Testing Trends Audio TA10.1

For those who know me well, I’m also interested in audiophile sound. I’ve got a quite simple but great system wich consists of :

  • Arcam Alpha 8SE CD player
  • Audio Innovation Lamp Amplifier
  • JPW Sonata speakers
  • QED Silver Spiral modulation & TypeIV speaker cables.

This system gave me full pleasure since more 10 years. But THE big problem about it is the time to get ready: the vacuum lamp amplifier has to get hot. Without this, the sound is really limited, like a normal Class A :).

With my actual life, already trying to run after time, I was spending less and less time listening to music. Too much time to wait for the system to be ready.

A few months ago, the amplifier got problems : one of the channel was disturbed by a snoring, due to bad caps. As I was in a lack of time, the Audio Innovation was disconnected and I stopped completly to listen music :( !

Last days a friend of mine, Hervé Degard, told me about numerical amplifier, and the little -but great- Trends Audio TA 10.1 . This small amplifier – you can hold it in the hand – gaves a very hight quality sound and is based on the « Class-T » technology (in fact itself based on the Class-D type).

He lands me one for testing:

trends1.jpg trends2.jpg

As you see, it is really SMALL and seems to be a toy. But don’t trust your first advice, this little box provides an impressive sound!

Its specifications:

T-Amp IC Tripath TA2024
Output Power 2 x 15W @ 4ohm, 2 x 10W @ 8ohm
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) 98dB
Dynamic Range 98dB
IHF-IM Distortion 0.10% @ 1W, 4ohm
THD+Noise
0.03% @ 9W, 4ohm
0.1% @ 11W 4ohm
0.1% @ 6W 8ohm
Power
10% @ 15W 4ohm
10% @ 10W 8ohm
Power Efficiency 81% @ 15W, 4ohm, 90% @ 10W, 8ohm

After just 30 minutes of listening, I was completly amazed by this product. The sounds is really defined, and feeling just fine. Yes, it is NOT as good as my Audio Innovation, but I must admit that it gaves me very good sensations, just like a big amplifier.

So now, why this test on a Atari freak website? Just because this product reminds me the well known message from our loved computer trademark:

« Power without the Price! »

This type of amplifier, that delivers so great sound, is very cheap, considering the price of « normal » amplifiers. The Trends Audio is actually 150€ (less more if you buy it in US on the net), and sounds more than a 300-400€ one.

For more informations, just go to theses reviews:

So what? Well I think I will certainly buy one, but perhaps the KingRex T20U one, wich include a USB DAC converter inside, just to connect my Hackintosh on it :) Wait and see…

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