(A review from the archive.)
Hardly any question has shocked mainstream Hi-Fi, or at least some of it, as much in recent years as this one:
What’s the point of heating the voice coil of a 83 dB sensitive loudspeaker with tens or hundreds of watts, when the same sound pressure, e.g. 110 dB, can be achieved with a few watts with 100 dB sensitive speakers? Sensitive speakers and a low-power amplifier seem like such a sensible, common-sense combination that one has to wonder why it was ever abandoned. From the 1930s to the 1960s, entire cinemas were filled with sound of this concept, – and Oh boy they did the job well! Thanks to this question, low-power tube amplifiers together with sensitive widebandwidth or horn loudspeakers are commonplace today.
Yet, there is a demand for quality high power transistor amplifiers. Why? I guess the reasons were and are both technical and practical. On the technical side, there is the trade-off theory according to which sensitive speakers are in other respects a sonic compromise, and that a smooth sound can only be achieved by compromising on sensitivity. Not unrelated, the belief that all horn speakers sound like a human voice hands wrapped around the mouth still lives tenaciously in people’s minds.
On the other hand, it is true that sensitive speakers cannot be very small, and that due to their large size, they are a genuine option for only a few. Also, there are not that many high-quality sensitive loudspeakers around: the average sensitivity of speakers is lying between 85-89 dB (1W/1m), which means that there is still a healthy demand for transistor amplifiers with a decent output power. In addition, there are speakers that, according to the specs, seem to go well with low power amps, but that in practice seem to benefit from higher amplifier power. This applies especially to the bass reproduction of these speakers, but not only.
So there are reasons for having high power transistor amps, and then the amps from the German company Trigon Audio offer a proper solution.
TRE 50M – MONO ENDSTUFE
Very little information is available on the silver or black anodized, conservatively stylish, 30 x 40 cm TRE 50M amplifier. From the history of the company, it is known that Ralf Kolmsee and Rainer Reddemann, the founding fathers of Trigon Elektronik, worked for a high-end manufacturer until they got tired of the extra-terrestrial prices of high-end products. Time to return to earth. Kolmsee and Reddemann’s first Trigon product was the Vanguard 1 phono preamplifier, which still has a good reputation among enthusiasts. In 1998, Trigon launched its first preamplifier, and immediately afterwards the first mono power amplifier.
The story of the TRE 50M amp begun long time ago showing that Trigon does not believe in rapid model changes. Instead, products are improved in small steps, and with no hyped new technical solutions. In the case of the TRE 50M, the manufacturer has preferred the often repeated advantages of mono amplifiers over stereo amplifiers, one of which is short cable runs between the amplifier’s power stage and the speaker. The second is, in principle, better channel separation, and the third is a separate power supply for both channels. The TRE 50M sports a 400VA AC transformer and 60,000 μF of filtering capacity. There are balanced and unbalanced connections for the inputs. A separate VOLT power cable is included.
The output power is stated as 135 watts into 8 ohms, and 250 watts into 4 ohms. Input sensitivity is 1.2 V; total distortion (THD + N) < 0.03%; response 0.5 Hz – 200kHz (-3dB); signal-to-noise ratio (unbalanced) 10µV (A-weighted). The 10 kg mass rests on Trigon’s own damping feet. The LED display allows hi-fi enthusiasts to monitor changes in the mains voltage as a function of overall power consumption. During the listening sessions, the voltage varied between 238 and 244 V, but was generally 240 +/- 1 V. The unit also automatically signals the risk of overdriving: when increasing the volume causes significant distortion in the sound and possible damage to the equipment.
TRIGON TRV 100 PREAMP
To get a true overall picture of the performance of the TRE 50M mono blocks, the importer suggested the Trigon TRV 100 preamplifier. The suggestion was well grounded as the manufacturer itself probably has tested the mono blocks’ performance with its own preamp.
The TRV 100 is a superbly versatile eight input preamplifier with a stylish remote control. With an eye on future technical solutions, each amplification stage of the TRV 100 is in its own module. The volume is taken care of by a D/A converter instead of a conventional potentiometer, and the AC transformer has been made as silent as possible. The dimmable LED display keeps the user informed at all times about the connections and adjustments: channel balance, start volume, input volume adjustment, etc.
SOUND
The most attractive feature of the sound of the Trigon set is the way it reproduces dynamics and the speed of sound. This feature is difficult to describe, and may even belong to the so called spirit world, but as regards, for example, percussion music, it seems as if there were audible differences between the amps in terms of how precisely in time music is reproduced. Some amps are metronome-accurate, others not quite.
The Trigon set was surprisingly good in this respect. If I hadn’t heard a certain Ensemble mini-system before, I might even criticize the Trigons for being too hasty. One demo CD contained Japanese drum music, genuine multi-generational rhythm music, not just that Western monotonous 4/4 banging. Here the criterium is how readable and understandable the rhythm section feels to the ear, and the Trigons had no difficulty in this respect.
The Trigons have a punchy, brisk sound combined with a sense of power, which the amplifier does not overemphasize, however. There is kick and swing, which is sometimes combined with a subtle thump and roundness of the bass register. This did not happen with the Trigons, and that is a good sign. Having said that, the Trigon combo did not open the sonic curtains in the same way as the best tube devices do. But that’s another story. If they were designed to sound like a tube amp, they would have featured tubes.
THE CASE OF MARTEN BIRD
I listened to the Trigons on several speakers, including widebanders, but I also had a chance to audition them with Marten Birds. The Trigons handled the situation nicely. The bass was in excellent control, the rhythm section in order and the tone sufficiently neutral. The most remarkable thing, however, was the Trigons’ sonic disappearance making themselves invisible to the ear. With the Trigon/Bird combination, it was almost impossible to focus on critical listening, because the speakers worked wonderfully, and the Trigons fulfilled their duty in the background. If only it were always this easy, I wondered.
At the time of this review, Trigon Audio TRV 100 cost 2 500 euro, and TRE 50M mono amps 1 590 euro each.
