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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
agear
1,362 posts
 
Tellefsen, its a nice dilemma to have. I have heard your speakers in the distant past, and from sonic memory, they were fairly neutral. If your sonic bias is already titled towards tubes, a switch to SS may not be wise. Another phile who owns my speakers (Fried Reference) also owns the Viva monos along with a Viva pre-amp and loves them to death. I myself have fiddled with SET amplification (Kora Galaxy, 50W) with the Dude. As expected, it did some things better than the Samsons (in my system), including texture, and sound staging, but the Samsons are so dynamic and bristle with lifelike energy that they made the Kora sound pretty and polite...almost dead.

I think the obvious solution (stated above by Jtwrace) is to get Paul's new GT160s. You will bet the best of both worlds....
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
One thing I know,the Viva SET amps are`nt 'polite',tame or dead sounding(with the correct speakers). They are vivid,very dynamic and full of energy and presence.
Put any amplifier with the wrong speaker and the results won`t be satisfactory.

The TRL tube amps could be really fine, but push-pull and SET are two different sounds. Telefsen seems to love his Viva,I doubt these two amps sound similar.
It`s hard to make decisions without an audition and direct comparions.
jwm
918 posts
 
My feeling I would rather have the Viva instead of the TRL tube. I have heard those in the past and they are a little too rich in the mids for my taste. I actually think the Vivas are more accurate than the TRL.
agear
1,362 posts
 
Based on his speakers, TRL tube amplification would be my choice. As for accuracy, that is a loaded term, and one that is not always synonymous with SETs. This is honestly a matter of taste at this point. Audio cooking....ciao.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi Agear,
I understand Jwm`s point, that Viva amp can sound very clear,open and transparent without overt coloration. No amplifier type can lay claim to more accuracy than another. Transistors, tubes(PP or SET) Class D etc.all have various degrees of some coloration.

For me it`s impossible to talk about an amp`s performance without factoring in the given speaker with it(can`t seperate the two). The TRL 'could' sound overly warm with one speaker yet near perfect with another, system context is everything.
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