Review: TRL, Inc. GT-200 Tube amp


Category: Amplifiers

I really need to tell the of the transformation of my system. I recently bought new amplifiers. The Tube Research Labs GT200 monoblocks. A triode tube design by Paul Weitzel. About 4 months ago I recieved the Dude preamp by TRL. It was specially made to be fully balanced. My reaction to the sound was so pleasurable and positive that it got me to thinking what will the TRL amps do for the music. I had to decide if I was willing to give up my Krell 650 mono blocks. The speed of the Krells and the extension both on top and bottom were hard to beat. Still I took a chance on the GT200's. A friend warned me that the base on tubes could not and would not match that of solid state especially Krell FPB650 monos. I must say I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. My description no matter how clever, will not come close to describe what these amps can do. They just made the Krells sound broken. That statement is hard for me to say because I dearly loved the Krells. The GT200s beat the solid state monos in EVERY way. And by no small margin! Many questions ran through my head. First of all how do they do it? Second why has no one built amps like this before? I was so taken back that I just could not believe it. I just heard music, plain and simple. Only it is not that simple. I now realized that I have been cheated all these years as a music lover. As good as I thought my systems were they were (pardon the grammer) pure crap! Let me tell you this is absolutely the most fun and passion I have experienced in all my years as an audiophile. Magic, pure magic that is what it is. If cost were no object these are the amps I would own. I am done looking! I have found what I consider to be the Holy Grail of amplification for me and my sound cave. In the last 3 months I have bought more and more music and I must say the only downfall of these amps is you can't buy enough music. You will listen to every thing you have and then some. Classical, jazz, rock, vocals it does not matter. These amps are killer.Power,speed,air,grace,depth,width, go ahead throw all the standard stereophile standbys at me. All I can tell you is they just don't do it justice. Do whatever you have to but take a listen to these things. I dare you! I double dog dare ya!

Associated gear
Tube Research Labs Dude preamp.
Accustic Arts Drive1 Mark2 transport
Accustic Arts Dac1 Mark4 DAC
JM Labs Focal Utopia Loudspeakers
Synergistic Research Powercell 10SE
TRL interconnects and speaker wire.
16 primitive diffusors
Synergistic Research MIG's

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128x128booboobaer
I too would like to meet Paul and listen to his amp's. His amp's seem to be the Alchemy of tube power.
Boo,

Get rid of the TRL wire in you system. A total hold back to your system's sound. You can do much better! There is no magic going on with the same wire same amps.
Have you ever heard of Purist Audio Design? My system at one time consisted of ALL PAD Dominus cabling. That includes power cables, balanced interconnects,speaker cables,digital cables the works. Purist had out performed many cables. I will not mention the brands since I am NOT writing you this Glory to make anyone angry or to debate. Tube Research Labs cabling smoked my former Purist Audio Design cables. Some how I do not think you are saying what you have said out of kindness or of concern for my sound. Telling me to "Get rid of my cables" was real class.
Boo,

A killer system/room!

You are enjoying the TRL wire and that is fine but I had their AC cables/SC and shall I say they were not what I would think would go in an advanced system like yours.

Stage III cables or Teo Audio or if I dare say a Dale Pitcher Power Bridge AC cable would make you piss your pants.

Lost information for sure with TRL wire.

Sorry if I came on to strong but what a great system you have built and would think you could do better on the wire.
Doug, I presume a majority of your cable experimentation was done with Krell amplification in the chain. It would make sense that PAD would sound good in that context but not necessarily with TRL tube amps. You don't need superimposed analog density from cabling with the GT200s.