Decware SE34-I Operation Manual

Page 1
High Fidelity Engineering Co.
OPERATION MANUAL
Zen Triode Integrated Dual Mono Amplifier
DDDDESCRIPTION:
ESCRIPTION:
ESCRIPTION:ESCRIPTION:
The SE34-I is a single-ended triode amp. It is dual mono and features an integrated preamp.
FEATURES:
FEATURES:
FEATURES:FEATURES:
The SE34-I has dual-core hand wound output trans­formers with quad binding posts foe each channel making it possible to segregate the amplifier into four output channels.
There is an input selector (silver contacts) to allow you to easily switch in up to four different line level sources.
A high quality ALPS stepped potentiometer gives you precise control over the volume with a fixed balance be­tween channels.
There are two “presence” switches, one per channel, that allow you to quickly alter the signature of the amp to better match the differences between sources.
Each channel has a separate on / standby switch prov­ing it is indeed a true dual mono design—all the way through to the dual mono preamp.
High quality jacks, binding posts, and removable power cord complete the package.
SETUP:
SETUP:
SETUP:SETUP:
Once you unpack your new amplifier you will need to install the tubes and power cord before you do anything else. There are two sizes of tubes used in this amplifier, large and small. The large tubes (EL34) are the output tubes and the small tubes (6N1P) are the driver tubes. Your amplifier is shipped with a matched
Model SE34-I
Quad of high grade output tubes. Input tubes are also matched so you need not worry which sockets you install the tubes in. BTW, matched tubes are not required in this design.
CONNECTIONS:
CONNECTIONS:
CONNECTIONS:CONNECTIONS:
Never operate a tube amp without having speakers hooked up to it. Although we doubt you could damage this one, it is kind of a universal law.
There are two pairs of binding posts on each side of the amp. What you have here is a separate set of posts for each output tube. This is explained in great detail in the white paper on the web site for this amp.
In short these jacks can be paralleled or series to make up each channel. There are a multitude of other options that are discussed in the white papers.
To get started now, simply parallel the jacks for each channel by connecting red to red and black to black.
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High Fidelity Engineering Co.
Your amp is shipped with four jumper wires that have been terminated with banana jacks to accomplish this purpose.
INPUTS
INPUTS
INPUTSINPUTS
Continuing along, hook your left and right inputs to the input jacks marked “A” and rotate the selector switch all the way to the left. Turn the volume control counter-clockwise till it stops and turn the main power switch on.
Once the tubes glow, you may turn each channel on with the standby switches located between the controls. Press play on your source and slowly raise the volume control.
Enjoy the music.
When you are done listening, you may simply turn off each standby switch and allow to tubes to glow if you like. This keeps the amp warmed up and ready at all times, and actually prolongs tube life.
HEAT
HEAT
HEATHEAT
You will notice your amp runs very warm. Some would say hot. The heat you feel on the power trans­formers is created from the radiant heat of the nearby output tubes, not the current draw. We have designed this amplifier to run hot, but even at this high tem­perature, it is well within its operating parameters so don’t be alarmed. Always keep the unit in standby or turned off when you’re not listening to it.
BIASING
BIASING
BIASINGBIASING
The amp is self-biasing and self balancing. You do not need matched tubes to get good sound.
CCCCIRCUIT
IRCUIT
IRCUITIRCUIT
The circuit design for the SE34-I is loosely based on the Zen Triode Signature monoblocks, and the ZTPRE signature preamplifier. We have from the fac­tory built this amplifier with all of our top grade sig­nature parts so little or no tweaking will ever be re­quired to improve the sound. In depth design notes are available on this special zen circuit on the web site and
Is recommended reading.
SPECIFICATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS
SPECIFICATIONSSPECIFICATIONS
The amplifier has an RMS output into 8 ohms of 3.4 watts per tube.
The amplifier is optimized for 8 ohm and 16 ohm speakers with no adjustment needed. It will also drive 4 ohm speakers with slightly less power.
The input sensitivity is 2.4 volts to bring the ampli­fier to full power. Even though it has an integrated preamp with lots of gain, we have intentionally tamed it down so that you can’t clip the amp with the average
2.0 volt line source such as common CD players.
The current draw when the amp is in standby is 27 watts per channel, and when operating at clipping is 71 watts per channel.
TUBES
TUBES
TUBESTUBES
Tube life in this amplifier is long. You should get anywhere from 1 to 4 years from the tubes depending on how much you listen to it.
The smaller 6N1P tubes can be rolled with 6922’s or 6DJ8’s with no further modifications.
FUSE
FUSE
FUSEFUSE
The fuse is located in the IEC connector for the remov­able power cord. Use only fuses rated between 4 and 6 amps.
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICESERVICE
We offer a lifetime warranty on the SE34-I. Service problems can be handled quickly by calling us dur­ing business hours (9am to 5pm CST)
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High Fidelity Engineering Co.
The Zen
DESIGNER'S NOTES:
Steve Deckert, High Fidelity Engineering Co.
While we've been enjoying the success of our our Zen Triode amplifiers this past 4 years, I have personally talked to every cus­tomer (over 1000) before and after his or her purchase of an amplifier. This feedback about how our products are received in the real world (vs. a lab bench and reference lis­tening room) has brought about tremendous insights as to what works well and what doesn't. Before, during and ever continuing are a whole family of secret Zen amps that no one knows about - an ongoing experi­ment that results in prototype after proto­type.
In these prototypes, as mentioned in the previous page, there are several different tubes. Sticking to just the popular triodes, we have found that we can make some very impressive sounding amplifiers with them. We have learned that the signatures com­monly associated with particular tubes are predominately effected by the design of the amplifiers using them... point being that stereotypes where tubes and or tube amps are concerned can be misleading.
During these cycles of R&D that we go through, we're not afraid to experiment with off the wall tubes because we frankly don't care about anything other than the final re­sult, the sound of the amp.
Our very first amplifier was the original Zen Triode Amp that used the EL84/6BQ5 output tubes. These are pentodes that can be wired in triode. The SV83 tubes is a special version of this made for Video applications such as Radar Displays in the Russian Military. Be­cause it was a video tube it had some special qualities not found in the EL84/6BQ5 tubes that we were simply not too blind to recog­nize. Sventlana, who makes the tube, con­tacted all the major tube amp manufactures suggesting it might be a special sounding tube to base an amplifier design around. Not
one of them listened.
The appeal in designing around these small envelope tubes comes from years of listen­ing to them in a wide variety of amplifiers throughout the 60's and 70's. I recognized these tubes had speed that many larger tubes did not, and I always enjoyed them. Of the larger envelope tubes, the big brother of the EL84/6BQ5 was the EL34. It has the narrowest envelope of any output tube, and was used in just as much gear in that time period. Like the smaller one, I noticed it too always seemed to have better speed, and tighter bottom end than the larger valves.
The EL34 also has a unique feature in that it is the only pentode made that can be wired in true triode for lack of internal jumpers be­tween the grids. This gives you limitless pos­sibilities for how you combine the grids and plate to accomplish triode operation. With exhaustive research I have found that it is in this key part of the tube that you can control the depth and dimensionally of the resulting soundstage.
In true triode it sounds like other triodes, with an immediacy and presence triodes are famous for. In Zen triode (get it), holo­graphic imaging and huge soundstage along with more attention to harmonics can be ex­tracted. The EL34 makes it possible to take this a level deeper which I feel I've been able to do.
In audio it's hard to pay Peter with our rob­bing Paul. Everything is a tradeoff it seems, and it's hard to have both. There are things that I really like about the pure triodes, and being a soundstage fanatic, there are things that I really like about pentodes wired in tri­ode, especially EL34's. So to have both, I designed an amp that has both.
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High Fidelity Engineering Co.
Integrated has two output tubes
per channel. One wired in pure
triode, one in zen triode.
Each tube has it's own core in the output transformer making it possible to create 4 dif­ferent combinations -each resulting in a differ­ent signature. This is a technology we bor­rowed from our Signature Zen Triode Mon­oblocks.
For example:
There are two pairs of binding posts for each channel on the rear of the amplifier. Each set of posts is driven by one single ended EL34 tube. You can remove the two tubes wired in zen triode, and using the correct set of binding posts, you can have a single tube, single ended pure triode amp. Oh and don't forget it's dual mono.
Or, you might want to hear what the zen tri­ode wired tubes sound like vs. the true triode so you simply do the same thing with the other tubes. Perhaps you'd like to hear them both together (my favorite) then you can parallel the two jacks reinstall the other two tubes. Let's see, that's three different amplifiers so far.
Or, you can series the two jacks instead and experience a completely new window into the signature with both tubes and both cores working in perfect harmony as one entity.
These four options are no different that owning four different amplifiers. Add to that a pres­ence switch that changes the coupling imped­ance between the driver and output stages of the amp, and you really have 8 different am­plifiers to listen to. Then realize that the driver tubes, the very special 6N1P can be rolled with 6DJ8's and 6922's and you multiply the poten­tial signatures of the amp even more. And of course don't forget it also has a dual mono preamp built-in, hence the term "integrated" using the same 6N1P.
It should go without saying that the serious
tweaker will be in pure heaven without ever having to crack the cover, or re-bias the ampli­fier.
Sorry, I just couldn't think of a short way to explain why we choose the EL34 output tubes for our long awaited integrated amp. The result I am confident will have superior sonics to many if not all 300B or 2A3 type am­plifiers with equal or better power.
Steve Deckert August 2001
Original concept
Prototype
End result—Model SE34-I
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