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Decware Zen SV83
Decware Zen SV83
MSRP: $ 1995.00

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Rating
Reviewed by:
Paul_Bui
(Audio Enthusiast)

Review Date
July 17, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Rate this review?

Review 1 of 3

Price Paid:  $1995.00 from Manufacturer Direct

Summary:
Getting better and better in sound and reliability. A five star performer. Terrific looking since day one. After 16 months of use and tube swapping, I still enjoy these monoblocks to the extent that I lost interest in auditioning other great products. Integrated well with two REL powered subs (Storm III)

Strengths:
Loves low impedance speakers. Life time warranty to first owners Sounds like no typical SET amps

Weaknesses:
Need over 90 db, simple crossover speakers to work best

Similar Products Used:
$1,000 range solid states and push pulls (from ADCOM, Acurus, Carver, Jolida, SF TPC Assemblage). Also heard AudioNote amps at length.


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Rating
Reviewed by:
Fernando Lora
(Audiophile)

Review Date
July 22, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 months to 1 year

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Review 2 of 3

Price Paid:  $1995.00 from High Fidelity Engineering

Summary:
Very good product walking to excellence.In his category unbeatable champion.A great amplifier from a excellent builder with a promissory future(Steve Deckert).Only with a man use his intuition can produce something like that.I'm a proud owner of this exquisite product(SV83M's),without exaggeration is in truth extraordinary.Incredible bass for a single ended triode(very rare),very detailled,clear like crystal,and...sorry I can't find the appropriate word to describe his fabulous midrange and amazing soundstage.A REAL WINNER.¡Believe it!
Thanks to Steve Deckert to teach me about a real true ¡LESS is MORE!
But,like nothing is perfect,a little amplifier(¡A GIANT KILLER!)made in Peoria,Il. by a little company without financial resources to open the doors of the big bussines of High End Empire,saddly for the fans of this activity.At the end,this language(english),is not my native language,sorry for my possible grammar mistakes.

Strengths:
clarity, great soundstage,detail

Weaknesses:
Patience to expect the long breaking period

Similar Products Used:
many


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Rating
Reviewed by:
Paul
(Audio Enthusiast)

Review Date
March 17, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Rate this review?

Review 3 of 3

Price Paid:  $1995.00 from Factory direct @ decware.com

Summary:
For more detailed and complete reviews, please refer to the stereo version SV84C and SV84CS (select version) else where in this site. They sound reportedly the same as these monoblocks, just having a bit less power.

I bought the most recent SV83M monoblocks from Steve's High Fidelity Engineering (a.k.a. Decware ZEN), and this is the 3rd weekend I have them. I feel they are still breaking in, and most other veteran users said they keep improving after months of listening.

Even driving the 86 dB Magnepan MMG, the SV83Ms show a musical purity that is very satifying. Like most SET the SV83Ms have liquid midrange and sweet highs. Unlike many other SET amps, the SV83Ms' bass is tight, articulate, and realistic; their highs are extended. Their overall music representation is always faithfully precise, wonderfully musical when the recording calls for. These amps are damn fast; the starts and stops of musical passages can be startling. Listening to the SV83Ms and MMG at night and low/modest level is a treat: The music is so good I don't feel missing too much bass. As always, I can add a subwoofer whenever I like, but I prefer sans-sub except for movies.

A follow-up with more details reviews will be submitted once I get the 93 dB HornShoppe from Ed, www.thehornshoppe.com. The speaker will need a couple weeks for break-in.

My associated components:
CAL Delta --> Illuminati D-60 --> Meridian 518 --> Illuminati D-60 --> CAL Alpha with RAM LABs 12AX7 tubes --> KCAG --> SV83Ms --> Monocle XL --> MMG.

All sources and an SV83M plugged in a PS Audio P300. The other SV83M plugged in a PAC IDOS.

Recordings:

A number of XRCDs from FIM.
Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Holy Cole, etc.
Mario Lanza Live in London, various Renee Fleming CDs

Strengths:
Simplicity
Musical purity
Beautiful look
Revealing
Broader bandwidth than typical SET amps
Self biased tubes
Inexpensive tube replacement
Original owner lifetime waranty
30 day money back guarantee (less a 5% stocking fee)
Excellent enthusiastic customer service

Weaknesses:
Require higher than 90 dB speakers to sound best.
As a revealing component, you might have to re-evaluate other components in your system.

Similar Products Used:
None. This is my first experience with single-ended triodes. Did listen to Rogue Audio 120w monoblocks at a local dealer.


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