskingsley2174

2 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi Nice! Thanks for answering ^^

I have had a few people tell me to get this. 40w opens up a lot of monitor options.

What about pairing it to you Bouchard mk2. Or pairing you SF to a Prima Luna Evo400😎. By the way gorgeous amp and great honest review. I continue to like your work. Thank you 👍

Could a Rel sub help with the Sonos Fabers? I wonder how this Ultimate Decware Amp would pair up with the new Buchardt S400s. Excellent review ... Big Thanks

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

sure it could help to augment the lower bass but I prefer the sonus faber without subs believe it or not. I prefer all buchardt speakers with mainly solid state amps.

Great review as always Jay! Are you familiar with the Unison Research S6, as a comparison to this one. Also a tube amp and no solid state with tubes, class a and 35W. I have Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M speakers and considering the S6.

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

Unison Research makes some nice tube gear. I wouldn't say it is my personal favourite but quite good !

How does the ZMA compare with the Willsenton R800 ?

This was awesome! Thanks…what is the plinth you have the amp on?

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

it's isoacoustic

@spl4028

2 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi thanks jay!

That amp is a golden example for amp builders. Yes, yes yes, however, I think all amps should have cables, and signal cables Directly connected and extending from the amplifier within with strain relief. Eliminating non soldered connections is gold sound too, and its cheap close to free. Would also like to see 1/4" inch aluminum plate instead......... and also directly soldered tubes, not sockets, because that can make or break the sound of an amplifier. As Im working to build my own amplifier, as I have made and improved others I built in the past, best way to do it is high quality, LOW IMPEDANCE parts. Low drift parts too help.

Stereo amp better than mono blocks from some co? Then they need to rework on their mono blocks. Also all the speakers you went through, JBL L300 is the keeper.

i think the Marantz model 9 is a very nice amp

Hi Jay, great reviews! I have to ask where did you get your bookshelf speaker stands? I want to buy a pair. Thanks in advance keep up the great work. Alick

@Jayiyagi

2 жыл бұрын

The one in the video? It is the stand that come with the sonus faber Other ones I use: solid steel and monoprice

@alicksedgemore7537

2 жыл бұрын

@@Jayiyagi The Solidsteel Tripods. do you know if there's somewhere in Toronto so I can pick up a pair?

Hey Jay, love love your content and style bro, thanks for all you do! Can't remember if you've covered any hybrid integrated amps, and I'm sure you've heard some, but they seem to have the best of both worlds. Plenty of the airy, holographic soundstage from the tubes, but with the drive and slam of a heavy hitting solid state. I've got a Vincent sv-237mk with buchardt s400mkii and a pontus ii, and I'm in sonic heaven 🙌😍 No one ever covers that brand, but maybe you could?

You lucky SOB LOL. Enjoy!!

Enjoy your passion in the search for the holy grail, If it's ridiculously heavy, rocks-up and arrives in a bloody Pelican Case and glows in the dark I'm up for it.

It's cool that they use those Polish made Miflex polypropylene capacitors but then they're using the cheapest and worst sounding metal oxide resistors. Interesting contradiction in design choices. I would rip them out and put some vintage carbon film and carbon comp mix and this amp would be magical.

What preamp did you run. I was thinking of using a Manley Labs Chinook phono as I only play Vinyl. IThis is call an "Integrated" but does it haveva preamp section?

If it didnt match the speakers I was hoping and had an option to return I would do it.It has to be right for that kind of money.

@histubeness

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. He talked more about the looks and parts being great, but what matters is performance, which he seemed lukewarm about, overall. I'd rather stick with my Will Vincent Dynaco ST-70 rebuild, at 1/5 the price. Sounds great with KT66's.

So much for the manufacturers recommendation,, no wonder I have trust issues,,😮

maybe some kt88s would be a bass improvement Jay?

Did you try both 4 and 8 ohm taps ? Both of my SET amps will produce a little change in bass doing this.

Very honest , refreshing scary though . Is there always something better ? And at what cost ? Maybe it’s better not being wealthy

Just a quick few note here. Did you break in the amp? How many hours? Tubes require break in time sir. Usually around 20 hours, they start to settle. 50 hours and they start to finalize. 100 hours and your tubes will bloom. 100 hours is when you start your critical listening. Just FYI. I have an "all tube" system. Around 50 hours is when things started to settle and my system started to open up.

What would be best? Choice between decware and unison research?

Should have asked Deckart to have option to increase the negative feedback which will give you tighter bass.

@user-od9iz9cv1w

2 жыл бұрын

It would be an easy mod. Likely just replace 2 resistors.

@fernandoplata9785

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-od9iz9cv1w and void the lifetime warranty he offers?

Over a hundred? 🤣 The wait list is 1,500! My ZMA was ordered last December, I figure on getting it early next year. Yours has the $600 XLR option which adds transformers and is supposed to be better, with more air and presence than RCA. I'm planning on adding all the resistor/cap upgrades and considering XLR. Have you tried it and what do you think?

I gave up on trying to buy this. I just received my Zen kit and all the parts for it. I'm building it myself