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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
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,455 posts
 
Bug, that was very nice of you to lend out the Dude. Great to see fellow Aphiles being generous with each other and learning.

Charles1dad, just read your comments on the Dude. Glad you liked it and had a chance to compare the two. I think you would agree that the Dude coming in cold after a long car trip and needing to settle into a new system would need more than one day? I have found that any gear I have purchased always has a settling in time into a new system. Usually at least a weekend.

For example, I just purchased a used Aesthetix Atlas amp and thought it sounded very good after coming in out of the cold and warming up for 6 hours of play. The amp however sounds better and different after settling into my system for the past 3 days. To really hear a component you must live with it over several days. This is a good start and fun for sure!

Also, I read above that you changed a tube (6sn7) in the tube regulated power supply. When this is done the power supply regulator voltage changes. That is why Paul has an adjustment pot in the Dude. You would need to once again dial it in for proper voltage operation and sound. I have personally found NOS tubes can differ from new production in the Dude in terms of potentially throwing off the voltage.

Just a couple of thoughts on this quick comparison.
tellefsen OP
73 posts
 
The Dude I have has one 6SN7 per side, but it does have larger caps. It is the newer chassis design.
bugredmachine's avatar
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bugredmachine
418 posts
 
Someone mentioned Aesthetix gear. I spent a month auditioning a Janus $10k pre loaned to me just for play and it could not hold a candle to the Dude. Try as I might to give it every chance it was clean and clear but not 3 dimensional. And the bass could not even come close to the Dude.

I'll have to have Paul give me instructions to measure the voltage.
wilsynet's avatar
wilsynet
264 posts
 
Isn't this what a buffer is for? The Burson AB-160 may be worth trying.

Anyway, I'll echo what others have said: I'd get rid of the Dude sooner than I'd abandon SET amplifiers. Although to be fair, I don't know why a different pair of SET amplifiers with a higher impedance wouldn't do the trick.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,455 posts
 
The Aesthetix Atlas amp is special and compares very well to the best amps out there. The Dude is much better then the Aesthetix preamps I have heard in my system however.
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