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TRL ST225 - Goodness anyone else own this amp

I will soon be writing a review on this amp and wonder if any fellow Agoners own this gem. If so, please let us hear your comments on it. I am nothing short of amazed by it. I had to "downsize" and sold a tube monobloc amp and tubed preamp combo costing over $15,000 new. Both pieces were fine sounding and well regarded.

I ended up trading a set of speakers for a TRL ST225 integrated amp. I had never heard of this amp before and was not aware of Paul's work.

All I will say for now is this integrated amp bested my previous set-up and is the finest sound my speakers and room have provided.

I am a tube guy folks and this SS amp is still the finest amp I have ever heard. I put $5000 in the bank and have better sounding music. Now that is exciting!!!

They cost some $5500 new and mine was purchased/traded as used. It had just been updated by Paul and came direct to me once the upgrade was finished.

Happy in MN

Bill
128x128grannyring
lithojoe
119 posts
 
Terry:

The GT-800's went retail for $140.000, not very many of these units in existence today. Paul has been a tube circuit designer for over 30 years. He currently has the battery powered amp. That amp will run neck and neck with the GT-800's. The battery powered amp is unsurpassed in any other transistor circuit known to man today. It is an amazing amp! Consider it seriously before our precious metals get of of reach for the common man. It will be the last amp you will ever buy, and the standard for others to reach.
clio09
3,343 posts
 
I have the battery power supply for the Pre-1.5 preamp. I hope to some day get the battery power supply for the D-225 amp I have. In the preamp the batteries are housed within an ST-225 chassis. So that is convenient. The preamp is biased for Class A operation and if I recall runs at about 44 volts. In order to maintain a constant 44 volts the battery needs to be run in trickle charge mode. You can run it on complete battery mode but as the voltage drops and the bias moves from Class A down so does the sound quality, but it is still quite listenable. Bass becomes a bit more flubby for one thing.

I'm amazed at the transparency and detail of the TRL combination. At the same time it is extremely musical. In the right listening room the soundstage is huge, but not exaggerated like in some systems I have heard. The amp can handle any speaker load effortlessly. It never runs hot and the power supply is way overbuilt. I plug it straight into the wall now and it is dead quiet. I have tested it on a number of occasions with the inputs shorted and speakers connected. No hiss, hum, not a peep.
terryn
9 posts
 
Okay, it is set. I'm going to hear the TRL ST-225 this coming Saturday. I'll report back.
lithojoe
119 posts
 
Terry: Please find out if the owner has the new CRL interconnects. I'm anxious to hear what you think. They are suppose to be very reasonable in price, although I don't know what they are selling for currently.
terryn
9 posts
 
Lithojoe: The new CRL isn't Weitzels design. I have a friend who tried the new CRL and he sent them back. Does Paul have a new cable?
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