Happy cake day @waymanchen11
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Wow, 10 to 12 month lead time. They must be very special if someone is willing to wait that long before receiving them.
I cancelled an order for one of Steve’s amps after I learned that estimated delivery was to be 3 to 4 years. There are lots of patient (and younger) folks on the production list.
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I have been using Decware products since ‘97. Until this decade the waiting time for amps or speakers was two to six months depending on a parts issue or two. Then he sent out review copies and then Covid hit and it all changed. My last amp I waited two years for. It’s worth it, it has ended any amp envy I’ve had.
Does Steve hand build every speaker and amp by himself? That might explain the long lead times.
No, he has a staff that builds with him, slowly expanding, his build list is long, and there are parts delays as well. Many of the speakers are built by another, Bob Zeigler of Turning Point Audio, though some are built at the Decware facility. Parts issues (not helped by events this year) and many many orders are the biggest reason that these wait times are so long. Steve has the business how he wants it–a family run one of the size he wants it to be, and one allowing him time for what he really enjoys most, research and development.
One of the build lists:
Quite a backlog…
The fact that that many people are willing to wait for months and sometimes years says something about the products he sells.
I’ve owned the Decware Zen Triode amps, SE84UFO and the anniversary edition. Flea weight power, so speaker matching is important. Built to a price point and a great value, essentially targeting the value oriented buyer. I visited the “chicken shack” in East Peoria and met with Steve. He is most accommodating. The amps are fun to play around with. Sold them both. Regarding the speakers, I strongly recommend an audition at his facility in East Peoria, as they have a certain character, a bit forward in the presence region, and some to my ear are rather colored. When I visited my intentions were to buy an amp (I did) and a pair of speakers. I decided to keep looking regarding speakers.
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Thank you, weedeewop!
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