“I hear and read from time to time „measurements do not count“. I think we have to see the whole picture. If you compare a good valve amp and a kW open loop solid state amp we can assume a THD of around 0.1% for both devices. Then it makes no sense just to compare the measurement results, since both create distortions at the same level, which are clear audible, so you have to trust your ears and choose the one, which pleases your ears in the best way. But with the TRINITY line we have opened a new chapter, now you can compare an almost distortion and noise free line with comparable “strong” distorted devices and then I am sure measurements count.
An example, years ago a guy wanted to listen to our system and wanted to compare it with his “Kronzilla” tube amps in combination with his TRIO horn speakers . So we installed our old triangle set-up and played from Fried Pride´s ”Master Piece – DVD-A (192/24)” the first title “SUPERSTITION”. At that time only DVD-As were available with recordings of 192kHz/24bit. After that we used our DAC and his big valve amps and I was shocked, since there is one point at play time 2:30, where a very silent bell is ringing in the right channel roughly 2m above ground, whereby the overall music was almost at full level. This bell instrument was not audible with his tube amps!!! I was the only one who noticed that, because I had countless listened to this title. So I told the client, listen to that point and we played the title with our amps again and he confirmed yes there is a bell. Than we played the title again with his valve amp amps and there was no bell at all. We did this check a couple of times and the result was always the same.
From my point of view measurements counts, if you really want to listen to all the music content of a recording.
By the way, what do you think, stands in the target specification, if a semiconductor manufacturer is designing a new “audio opamp”. Do you really believe they do not care about distortion, noise, bandwidth, linearity, stability under capacitive loads and so on? That are the key parameter beside the costs, if not they would still sell the old TL082” – Dietmar Bauer, Trinity Audio.