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STEREO PRE AMPLIFIER
CSP2
OWNERS MANUAL
Decware High Fidelity Eng ineering Co. 1202 N.E. Adams Street Peoria , IL 61603 (309) 671 2428
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lightning flash with arrowhead, within
an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninstalled “dangerous voltage” within the
product’s enclosure that may be of risk
of electric shock to persons.
AVIS RISQUÉ DE CHOC ELECTRIC-NE PASOUVRIR.
The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to
alert the user to the presence of
important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
WARNING- TO REDUCE RISK
OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL
SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR
MOISTURE.
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS!
PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE
OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT.
1 Read these instructions.
2 Keep these instructions.
3 Heed all warnings.
4 Follow all instructions.
5 Do not use this apparatus near water.
6 Clean only with a dry cloth.
7 Do not set things on top of apparatus.
8 Install in accordance with manufactur-
ers instructions.
9 Do not install near any heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including
amplifiers) that produce heat.
10 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the
polari z e d or grounding-t ype plug. A po larized plug has to blades with one
wider then the other. A groundi ng type
plug has to blades and a third grounding prong. Th e wide blade or t h e t h ird
grounding pr o n g a re provided for your
safety. If the provided plug does not
fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete
outlet.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
To prevent the risk of electrical shock, do not remove
cover or bottom. No user serviceable parts inside.
11 Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the apparatus.
12 Only use attachments/accessories specified
by the manufacturer.
13 Do not attempt to move this apparatus until
after it has been turned of and cooled down
to room temperature.
14 Unplug this apparatus during lighting storms
or when unused for long periods of time.
15 Refer all servi ci ng ot qualified service per-
sonnel. Servicing is requi r ed when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such
as power-su pply cord or pl ug is damaged,
liquid ha s been spilled or objec t s have fallen
into the apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
16 Do not expose this equipment to dripping or
splashing and ensure that no objects filled
with liquid, such as vases, are placed on or
near the equipment.
17 To completely disconnect this equipment
from the A.C. mains, disconnect the power
supply cord from the A.C. receptacle.
18 The mains plug of the power supply cord
shall remain readily operable.
19 Never touch a vacuum tube while it is oper -
ating. Some can reach temperatures of almost 400 degrees F.
20 Turn apparatus off when not in use.
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Thank You
By purchasing the Z en T r iode CSP preamplifier you have illustrated a desire to rise
past the normal hi -end hype and own a truly
exceptional piece. It is a product based on
the old school way of doing things when it
was fashionable to push quality to an art
form. Your amplifier was hand-built by the
very best ar t isans who have perfected the
craft through the experience of building well
over one thousand amplifiers, ea ch one a t a
time.
Please Take a Mom e n t
The serial number and date of your a m plifier
are recorded on the bottom of the amplifier.
These are important to keep on the amplifi er
for identification purposes. You may need
them for insurance claim or future service.
Please use the spaces below to record this
information for safe keeping.
Serial Number:
Purchase Date:
Model Number:
Table of Contents
Safety Instructions........................ 2
Thank You.................................... 3
Technical Assistance...................... 3
Table of Contents.......................... 3
Important Information.................... 4
Connector Information.................... 4
Fuse Location / Information............ 4
WARNING..................................... 4
Output level adjustment................. 5
Tube layout installation.................. 5
Tube life..................................... 5
Input tube information................... 6
Rectifier tube information............... 6
Where everything goes.................. 7
Introduction................................ 7
Performance features.................... 7
Technical Assistance
You can reach technical assistance by simply
contacting Decware directly. You ca n a lso email us directly from our web site at
www.decware.com Please feel free express
any questions you may have about your purchase or how it can be best utilized in your
present system. You can also find help online in our support forums on decware.com
Decware / High Fidelity Engineering Co.
1202 N.E. Adam s S t .
Peoria, IL 61603
Phone: (309) 671 2428
Fax: (309) 672-1060
www.decware.com
Dimensions.................................. 8
Placement................................... 8
Heat Output................................ 8
Headphone Use............................ 9
How to Operate........................... 9
Burn-in Process............................ 9
Specifications.............................. 10
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Introduction and Performance Features
Important Information
1 Caution: To prevent electrical shock
make sure that the AC POWER CORD IS
NOT CONNECTED TO THE CSP2 when
inserting or removing Vacuum Tubes,
as there are hazardous voltages present at the pins of the Tube Sockets.
2 When Vacuum Tubes are installed or re-
moved make sure to seat them properly in
the tube sockets. A properly installed Vacuum tube should seat all the way down
making the tube pins no longer visible.
3 If the CSP2 has been on , understand that
the tubes will take time to cool off before
they can be safely removed.
4 For additional connection information, refer
to the owner’s manual for any components
connected to the CSP2.
Connector Information
Fuse location / Information
The fuse is integrated into the IEC power cord
connector at the back of the CSP2.
Use a
(20mm x 5mm) 250 volt
GMA
3 amp fuse only.
TO ACCESS FUSE, REMOVE POWER CORD and
PRY FUSE HOLDER LOOSE WITH SMALL
SCREWDRIVER AS SHOWN.
The CSP2 is fitted with what are ca lled “single
ended” RCA type input connectors. These are
located along the rear of the amplifier. Another
popular type of connector is known as XLR or
“balanced” inputs. The CSP2 does not use balanced inputs be c ause contrar y t o po pu lar belie f
they do not automatically sound better. Balancing is a system wide concept developed for pro
audio to reduce noise and facilitate long cable
runs of in many cases over 100 feet.
There are two sets of input jacks located at the
left rear of the CSP2. (They are color banded
to indicate left / right channels. The RED is
RIGHT CHANNEL. ) With this dual pair of input
jacks you can have two sources and change between them via the switch on the right rear of
the CSP2. The switch when pushed left, wi ll activate the left pair of jacks, and when pushed
right will activate the right pai r of jacks.
The output jacks are located at the right rear of
the CSP2, as is a headphone jack and a mono
output jack that can be used to feed active subwoofers or create a mono center channel.
The fuse holder contains a spare fuse as
shown. To reinstall just snap the new fuse in
place and snap the fuse holder back i nto the
IEC connector.
WARNING
NEVER INSTALL A FUSE WITH A
HIGHER RATING THEN SPECIFIED.
NEVER ATTEMPT TO BYPASS THE
FUSE OR DEFEAT ITS INTENDED
PURPOSE !
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OUTPUT LEVEL
The CSP2 is designed with an adjusta ble line
output level that will set the voltage for both
the stereo and mono output jacks. There are
two thumb pots located just off the rear corners
of the power transformer that are used to adjust the output level for each channel in dependently.
Note: Due to the differences in hearing between the average humans left and right
ears and the non-symmetry of most listening
spaces, some enlightened audiophiles will actually use different brand or type tubes from
channel to channel to achieve a bett er ba lance for their own ears and room.
These pots have been pre-adjusted at the factory and marked so that you can easily restore
your CSP2 to the factory calibration.
Factory calibration of the output level is set to
4.00 Volts at 1000 Hz with a 2.00 Volt i n pu t s ignal and the volume control wide open. With a
2.00 Volt input signal (the standard for CD players) it is possible to adjust the CSP2 output
level to 35 volts with no visible distorti on.
The output level adjustments do not effect the
headphone jack.
TUBE LAYOUT - INSTALLATION
The CSP2 uses a single 6N1P (which is a dual
triode) to drive both the left and right cha nnels.
This tube is located at the front just behind the
volume control. Changing this tube will change
the sound of both channel s . Because of this, it
is arguably the most popular tube to roll if you
enjoy hearing how one brand of tube sounds
different from the next.
TUBE LIFE
Input tube life is rated at either 3000 or 5000
hours depending on the type tube used.
Rectifier tubes can easil y last the life of the
amplifier.
Input tube life will vary from brand to brand
and should be checked yearly.
The easiest way to check a tube is to replace
it with a known good one. and compar e both
sound quality and noise level of the amplifier.
If you hear very little difference, the tubes
are still good.
The most common trait of a tired tube or
tube that is going bad is background noise
and or a loss of clarity or pre-mature distortion.
Again, the easiest way to check a tube is to
replace it with a known good one. and compare both sound quality and noise level of
the amplifier. If you hear very little difference, the tubes are still good.
The two other 6N1P’s which are being driven by
the front input tube, are wired one tube for
each channel. The left tube for the left channel,
right tube for the right channel. These can also
be rolled with different brands and have an
equal effect on how your CSP2 sounds. Just remember that whatever you do on the left side,
you should also do on the right - meaning the
tubes should be of the same type and brand.
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INPUT TUBE INFORMATION
WHERE EVERYTHING GOES
The CSP2 is designed to use your choice of
three different input (or signal) tubes.
6N1P
The sound is typically warm with good balance.
6DJ8 (a popular low noise tube both available
in current production by numerous manufacturers and in N.O.S.)
The sound is more airy and detailed, less bass.
6922 (a popular variant of the 6DJ8 also avail-
able by a wide variety of manufactur er s a nd in
N.O.S.)
The sound is typically more dynamic and detailed.
RECTIFIER TUBE INFORMATION
Below is a simplifi ed top view of the chassis
showing the tube locations, jack and switch
locations.
POWER SW ITCH
RIGHT
CHANNEL
INPUT - A
LEFT
CHANNEL
INPUT - A
RIGHT
CHANNEL
INPUT - B
LEFT
CHANNEL
INPUT - B
RIGHT
CHANNEL
OUTPUT
LEFT
CHANNEL
OUTPUT
MONO
OUTPUT
A / B
INPUT
SWITCH
The CSP2 is designed around the 5Y3GT rectifier tube. It is however, compatible with the
following alternatives - each having a subtle effect on the overall sound characteristics of the
amp.
◊ 5U4
◊ 5AR4
◊ GZ34
◊ 274B
The different ratings and effici enci es of these
rectifiers will effect the operating voltage points
throughout the amplifier which is why they can
have an effect on th e soun d. You will fi nd t ha t
even different brands of the same tube will
sound different. This is true with any vacuum
tube.
LEFT
CHANNEL
VOLT ADJ.
5Y3GT
3 x 6N1P
MASTER
VOLUME
CONTROL
RIGHT
CHANNEL
VOLT ADJ.
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INTRODUCTION
You now own one of the best SET headphone/
preamplif iers in the world! It ha s many unique
features that set it apart from the rest. It’s
point-to-point construction, lack of circuit
boards, and direct coupled signal path means
nothing sold today is more transparent or honest. Of course almost everything sold today
claims to be sonically transparent and absolutely
accurate, but when compared side by side to the
Zen Triode CSP2 it usually isn’t.
• Non-Magnetic High Mass Chassis
The CSP2 is built on a T6 Aluminum plate
over 2mm thick for zero flex. This offers a
noticeable reduction in resonance when compared to a steel chassis. To further eliminate
resonance, the plate is coupled to a solid
hardwood base. The powder coat finish is
baked on and nearly impossible to scratch
without significant effort. The rust proof
Aluminum combined with this fini sh ensures
the amplifier will look pristine for many,
many years to come.
PERFORMANCE FEATURES
• Power Supply
The CSP2 power supply is rated at 150 milliamps even though the total current draw of
the circuit is less then 50 ma. When a power
supply becomes this healthy in relation to the
circuit it feeds, extreme reli a bil ity and rock
steady voltages without complex regulation ar e
the result. The USA made Decware power
transformers are proprietary to maintain absolute quality. They can be pre-wired at the factory for any voltage.
• Output Transfor merless Design
The CSP2 is a no compromise Single Ended Triode OTL headphone amp. It has the ultra low
output impedance usua lly found with a tr ansformer. It can therefor drive headphones between 30 and 600 ohms without problems and
without adjustments when switching from one
pair of headphones to another.
• Gold Plated Connectors and Sockets
Gold plated Input & Output Jacks are provide
trouble free connections. Ceramic tube sockets
with gold plated contacts provide protection
from atmospheric contamination.
• High Reliability - Low Maintenance
With an oversized power supply and the
highest grade of capacitors the CSP2 has less
then 0.5mv of sag in the high voltage supply
when the amp is at full power and clipping.
This means the power supply is never taxed
and should therefor last for many decades.
In addition, the self-biasing design besides
sounding best offers easy tube changes with
no adjustments or re-biasing needed. These
are just some of the reasons why we can
offer a Lifetime Warranty with this product.
• Tube rectification
This offers two distinct advantages over the
more common solid state rectification. First
is reliability. Solid state rectifiers when used
at these high voltages (600 volts) are susceptible to voltage spikes and even static electricity. That means your amplifier would
need repair likely more then once during it’s
lifetime. Using a tube rectifier means that
you can easily change it yourself if ever there
was a problem. Tube rectification also
sounds different then solid state. And contrary to popular belief , the tube rectification
actually has far superior bass. It’s tighter,
more dimensional, and less artificial sounding.
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DIMENSIONS
The CSP2 amplifier is 7.25 inches wide by 14.75
inches deep with a height of 6.5 inches.
Same size matching power amp shown above.
With the jacks vertically mounted at the rea r
of the amp lifie r, it is po ss ible to p us h th e am p
all the way to the rear of a shelf. However,
we recommend keeping a 2 inch spacing
on all sides and at least 6 to 10 inches of
space above the amplifier. Avoid closed
cabinets. The better the ventilation around
your amplifier the cooler it will run.
HEAT OUTPUT
This is a Class A amplifier where the tubes
idle at near ful l power. It is des igned to r un
at a temperature that humans would perceive
as hot. The actual temperature of the power
transformer and metal parts of the amplifier
will depend on the following conditions:
• Ambient room temperature. At 70 degrees F.
the amp should run at around 118 degrees.
• Volume level. The amp will generate less heat
at lower volumes then at higher volumes.
• Amount of time the amplifier has been on.
Depending on the two variables above it can
take up to several hours to reach full temperature.
PLACEMENT
NOTE: in rooms with high ambient temperatures the CSP2 could af ter many hour s reach
temperatures of 140 degrees, although it
requires a worse case scenario to achieve
that temperature. This is the maximum
allowable temperature recommended for operation as anything higher could burn you.
If you turn your a mp of f when not in use a nd
your listening room isn’t baking hot, you’ll
find your CSP2 to average a com fortable 115
degrees F. This is cool enough to keep your
hand on the power transformer for extended
periods of time.
You will find where heat is concerned, that
after about 30 minutes or so once the amp
has become warm, the sound will be better
then when the amp is ice cold.
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HEADPHONE USE
HOW TO OPERATE
The CSP2 is a world class OTL headphone amplifier. It will operate most headphones between 30 ~ 600 ohms. It uses a standard 1/4
inch stereo jack that is directly tied to the output and controlled by the master volume control.
The headphone output is none effected by the
stereo line output a nd is not adjustable. Th e
CSP2 has enough output to drive even the most
stubborn headph o n es . T h is means in m os t
good quality phones, there will be more then
enough power. We find it almost impossible to
get past 1/3rd volume without it becoming too
loud for comfort. Use this power wisely, don’t
damage your hearing.
You can have your l i n e level outputs hooked up
and in use with no detectable change to the
sound in your headphones. This makes it possible to have your stereo speakers playing at the
same time if desired.
If listening to your stereo speakers and the
headphones are inserted into the headph o ne
jack there will be a detectable reduction in volume on the line level outputs. This is normal
and can be over c o m e by s i mply unplugging the
headphones during critical listening of your
main speakers. This is normally done anyway
so you don’t hear m u sic coming out of y ou r
headphones when your trying t listen to your
speakers.
We think you’ll find the sound of the CSP2 on a
good set of headphones to be no n -v iolating,
naturally bi g soun ding with rich detai l and no
listener fatigue.
Remember that the resolution of headphone listening is probabl y 10 f o ld higher then listening
to your loudspeakers. For this reason the interconnect cables between the source and CSP2
are of utmost importance's for maximum pleasure. Try at least a few different pair to hear
how big the changes are between them and
then buy a good set of cables from us.
After finding an appropriate place for the
amplifier you can install the tubes and connect the cables. Do not hook up the input
cables at this time. Install the power cord
and plug it into a grounded receptacle and
turn the unit on.
Let the CSP2 warm up for several minutes
with the volume control all the way down.
Now install a pair of i nter connect cabl es between the output jacks of the CSP2 and the
input jacks on your amplifier. After the two
are connected you may power up your amplifier. Yo u now have both the ampl ifier and
preamplifier on and connected together. If
there is no hum from bad cables or ground
loops and no noise or hiss from bad tubes
you are ready to hook up your source(s) to
the CSP2. Always have the volume control
all the way down before hooking up your
source(s).
BURN-IN PROCESS
Expect less then wonderful sound for the
first 20 to 40 hours of operation as the capacitors break-in. The fastest way to advance the burn in process is to play the amp
for 5 hours and then turn it off for at least 5
hours. Repeat this at least 5 times. Most
customers find that the amp really blooms in
about the 3rd week of their evaluation.
Unlike a power amp, the CSP2 can be burned
it without turning on your amplifiers. Just
put some good sounding music on it, adjust
the volume to about 1/2 way and let it play
on repeat. While there are several hi gh tech
“burn-in” CD’s available to accelerate the
process, we find real music actually works
better.
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SPECIFICATIONS
• Weight 13 lbs. ea.
• Dimensions 8.5" H x 7.250" W x 14 . 7 5" D
• Circuit type Single ended Class A Triode OTL
• Output Adjustable 0 ~ 36 volts
• Input v o l tage 250mv ~ 5.0 vol ts
• Noise / Hum Less than 0.5 millivolts
• Input Impedance 100 KOhms
• Output Im peda nc e < 60 ohms
• Response 5 Hz ~ 70 kHz
• Feedback ZERO negative feedback used
• Rectification 5Y3GT tube rectification
• Signal tubes 6N1P or 6922 or 6Dj8
• Transformers Transformer custom made for this pre amplif i er by Decware
• Biasing Self-Biasing circuit - never needs adjustment
• Resistors All resistors are audiophile grade
• Signal C ap Audiophile grade poly film/foil
• Filter Caps All filter caps are premium qual i ty
• AC cord Fused IEC connector provided with removable power cord
• Consumption 65 watts at full power
• Input jacks RCA type 24K Gold / Teflon
• Output jacks RCA type 24K Gold / Teflon
• Headphone jack 1/4 inch stereo jack
• Warranty Lifetime to original owner / 90 days on tubes
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