Decware SE34-I User manual

High Fidelity Engineering Co.
OPERATION MANUAL
Model SE34-I
Zen Triode Integrated Dual Mono Amplifier
DESCRIPTION:
Two single ended triode monoblocks and a dual
mono preamplifier all integrated together in the
same chassis.
SETUP
This amplifier is shipped with tubes that must be
installed prior to operation. The chassis is marked
with the proper tube type for each socket. You
will find a total of 7 tubes. There are 4 EL-34 out-
put tubes and 3 6N1P signal tubes.
The output tubes that come with your amp are
matched in pairs (sometimes quads). The left two
output tubes represent the left channel and the
right two output tubes represent the right chan-
nel. If you have matched pairs, organize them so
that the left two match each other and the right
two match each other. NOTE: This amp is built
with a self-biasing self-balancing circuit so that you
may run unmatched tubes without problems.
Directly in front of each pair of output tubes is a
6N1P signal tube that drives them. The signal
tube located between the power transformers,
also a 6N1P is the preamp tube.
There is an IEC connector on the rear of your
amplifier that also contains a well hidden fuse
holder with a spare fuse inside.
Should you ever blow one we recommend using
between 4 and 6 amp fuses. This IEC connector is
where the removable power cord plugs into.
The input jacks are labeled A B C D and corre-
spond to the input selector switch located on the
left front of your amplifier.
The speaker jacks are very unique since there are
four instead of two for each channel. A separate
section will explore the possibilities of this type of
configuration. For now hook your speaker wires to
the outside set of posts on each side (shown above).
At the same time using the jumpers supplied with
your amp, connect the reds and blacks together so
that both sets of posts are being used at the same
time.
OPERATION
Once you have your amplifier hooked up, turn it on
and let it warm up in standby mode for a minute or
two. The power switch is located on the rear of the
amp. Turning it on brings the amp into either
standby mode or full operation depending on the
position of the front switches. The two front
switches labeled “standby” represent each channel
(amplifier). In summary, if the rear switch was
turned ON and the tubes are lit, but the front
switches are not lit, the amp is in standby mode.

It is okay to leave your amp in standby mode all the
time if you listen to it every day. This feature keeps
the amplifiers warmed up and ready to play.
INPUTS
There are four pairs of inputs that correspond to the
input selector on the left front of your amp. These
are all line level inputs for things like CD & DVD
players, Tape decks, VCRs, computers, etc. The in-
put selector was custom made to mil specs especially
for this amplifier. It features a sealed design using sil-
ver contacts and 45 degree indexing.
PREAMP
The SE34-I contains two mono amplifiers and a dual
mono line level preamplifier. The preamp is voiced
to perfectly compliment the amplifiers. It is set up so
that 2 volts bring the amplifiers to full power if the
volume control is turned on max. The preamp de-
sign is a take-off of our ZTPRE and uses a single tube
with only 1 capacitor and 1 resistor in its signal path.
Can you drive the SE34-I with an additional pream-
plifier and or phono stage? Yes. In that instance you
would use the volume control on the integrated like
a gain control by turning the volume on the addi-
tional preamp to half way, and then adjusting the
volume (gain) control on the integrated so that it
plays at a normal listening level.
HEAT
This amplifier runs in class A which generates a lot of
heat. This is normal. The power transformers
should be hot, but not so hot that you can’t hold
your hand on it for several seconds. NOTE: The
heat level drops significantly in standby mode.
NOISE or HUM
The AC ripple measured on the SE34-I is less than 1
mv. This ultra LOW hum and noise should be non-
detectable on virtually all speakers.
SWITCHES
The SE34-I has three small toggle switches located
on the top front of the amplifier. These are used to
control the signature of your amp and are useful
during setup in achieving a good match with the rest
of your gear.
The two outside switches are gain related presence
controls. The higher the volume control, the more
effect these switches have. These switches add dy-
namics and presence to the sound and when used
will also kick up the gain a bit. The character of
these switches changes from source to source. For
example you may like the switch set one way for
CD, but find it sounds lots better the other way with
LP if the phono stage has in excess of 2 volts output.
There is no right or wrong way to use these
switches, and they can be operated while listening.
The center switch controls the sonic weight of the
amplifiers. It takes the signature from being super
flat and a little “British” sounding to being full with
lots of crunch most obvious in the bass. Stated sim-
ply if you want more or less bass presence, use the
center switch. This switch makes a GIANT change
and therefore effects both channels at the same
time. The outside two switches control each chan-
nel independently of each other, allowing you to get
a little more creative.
Using these three switches in combination will give 4
different signatures that can be quickly changed on
the fly while you listen. This makes it nice when you
have some recordings that sound better one way,
and some recordings that sound better the other
way.
All of these switches are effective when the amplifier
is used in single tube configuration–talked about in
the next section.
NOTE: These switches modify the over all gain or
loudness level, so you will be expected to compen-
sate with the volume control.

HOOK-UP OPTIONS
There are several ways to hook speakers up to your
amplifier. The initial way you were instructed to
wire the speaker jacks on the back of the amplifier
was a parallel connection. This couples the most
power to most speakers and is the most common
way to use your amp. The other way to try wiring
the speaker jacks is in series. To do this you con-
nect your speaker cable to the RED on one set of
posts, and to the BLACK on the adjacent set of
posts. This leaves a RED and a BLACK unused.
The unused RED and BLACK should be connected
together with the jumper supplied. This series con-
nection may sound better, but may also have slightly
less power output.
Technically you have four mono amplifiers. Each
output tube has its own transformer and set of
speaker binding posts. This means you could actually
connect four speakers to it rather than two. It also
means that you could remove one of the output
tubes on each channel and using the corresponding
speaker binding posts, you can listen to a single tube
per channel rather than two tubes per channel.
The output tubes and corresponding binding posts
are labeled with “ * “ or “ ** “ so that you will
know which set of binding posts go to which tube.
This was done because the two output tubes on
each channel are wired differently. One is wired in
pure triode, and the other is wired in pseudo triode.
Each of these has a unique signature which blended
together make up the sound of your amplifier.
Having the ability to configure your amp for single
tube operation allows you to explore the signatures
of each without effort.
SPECIFICATIONS
SERVICE and WARRANTY
The SE34-I has a lifetime parts and labor warranty to
the original owner. There are no user serviceable
parts inside. Should you ever experience problems
with your amplifier, the first thing to do is check the
tubes. It is highly unlikely that any parts internally
would ever fail.
SEND TO: DECWARE / High Fidelity Engineering Co.
1202 N.E. Adams Street, Peoria IL 61603
[phone] or fax [phone]
www.decware.com
INPUT IMPEDANCE: 100 Kohms
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 4, 8, or 16 ohms
RATED OUTPUT: 3.4 watts x 4 or 7 watts x 2
with 2.3 mv input
INPUTS: 4 pair of RCA inputs with
input selector
OUTPUTS: Optional preamp and tape
outputs
TUBE COMPLIMENT 3 6N1P dual triodes w/
plated pins and 4 EL34s
HUM and NOISE Less than 0.2 mv ( inaudible
on all speakers )
POWER REQUIRE-
MENTS:
Pre-configured for either
115/230 Volt 50/60 Hz 73 Watts