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Model: | TRV-P845SE |
Category: | Amplifier (Tube) |
Suggested Retail Price: | $5995 |
Description: | Single Ended Stereo Tube Amp; 845 output tubes |
Manufacturer URL: | Not Available |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by Ross on December 13, 2016 at 19:15:04 IP Address: 172.9.116.164 | Add Your Review for the TRV-P845SE |
I was exposed to Triode Electronics at several Axpona shows over the past few years. Each time I found the amps and the rooms they were in to be among the best of the show. I have watched the resale market from time to time, looking to see if one would show up at a reasonable price. I was lucky to find one a few weeks ago at an acceptable price. The TRV P845SE. This is the basic amp version of the more famous TRV 845SE, which is an integrated amp. The main difference is the addition of a solid state passive preamp to the basic design. The amp uses a pr of 12au7 as input tubes rather than a pr of 6sn7 as used in the integrated. Both use a pr of 2a3 as driver tubes for a pr of 845 tubes. Bias is user adjustable, and there is a handy meter on the face to indicate correct bias. Reviews of the integrated 845SE can be found on line. Reviews of the P845SE (this amp), seem to be non existent.
I have listened to the amp for about 5hrs since it arrived. Bias required a slight adjustment, and has held rock steady since.
Initial impressions reinforced what I remember from listening at the audio shows. Soundstage is wide and deep. Images hang in space, and are firmly anchored in place. For a 20wpc channel amp it sounds very powerful. Frequency extension is outstanding, with powerful deep bass and crystalline treble. Voices are rendered with lifelike depth and weight. Background is near silent, to the extent that it is easy to hear the noise floor of the source. Background silence facilitates reproduction of microdynamics; movement from key to key during a piano solo, the head of a vocalist moving around the center of a mic, a bassist moving fingers up and down the strings or a guitar player moving fingers up and down the neck, and so on.
In comparison to my ARC D70, the biggest difference is in reproduction of microdynamics. The ARC has deep bass and a wonderful soundstage. Midrange is a bit lush, but overall it sounds like a powerful muscular amp. However it isn't "fast". While I like how it sounds overall, transients are slightly blurred, in that the leading edge of a note is not as sharp as the heart and decay of the same note. The Triode 845 has great transient response. Drum hits are visceral, cymbal strikes are sharp- with a distinct impact of stick to metal, then the shimmer of the note.
After only 5hrs it is too soon to determine if the amp sounds "real" or "hyper-real". But so far, I am satisfied and that is a start.
Product Weakness: | too soon to determine |
Product Strengths: | Soundstage; microdymanics, transient response |
Amplifier: | ARC D70 MK2 |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Audible Illusions M3 |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Linn LP12 ITTOK LVII Audio Technica AT33ML-OCC Luhndal SUT |
Speakers: | Triangle Titus 202 run full range / AR3a used as subwoofers |
Cables/Interconnects: | Audioquest |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Jazz, Rock |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 30 ft x 12 ft x 8 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | Fairly Live |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 5hrs |
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | Hospital grade distribution boxes |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Your System (if other than home audition): | same as above |
Good review.
Also good to see the 30+ year old ARC D70 still in use out there.
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
Congrats on a nice amp. I am not surprised that it ups the realism factor over the ARC amp. Consider a new preamp as well. The AI M3A is, ok, but there is significantly better without spending too much. The AI is blunting micro-dynamics to a significant degree.
I don't know about the AI blunting micro dynamics because the increase in transparency was immediately apparent when I switched to the 845se. My sense so far is that it highlights deficiencies in other parts of the chain. If the AI was a limiting factor either the improvement would not have been as audible, or I would have heard other deficiencies. I have only listened to vinyl, and some net radio (as background to warm up the amp). I have not seriously listened to digital files streamed from my network server.
All that said, I recently found a great deal on a ARC SP10 preamp, and I am looking for an attractively priced AI M3B, which I understand to be much better than previous AI preamps.
Thanks for the comments.
See my reviews on positive feedback about 10 years ago where I did a multiple preamp comparison. The AI was my reference at the beginning but it did not stand up very well to the competition.
Th phono was ok because I had the John curl good phono boards but I quickly found a better outboard phono.
nt
instead they sounds the same in the midrange it just that the SP-11 has more convincing inner details and much better on the bottom end response.
Or if you can afford it go with the Ref1 as it bettered them both.
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well
(Proverb)
I always wanted to try a 2A3 amp. However the 845 tube are to difficult and expensive a tube to get involved with.
But I'll bet that amp sure sounds awesome !!
Also is that SS preamp module more of a buffer or a straight up preamp?
Enjoy and thanks for the review
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