TRL Dude Dilemna


Based on all the high praise for the TRL Dude preamp here and other sites, I took a chance and bought one from a local A-goner to see if it could displace an Air Tight ATC-2 preamp currently in my system. The two amps I currently use are a McIntosh MC-402 and Viva 845 SET Monos. It turns out that the Dude is not compatible with either amps due to an impedance mismatch. So I only got to hear the Dude in a compromised performance mode.
I was not quite wanting to give up on the Dude yet given everyone else's enthusiasm about its performance. I am considering the Samson monos as a natural match. I can convince myself that the Samson's could be better than the MC402..My real issue is that I would have to give up the Vivas. Not sure I can make the leap that a solid state amp will satisfy me as much as those SET Vivas. Then there is the leap of faith that I cannot hear the Samsons with purchasing them....
Has anyone replaced their SET amp with Samsons and remained satisfied with the decision? My speakers are the Green Mountain Audio Continuum 3 which are about 90db efficient with an impedance 6.5 Ohms, +/- 0.75 Ohms 150Hz to 20kHz. Thanks for your input..
tellefsen
I think any appraoch at some level has"sonic disadvantages" as nothing is ever the 'perfect' solution. My linestage uses an interstage transformer(rather than signal path coupling capacitors) same as Jwm`s VAC Signature MK II and I can attest to the profound transparent sound of both of them. But as always there`s more than one way to skin a cat.
'direct-coupled with transformers' has to be one of the more oxymoronic terms I've heard in a while.

The term is 'transformer coupling'. To avoid confusion, leave 'direct coupling' out of it unless that really is what you mean.