I did a Goggle search for TRL a couple days ago, since I had not visited the site for awhile, just to see if there was anything new. The link to this thread got my attention. I read the whole thing, looked at the pictures, and was amazed at how my experience with TRL was so different than that of rincewind. I don't want to be combative, or impune anyone who has tried to protect the public from snake oil salesmen. I just felt I had to join the forum, and shout from the housetops, that I have had a wonderful experience with TRL! I don't know if I should give a short version, or very detailed one. I tend to be long winded, but will try to be short, at least to begin with. I hope I don't cause this thread to go on and on, either.
First off, I need to mention that I was aware that Paul was VERY sick for awhile. I recieved an email from him in July of 2008, that he had had Hepatitis in his pancrease for two years. Finally, the doctors figured it out, and he was thrilled that he was feeling better than he had in years. I suspect that rincewind caught him at his very worse, when they didn't even know if he would make it.
I do not work for Paul. I have met him and his brother less than a half dozen times in my life, in person, and conversed with Paul about audio, several times over the past five or so years, via email, since first meeting him at an "audiophile party" at the former Cain & Cain factory. I have not tried to contact him for awhile, and he does not know that I am putting up any post in his defence. I don't know whether or not he knows about this thread. I am just a very satisfied customer, and would also like to consider myself his friend.
About four years ago I bought a Sony DVP-NS900S that had been one of the first players they had modified. I had compared it to a Rega Planet I was also considering, at home, and the TRL/Sony was the obvious winner IMHO. Soon I got an unsolicited email from Paul, telling me that they had done over 300 since then, and had learned a lot more about how to make them sound better, and would do some more mods, free of charge, if I could get it there and back. I hope Paul won't regret me telling this part, but I feel if I don't tell the whole truth, people will not believe me. I drove from Yakima, WA to Quincy, WA and left it with Paul. I picked it up a week or two latter. I was stunned at how much better it sounded! It had TONS more bass, TONS more resolution, more dynamics, more extended treble, and had not lost any of its mid-range magic.
I did pop the hood before playing it, and yes, there was "gooy stuff" inside, along with some Auricaps etc. I did not see any burned areas, and the soldering is top notch IMHO. I admit that am not "tecky" enough to try to understand what they did. I did see a wire that was cut, and not going to anything, but I don't care at all, since it sounds marvalous, and has operated flawlessly for about four years with almost daily use! If I go into the two times I A/B'd it with two different highly regarded players, this will get to long. I will save that for another post. Suffice it to say that I hope to someday replace most of my Audio System, but not my TRL/Sony player. It may not be everyones cup of tea, but I like what it does better than the other players I compared it to (Cary Audio 303 and my brother $9K Krell-sorry I don't have the model name at hand).
Some time after a bought the TRL/Sony, I met another audio buddy. This man opened up a Store called The Audio Attic in Ellensburg, WA. The store was open for about two years, until he was in a VERY serious motorcycle accident, and had to close the store. Once the store opened, we had an audio party, and invited Paul among others. We spent the first half of the day listening to various speakers, powered by a Cary Audio 303 CD player-the SLP 05 pre-amp, and the CAD 120S power amp. Since we had been listening to the Nu Force S-9 Speakers the longest, we then switched the electronics.
Paul had brought a transistor based Integrated Amp he had designed and manufactured, also a TRL pre-amp, and a TRL modified Marantz player. I had a pretty good seat, and decided to stay put, while they swapped everything out. Paul and his brother connected all their gear to the S-9's. They connected the pre-amp to the pre-amp connections that thier integrated amp had. The speakers had not moved. I had not moved. IMHO the TRL chain was at a significant level superior to the Cary chain. I was surprised that the mid-range was better than the execptional Cary gear with a transistor based power amp!
At the end of the party, the TRL integrated amp went home with a guy from the Seattle area who plays in a Symphony Orchestra, and had already bought the unit. I think the price tag was $4500. He had apparentely agreed to let us all play with it first.
So much for being brief. The bottom line is that I have had a wonderful experience doing business with TRL, and I still plan to do more business with them, as soon as I get a little money freed up.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Webber
