That body, colour and flow translates perfectly to voices, where the amps’ ability to preserve the pace through a phrase, the subtle vocal inflexions that accent a singer’s performance or add emphasis to a word here or a pause there, mine the expressive range and communicative qualities in a performance. When Steve Dawson sings ‘Love Is A Blessing’ (Sweet Is The Anchor, Undertow CD-UMC-028) the Trilogies deliver the greatest soul vocal that Al green never sang. It’s a reflection of the musical flow, body and harmonic richness the amps offer, traditional Class A virtues. But be warned, that natural warmth and weight presents its own challenges. First of those relates to warm up. Listen cool and the 995Rs can sound thick and a little clumsy. It’s not a pacing issue; the amps are always rhythmically tight, with a proper sense of tempo. It’s about bass definition and edges. In other words, when they’re not up to temperature, the bottom-end notes are in the right place, but it’s less clear where they start and stop and how much space there is in-between. As they warm up, that bass becomes more definite, deeper and more pitch and placement specific, opening out the soundstage, revealing more space between and around instruments. Dynamic shifts become more positive and sudden – adding impact and emphasis to music, especially at the quieter end of the scale.
What that means is that, if you are using or auditioning these amps, you need to let them hit their stride before settling down for some serious listening. But it also has a further, knock on affect, when it comes to set up. Not only does the spectral balance and musical centre of gravity shift as the amps warm up – making it essential to set the speaker position with the amps warmed right the way through – that body and warmth is also at odds with the vast majority of the competition, mandating a shift in speaker position if you substitute the 995Rs for an existing amp. That shift will likely be small, but musically the impact will be significant; significant enough to be make or break in a purchasing decision. The Trilogies never, ever sound anything less than comfortable. Indeed, it’s easy to make them sound just that – and it’s also selling them short. These amps are so much better than that. Get the speakers in exactly the right spot and they deliver so much more. Get the speakers in just the right spot and the system will spring to life. Vocals will have an immediacy and directness that makes a lyric really hit home. Drums will stay hit, guitars will slash, soar or caress, bass-lines will be mobile and infectious.
Steve Earle’s mighty Copperhead Road (Geffen 02517 65898) is a perfect case in point, with its vocals big on attitude, insistent mandolin and guitar lines, propulsive drum-beats and that certain energy that comes from engaging the Pogues in proceedings. Journalist Chris Morris described the album as “a raised middle finger to Nashville’s country music establishment.” Driven by the Trilogy mono-blocs that middle finger is rigid, well extended and right in your face, just as it should be! The issue here is simple: it only takes a little (positional) neglect for all that carefully accumulated muscle to turn to fat. In that regard, the Trilogies are no different to any other genuinely high-end amplifier. It’s just that the results are more obvious and arguably more destructive, bringing a whole new meaning to the expression “Killing Me Softly.”
