I've owned the original decco for quite a few years and have slowly updated my system around it. It's a really amazing integrated that also looks really excellent.
First off, I'm using it in my bedroom, so the acoustics don't require as much as a larger room. My various stages of change were as follows.
1. decco driving linn tukan speakers, good sound, not great soundstaging or bass but as a standalone integrated unit pretty easy to live with.
2. decco with a linn 5105 amp and linn tukans, the amp does the 200 watt
@ 4ohms lifting. The unit stays cooler as an obvious reflection of the reduced
work load and the bass has gone up and the sound stage has bloomed.
3. decco with 2 linn 5105 amps actively driving the linn tukans. The bass increased, the clarity on very loud volumes held up, the speakers become much more smoother and the soundstage tightened.
4. decco with 2 linn 5105 amps actively driving the linn tukans and a sizmik
subwoofer. Adding the sub made a huge difference. It was like the missing piece of the puzzle. Wide sound stage with depth, incredible musical bass, not boomy. Acoustic instruments have that texture. Effortless sound.
The decco is good enough to be able to reflect all of the changes I've made and keep up with them. On top of which you have several input formats to
choose and jacks to use, not to mention the excellent headphone section.
Spoiler alert, I did have peachtree do some cap upgrades and additions so
that I can run the system silently with headphones on.
Don't write off the earlier Decco, especially at the used prices that the units
can be found for.
First off, I'm using it in my bedroom, so the acoustics don't require as much as a larger room. My various stages of change were as follows.
1. decco driving linn tukan speakers, good sound, not great soundstaging or bass but as a standalone integrated unit pretty easy to live with.
2. decco with a linn 5105 amp and linn tukans, the amp does the 200 watt
@ 4ohms lifting. The unit stays cooler as an obvious reflection of the reduced
work load and the bass has gone up and the sound stage has bloomed.
3. decco with 2 linn 5105 amps actively driving the linn tukans. The bass increased, the clarity on very loud volumes held up, the speakers become much more smoother and the soundstage tightened.
4. decco with 2 linn 5105 amps actively driving the linn tukans and a sizmik
subwoofer. Adding the sub made a huge difference. It was like the missing piece of the puzzle. Wide sound stage with depth, incredible musical bass, not boomy. Acoustic instruments have that texture. Effortless sound.
The decco is good enough to be able to reflect all of the changes I've made and keep up with them. On top of which you have several input formats to
choose and jacks to use, not to mention the excellent headphone section.
Spoiler alert, I did have peachtree do some cap upgrades and additions so
that I can run the system silently with headphones on.
Don't write off the earlier Decco, especially at the used prices that the units
can be found for.