2. amps-preamps
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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
perrew
299 posts
 
Bob you dont happen to have any pictures of the amps?
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,436 posts
 
The preamp section of my ST225 is quite similiar to the Dude as I understand it.

The whole wanting or liking a tube preamp thing just goes out the window with TRL's latest SS gear. It becomes a non-issue as this amp sounds like music not tubes or SS - just great music. Always composed, in control, no part of the sound spectrum out of balance, effortless power with slam and delicacy at the same time.

It really must be heard or experienced in ones system to be honest. Words do a poor job here.

Bill
grannyring's avatar
grannyring OP
6,436 posts
 
I stand corrected as the preamp section in my ST225 int amp is passive with a very high quality volume control.

I will also be purchasing a Dude as soon as I can afford one, but for now I love my TRL int amp. The amp section in my int amp is exactly the same as the sole amplifier by TRL.

Bill
ecruz
402 posts
 
Grannyring-

Your words are the exact ones I used today in an email to a friend to describe the D225, "effortless, composed", I thru in "balanced" and the fact that it never sounds strained or over-driven. I guess that's the same as composed. : )

I love it! My amp search has ended!
bobheinatz
705 posts
 
Rx8man,

I should first say that I really like the Nuforce amps and was very satisfied with them. Bill says it better than I can in that it does not sound like tubes or SS just great music. When you hear live music in most situations it does not sound like any stereo system and the TRL mono blocks sound more like live music than any amps I have heard. I hope this somewhat explains what I meant by saying another league. I may not be able to write exactly what I hear but from the first note I knew the TRL's was very special. One more example when I first asked my wife to listen to a cut from Alision Krause she stayed thru the entire CD and we then pulled out numerous other CD's. Now my wife does like to listen to music but she has never sat in front of my system and listened to more than one cut. She basicly said your system just sound great, like real music.

Perrew - no pictures, nothing fancy looking just a plain black box.
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