Is all the hype warranted


I've been seeing alot of glowing reviews of Decware amps over the last couple days. Particularly their Zen Torii and ZMA amps.  Andrew Robinson, Steve Gutenburg, Harley Longrove and Jay are all gushing about Decware.  For those tube guys out there, is Decware that good? Is the hype warranted?

sandrodg73

When I owned Wilson Sasha 2 speaker, I had to send in my then Audio Research Ref75se for repairs. (really? who knew a blown power tube takes out a resistor? Why would anyone use a fuse anyway? Its so much more convenient to send it off for repairs). 

 

In a second system I had an Audio Note OTO Phono SE Signature so I thought, why not, see if any sound comes out. Zero expectations an EL84 10-12wpc tube integrated would do anything but perhaps start smoking LOL. Anyway, it was the absolute best, hands down, that the Sasha's had ever sounded tonally in my room. Its about transformers and implementation.

 

A couple of things happened following this experiment. I sold my Audio Research Ref stack, sold the Sashas and began sliding down into the Audio Note rabbit hole. My main system is now all Audio note, from the wall all the way to the speakers. The last non-Audio Note speakers I owned (Devore Fidelity O/20, which sounded wonderful driven by the OTO SE Silver Signature as well as a 211 Jinro tubed integrated) were displaced by a pair of Audio Note speakers with Alnico magnets.

 

Decware gear is unapologetically euphonic and with proper speaker matching can be end game for many. With (no OTL) tube gear, its about the transformers, implementation and parts quality. Full stop. 

Please elaborate.  No clue what SET is.   I've been on a 6 mo info gathering quest with respects to integrated tube amps but have not run across that term till this thread.