Designed to last almost forever, the Zen comes with a no-exceptions lifetime warranty for the original owner. It's designed and built in the U.S., with almost exclusively American-made parts. Meet the Decware Zen Triode SE84C+ amplifier ($775). But can a 2-watt-per-channel amp sound amazing? Yes, it can! I know lots of folks who never listen at high volume, have tiny rooms, or have highly efficient speakers, so they don't need a lot of power. So if loudness is a big priority, buy as much power as you can afford just be aware that more watts isn't the same thing as better sound quality. Let's just be clear on what amplifier power provides: it defines the upper limit of how loud your speakers can play. Sure, power is cheap, and a the-more-the-merrier strategy works well enough most of the time. For home theater, the magic power number for receivers is 100 watts, and it has to be a seven-channel model, even though 80 or 90 percent of home theater buyers are perfectly happy with five-channel sound.Īmericans equate power with quality, but I'm here to tell you there's another way. We buy 320-horsepower Chevy Tahoes to haul the kids to soccer practice. The Decware Zen (left) and Bel Canto REF500S (right) are about the same sizeĪmericans love power.
