Coming back to the original topic (assuming Bozo is still reading this after several months): I recently obtained a Trinity 200 amp. (No problems in shipping.) I wanted a more tube-like amp to drive the mids+highs of my actively-biamped Maggie MG3.6 speakers, but without going to a pure-tube design. (I'm using a SS amp for bass.) I've owned or auditioned a large number of amps trying to get the sound I want from the MG3.6's. I'm pleased with the flexibility of the Trinity design; its sound really does change significantly depending on the tube type installed, and the descriptions listed on Llano web site for each tube are quite accurate. The amp generally seems to provide an excellent blend of tube and SS character.
Any down side? Well, it does run hot enough that a rack position will require attention to adequate air space. Also, my T200 has a slight transformer hum that is noticeable several feet away. On the positive side, the tubes are very easy to swap out. And the tubes can be left powered-on while the hot output-transistor section is turned off. Since there are only 2 tubes, replacement costs will be lower (important if you are going with NOS). The unit is heavy but not back-breaking.
I've tried a wide variety of NOS tubes, from low gain 12AU7 to medium gain 6DJ8/6922 to higher gain 12AT7 and 12AX7/5751 types. For my application I like the 12AX7, but felt that the 6DJ8 class might work better overall if you are using one amp to drive a pair of speakers full range. That's because good 6DJ8/6922 give nice mids, sweet highs, and decent bass control, all at once. 12AX7 are a bit sloppy in the bass, IMO (e.g. when I use this amp to drive the Maggie bass panels alone). 12AT7/6201 types are great for bass but sound strained in the mids/highs to me. I'm considering getting another Trinity amp to drive the MG3.6 bass section with 12AT7's. Randy tells me that some Apogee owners have biamped with 2 Trinity amps using a combo of 12AX7 (for mid/hi) and 12AT7 (for low).
As for power, it never hurts to have a little extra, especially at the reasonable Llano prices. So you might want to get the T200 instead of the T100, unless of course your speakers are super efficient. You could give a Trinity a trial run (30-day), but make sure you have enough tubes around to get some idea of their sonic character and gain in your system (they don't have to be NOS for this estimate). It can take up to several months for Randy to build an amp, however. And of course you have to pay him first....
Any down side? Well, it does run hot enough that a rack position will require attention to adequate air space. Also, my T200 has a slight transformer hum that is noticeable several feet away. On the positive side, the tubes are very easy to swap out. And the tubes can be left powered-on while the hot output-transistor section is turned off. Since there are only 2 tubes, replacement costs will be lower (important if you are going with NOS). The unit is heavy but not back-breaking.
I've tried a wide variety of NOS tubes, from low gain 12AU7 to medium gain 6DJ8/6922 to higher gain 12AT7 and 12AX7/5751 types. For my application I like the 12AX7, but felt that the 6DJ8 class might work better overall if you are using one amp to drive a pair of speakers full range. That's because good 6DJ8/6922 give nice mids, sweet highs, and decent bass control, all at once. 12AX7 are a bit sloppy in the bass, IMO (e.g. when I use this amp to drive the Maggie bass panels alone). 12AT7/6201 types are great for bass but sound strained in the mids/highs to me. I'm considering getting another Trinity amp to drive the MG3.6 bass section with 12AT7's. Randy tells me that some Apogee owners have biamped with 2 Trinity amps using a combo of 12AX7 (for mid/hi) and 12AT7 (for low).
As for power, it never hurts to have a little extra, especially at the reasonable Llano prices. So you might want to get the T200 instead of the T100, unless of course your speakers are super efficient. You could give a Trinity a trial run (30-day), but make sure you have enough tubes around to get some idea of their sonic character and gain in your system (they don't have to be NOS for this estimate). It can take up to several months for Randy to build an amp, however. And of course you have to pay him first....
