A Rhapsody of Trodt

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A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby ttommy » Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:12 pm

Here's the latest arc of the story that started here. The short of it is that last November, a pair of Trodt Audio GM-70 Sikatuna monoblocks arrived in NYC and I'd been helping facilitate their entry into the US market. Today, we're hoping to take that one step further with my friend Bob Visintainer who came by for lunch and lugged the amps back to his showroom in Manhattan.

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Bob owns Rhapsody Music & Cinema, one of the top audio dealerships in New York City. Immediately Bob went into action, hooking up the Sikatunas to his Avantgarde Uno G2s. See that transparent looking speaker cable he's pulling out? Uh, Bob, are you sure about that? :$

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This physical location where the amplifiers sit is an exalted spot. In the past Bob had carried everything from Lamm to Wavacs and now he's the exclusive distributor in the US for Goldmund, Avantgarde and Kondo Audio Note. That's a formidable line-up by any standard. In fact, just yesterday, a Kondo Overture integrated sat here... and it was simply timing that that amp had to go to a reviewer and Bob needed something to drive his horns.

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And I might add, Bob is also the consummate "gearsomniac" :lol: Whether it's bikes, audio or those vintage / pre-WWII harp guitars seen below... man he must've cornered the market on those! Bob hooked up an Acoustic Signature turntable and a Goldmund preamp... again, timing, none of his tube preamps are in-house and immediately he commented he'd like Trodt to ship him one.

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Let's just say the image and thought of a 4-meter run of these speaker cables hooked up to the Sikatunas, in my wildest dreams, never crossed my mind. Redonkulous!!! :geek:

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And then we went on to the audition... soon enough, I had to leave so Bob can take his time on the verdict.



In the meantime, check out: Rhapsody Music and Cinema and click on "Hi Fi"

Mang Rod, looks like you're in good company!
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby JackD201 » Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:20 pm

Tito, I couldn't play the video. It says it's private. ;(
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby ttommy » Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:23 pm

Oops! Sorry, hehe, nothing special it was just a quick take :)
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby vintage_dog » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:44 pm

jack, i can play the video but i see someone pole dancing... :lol:

congrats to trodt for this audio creation and to tommy for helping out a pinoy product penetrate the us market.

you make us all proud! :clap:
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby usai » Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:45 pm

awesome tri bikes :o
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby JackD201 » Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:48 pm

I liked the pole dancing! Wait...what site am I on now? :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

I can see it now Tito :)
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby ttommy » Sat Apr 07, 2012 9:12 pm

This picture below would appear totally out-of-place if the Trodt Sikatunas don't deserve to be beside this iconic legend--

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More than holding its own, perhaps not just a few audiophiles would pick the Trodt Sikatunas over the Kondo Ongaku and not just because it costs a teeny fraction of the latter's price! But before we go out trumpeting without context, first a couple disclaimers: one, while my reference amps are the solid-state MSB M200s, I love tube amps of all types, but at some point after I've known their "flavor," the MSBs are the amps I come home to; two, the Kondo is still breaking in although it's already revealed its character.



Sources are a either Goldmund CD player or the top-of-the-line turntable from Acoustic Signature, the Ascona (see video above). Cartridge was a Kondo IO-M running through a Kondo step-up and Goldmund phono. Cabling was all Kubala. Speakers are the latest Avantgarde Unos.

It doesn't take much time to take in the full measure of the Kondo Ongaku, it's definitely an "exit amp." For a lot of audiophiles looking to leave this hobby, with the assumption that they've gone through all the toys over the course of decades, one could do a lot worse than choosing an Ongaku as the final component to cap one's journey. The main distinguishing character hearing it the first time (and I've heard the Kondo Overture previously) is that it couples a vanishingly low noise floor, definitely the quietest tube amp I've ever heard, with a finesse that doesn't necessarily mean "slow" and a very natural rendering of color, something I had thought this amp would overdo. I also believe the Ongaku was designed with horn speakers in mind, or speakers with high sensitivity that can deliver that "jump factor" as the amp doesn't hype the edge of images... as if preferring to derive this edge from the "dynamic jump" and articulation of a horn.

If the Ongaku were a refined ultra-luxurious sedan, the Trodt Sikatunas are like roadsters with huge reserves of power. They're far from having the quietness of the Ongaku but they're also more exciting to listen to and at this period of my life where I can't spend hours on end pinned to a chair listening, I would choose the Sikatunas over the Ongaku regardless of price. I simply don't have the luxuries in life to properly listen to an Ongaku but, wow, Trodt, wow!
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby dimfer » Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:52 am

with the Sikatuna, the Dodge Vipers of old comes to mind, raw and lot's of power.

if one day they achieve the ultra black background of the Lamm ML3, I would say I'm good for life and will not care what other amps will come out for the rest of my audio life.

but having said that, my Trodt Sikatunas are truly a very enjoyable set of amps.
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby Mamimili » Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:23 am

My amps are very quiet.
I hear nothing but silence from my listening seat, which is close, 7 or 8 feet depending on which speakers i use.

I do get a slight buzz for a maximum one hour in the late afternoon, but as it comes and goes at more or less the same time i put that down to the incoming power. When i first heard the buzz i checked the cable connections between preamp and amps and it got worse, i tried different cables and the buzz went quieter so i renewed the plug connection. Apart from the one buzz per day issue, i need to put my ear close to 3 inches away from the speaker to hear any noise, and that is quiet enough for me.

I do think my battery powered preamp is a major reason for lack of noise, but so far i have not felt inclined to swap preamps. What would be the point as this preamp / amp combination is my keeper set :D
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby Chuckyboy » Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:44 am

what a great and inspiring story and what a cool dude this guy -> ttommy :D :D :D

Thanks for sharing sir and keep em coming :clap:
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby boombastig » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:28 pm

It's great and inspiring to hear that a creation of a true Pinoy genius can hold it's ground against an icon in the audio field. Kudos to Mang Rod and his GM70 wonder. Would be also great to hear it sing with the battery-powered preamp that the Maestro has released recently. This is definitely a "level up" from what audiophiles currently are enjoying and to borrow the previous post "at the fraction of the cost". :rock: :clap:
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby dieya! » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:21 pm

:clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby Mamimili » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:55 pm

boombastig wrote:It's great and inspiring to hear that a creation of a true Pinoy genius can hold it's ground against an icon in the audio field. Kudos to Mang Rod and his GM70 wonder. Would be also great to hear it sing with the battery-powered preamp that the Maestro has released recently. This is definitely a "level up" from what audiophiles currently are enjoying and to borrow the previous post "at the fraction of the cost". :rock: :clap:


Battery power rules 8)
The only thing i miss are Audible Illusions huge knobs!
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Re: A Rhapsody of Trodt

Postby ttommy » Mon Apr 09, 2012 11:27 pm

Thanks fellow Trodt fans, btw, Rhapsody does have a battery pre paired with the GM70s.

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I'd had my preconceptions about battery gear having owned an Ack dAck, Trigon phono and Altmann Attraction DAC... where of the three, only the car-battery powered Altmann managed to avoid the loss of dynamics typical of battery gear. Hearing the Trodt battery pre, I was pleasantly surprised to hear none of the typical issues one would expect. That said, please consider that both these products are still "under development" for the US market. There's packaging, bench-measuring, pricing, marketing and a good amount of listening from Bob's "trusted ears" that'll help steer the product to its proper "position." I certainly haven't done much of this before so I'm learning as we go along.
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