First, a huge thank you for arranging the shootout.
Some impressions ....
The Datasat has a really nice, warm, tone. It reminded me a bit of the warmth of a great single ended triode amp (like a Lamm or a VTL750 in triode mode). At the shootout I said it had a tone more like a big VTL running in triode mode than a big Halcro amp. This warmth of tone, to my ears, is not being accomplished by inserting an artificial veiling or any lack of transparency (giant VTL amps running in triode mode are intensely transparent); the Dataset is incredibly transparent. The Datasat did a really nice job with two channel Redbook CD source material, where densely layered instruments, voices, and acoustic spaces were very clearly delineated; it did a great job pulling apart tonally dense material.
The Trinnov was, for me, more involving. It had less of the lushness of tone of the Datasat. In that way, it had a tonal signature more like a big Halcro amp than a Lamm SET amp. But, it had terrific imaging and generated a very nice sense of space. In this way, it had more of the imaging and sense of space of the great tube amps mentioned above. On movie clips the steering was both less obvious (less "I hear those footsteps in the back left surround") and more pronounced (there was a greater sense of being in a different front to side and side to rear acoustic venue.)
The Trinnov did a very nice job with two channel Redbook material. It lacked the lushness of tone of the Datasat (that SET quality), and didn't "tonally delineate" some of the closely stacked instruments as well, but it created a much richer front to back and side to side soundstage (spatial delineations) that the Datasat did not.
For lack of better language I'd say the Dataset is more tonally transparent and dimensional (notes are more clearly delineated), while the Trinnov is more spatially transparent and dimensional (spaces are more clearly delineated). That being said, both have very nice tone and imaging; both are audiophile worthy devices.
Neither device has a simple Audyssey-like user interface; either device will be best set up by an experienced professional. That being said, many of the screens on the Trinnov user interface will be familiar to folks that have worked their way through Tact and DEQX gear.
On a side note, the picture quality, sonics, and comfort factors were spectacular. It's rare to get that "better than the cinema" sense of involvement.
(I very rarely look at stores that specialize in Cinema products).
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