Trinnov Amplitude 16 Amplifier Review

[welwynnick]

Depends by what one means better amp.
Cause this chart is unbeatable so far as the main single aspect of a power amp is clean power:

View attachment 397431

It's closer to ideal more than any amp measured here.

All else are doable though,yes.

Yes, I remarked on that as well, but the Buckeye is fantastic as well, and it's the equal in all tests, and slightly better on the multi-tone.

I was most impressed by the ability of these modules to drive down to 2 ohms with both capacitive and inductive loads:

It produces the same 53 volts no matter what! At 1 ohm though, it instantly went into protection but recovered very quickly.

 

[Sokel]

Yes, I remarked on that as well, but the Buckeye is fantastic as well, and it's the equal in all tests, and slightly better on the multi-tone.

I agree,amplification is the least of the worries if done cleverly,no wonder.
And it's all theory as long as one does 16-bit at the tests with adequate power.

Everything else comes down to ease,support (personalized one as at this one gets a good premium at all aspects of life) ,optimization as part of a chain (SNR is one my two-three more important metrics) ,looks,etc.

 

[Hart]

Sixteen meters would be nice, eight over eight. Probably end up hypnotizing you. I wonder how many owners plug the two cords into the same circuit? Great rating for the sheer magnitude. Has there ever been a sixteen channel amp?

 

[amirm]

Uh, what about the heat? My Audiophonics NCX500 stereo amp gets pretty warm

Sorry, forgot to capture that. But can say that it was essentially room temp when I picked it up after testing to take a picture of it. The real test would be a lot more channels playing which I was not doing.

It does have two very powerful fans on the side. It only turned them on when I disconnected the power cable, as if it had a sigh of relief.

 

[amirm]

Has there ever been a sixteen channel amp?

I have seen a good number of 8 channel home audio distribution amps but none that were 16 and had this much power per channel.

 

[pseudoid]

Decent measurements (cheers @amirm) and power... pricey though.

If you promise to keep it for years of usage, the price can be justifiable, especially for someone who is aspiring to build an amazing 16-channel system.
Would you believe me that it really comes to about $800/channel, and provides better than -80dB THD(+N) for >200W of clean 16-channel power?
I am guessing a typical client for such an amp would be paying much more for each of the 16 speakers that will be connected to this Trinnov.

 

[SorenTyson]

I'd love to own one and although out of my range, the price is not too bad compared to what I have seen and with the intended segment in mind. Voted great.

The grapes are sour though. With a budget it would make more sense to spend the bucks on lcr amplification, and go for budget amps for the remaining channels.

 

[Hart]

I have seen a good number of 8 channel home audio distribution amps but none that were 16 and had this much power per channel.

I am wondering how large an amp it would be in class AB with 16 channels and that much power? The size of a file cabinet? The heat output would approach a small space heater I would think. Most likely would need much more input power due to losses from inefficiency.

 

[Ron Texas]

Thank you @amirm for another informative review and set of measurements. Of course $12,500 is a pittance and boatloads of these will be sold, or not.

 

[AdrianG]

is this kind of equipment that movie theaters use?

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Very important point this. Virtually every Trinnov customer is a very high net worth individual and does so see the value in researching lower cost alternatives or caring a bit about measured performance. They won’t even care what amplifier is their integrator/consultant has specified, but if they do check the details of their spec they will likely be very re-assured that both processor and amplification is from the same brand and at a luxury price point.

The value proposition here is excellent in my opinion when applied to the right context.

I suspect customer connects to installer who recommends equipment. Installer makes additional money on equipment margin. Customer is not researching Trinnov. Most customers rely on installers expertise. A different crowd. Members can match channels and performance for fraction of price.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

is this kind of equipment that movie theaters use?

This is to commercial movie theater amplification as Viking is to a commercial restaurant range.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

is this kind of equipment that movie theaters use?

No

 

[GXAlan]

I have seen a good number of 8 channel home audio distribution amps but none that were 16 and had this much power per channel.

The closest example would be the Marantz AMP10, but it only has a single 15A IEC connector, so it cannot deliver the sustained power than the Trinnov can.

The Audioholics review also shows worse crosstalk for the Marantz as compared to the Trinnov.

One thing these 16 ch amps are also used for is active crossovers.

is this kind of equipment that movie theaters use?

They may use them in some screening rooms, but theaters usually use stuff like this:

https://reverb.com/item/52602606-christie-cda3-profesional-3000w-amplifier-120v?utm_campaign=US-Shop_unpaid&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

 

[617]

How does the power connector work? You need two 15a receptacles on different circuits? Can you run this on 208v?

I'm skeptical about the power density. I like it but I feel like that's a hell of a lot of juice in a small box, and not much space for connections. Given this will live in its own closet I'd like to see more space, I'm not sure what this compactness does for you.

Other than that, nice product and nice 'system' design, down to the proprietary or at least unusual signal connector. Very powerful stuff, you could use it to run three four way speakers and four small subwoofers.

 

[amirm]

How does the power connector work? You need two 15a receptacles on different circuits? Can you run this on 208v?

It is two separate power supplies. I used the same circuit because I didn't need more power. But ideally you would run it to independent runs.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

It seems one should assure that the thing is powered from outlets on two separate circuits if it can output 2800W rms. It would be better for them to be 20 amp ones at that. 2400 Watts is the most a 20 amp 120V circuit can do without tripping a breaker. I realize actually outputting 2800W is not probable for any length of time, but... I'm also wondering if two circuits on separate legs of the line is how they expect to get 240Vac or if they plan for 240V on both inputs?

This is complete fantasy. There's no way you could power sixteen speakers all at once like that! They'd have to be capable of handling that much power. On top of that, the combined SPL would be so intense that your ears would be bleeding long before the breaker trips.

 

[pseudoid]

This is complete fantasy...

That's similar to what some said about \/\/:

 

[Matt_Holland]

is this kind of equipment that movie theaters use?

Not amplification, but Trinnov do make commerical audio processors that are reasonably commonplace, particularly in heritage theatres.
Trinnov Ovation

 

[Ajax]

Thanks for the review Amir.

Personally I see much better value in say a Buckeye 8 channel Hypex NC502MP combined with a Buckeye 8 channel Hypex NC252MP (for surround channels) for US$4,000 in lieu of US$12,500, i.e. same performance for a third of the price. I appreciate it will be two boxes in lieu of one but IMO that is not worth the extra money and certainly not going to cause any issues if placed in a well ventilated cabinet.

From Amir's review of the Buckeye / Hypex NC502MP:

"The Buckeye NC502MP is a perfect amplifier for home theater duty. It provides incredible amount of power from each module to drive even the most inefficient speakers to ear piercing levels. It does so with extremely low noise and excellent distortion at modest levels. At higher powers, distortion does climb. While I wish this was lower, I don't think there is an issue at all for home theater applications. Even with music, I think you will be fine but the purist may want to have better. Then again, if you are going to lose power to get there, this amplifier may be a better choice."

Buckeye NC502MP 8-Channel Amp Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Buckeye Hypex NC502MP 8-channel class D amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $2,295. There is not a whole lot to look at here. Sheet metal is rather thin and fitment not that great. So put it in a cabinet and forget about...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Buckeye Amps

Buckeye Amps utilizes the most advanced audio amplifier technologies available. Authorized seller for Hypex and Purifi Class D amplifiers. Based in the US. Free shipping and worldwide service!

www.buckeyeamp.com

Buckeye Amps

Buckeye Amps utilizes the most advanced audio amplifier technologies available. Authorized seller for Hypex and Purifi Class D amplifiers. Based in the US. Free shipping and worldwide service!

www.buckeyeamp.com