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Thread: Tron Convergence MC Phonostage auditioned

  1. #1
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    Default Tron Convergence MC Phonostage auditioned

    Today I spent a very pleasant few hours at my friend Mick's house listening to the Tron Convergence phonostage. This was the moving coil version although a moving magnet one is available for about £100 less (the MC compatibility is achieved by placing a couple of step-up transformers ahead of the MM circuit - quite a common technique in valve designs).

    So in terms of what you get this is a very nicely made, but quite simple, design. It's quite a chunky single box, a set of input and output sockets on the back (good quality gold plated) and on the front is an illuminated on/off button - simple and stylish. Mains comes in via a fused IEC socket - the quality of fit and finish is excellent. As far as I can see there is no way of adjusting cartridge loading though I may be wrong (there is certainly no external adjustment). I didn't look inside Mick's unit but pictures of the internals available on the Internet show this to be of typical Tron standard - that's to say it is very professionally built with strong attention to detail. This is a full valve design (rather than a hybrid) and the three valves seem to cover both the input and output stages. The first thing that struck me was how little excess noise this stage produced - certainly for a valve design it has very low hiss and hum and produced no weird pops or buzzes (as some stages can). As for sound, well I was very pleasantly surprised and found it very well balanced. As one would expect, the midrange was particularly expressive but it was also much more balanced across the frequency spectrum than I have found with some other stages. For £1000.00 this is a very good stage indeed and could easily fit into a great many systems, valve or transistor based.
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  2. #2
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by YNWaN View Post
    Today I spent a very pleasant few hours at my friend Mick's house listening to the Tron Convergence phonostage. This was the moving coil version although a moving magnet one is available for about £100 less (the MC compatibility is achieved by placing a couple of step-up transformers ahead of the MM circuit - quite a common technique in valve designs).

    So in terms of what you get this is a very nicely made, but quite simple, design. It's quite a chunky single box, a set of input and output sockets on the back (good quality gold plated) and on the front is an illuminated on/off button - simple and stylish. Mains comes in via a fused IEC socket - the quality of fit and finish is excellent. As far as I can see there is no way of adjusting cartridge loading though I may be wrong (there is certainly no external adjustment). I didn't look inside Mick's unit but pictures of the internals available on the Internet show this to be of typical Tron standard - that's to say it is very professionally built with strong attention to detail. This is a full valve design (rather than a hybrid) and the three valves seem to cover both the input and output stages. The first thing that struck me was how little excess noise this stage produced - certainly for a valve design it has very low hiss and hum and produced no weird pops or buzzes (as some stages can). As for sound, well I was very pleasantly surprised and found it very well balanced. As one would expect, the midrange was particularly expressive but it was also much more balanced across the frequency spectrum than I have found with some other stages. For £1000.00 this is a very good stage indeed and could easily fit into a great many systems, valve or transistor based.
    I found this to be very good at creating a 3D image too. Quite hallucinogenic actually.

  3. #3
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    Default Tron Convergence MC Phonostage auditioned

    Actually, I thought the specific focus and 3D image aspect was one of its weaker qualities.
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  4. #4
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by YNWaN View Post
    Actually, I thought the specific focus and 3D image aspect was one of its weaker qualities.
    Really! I'm going to get my ears syringed lol.

    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

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    Perhaps I'm being overly critical as Mick's other stage is a Paradise and that was one of the most obvious stand out differences between the two.
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  6. #6
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    I'm Andrew.

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    I was just about to ask about the difference you found between the paradise and the Tron. So I take it the paradise is still your reference.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

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  7. #7
    Bigman80 Guest

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    The paradise is quickly becoming a bit o a mythical beast in my mind. Is it as good as I hope? Will one ever cross my ears?? It's a bit of a jump in class I suppose from the Tron but that probably is down to my lack of exposure to the High End.

    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
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    Default Tron Convergence MC Phonostage auditioned

    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    I was just about to ask about the difference you found between the paradise and the Tron. So I take it the paradise is still your reference.
    Yes, the Paradise was actually quite different and remains my reference. However, to directly compare the two isn't really fair as the Paradise isn't a commercial design (as such) and to build one costs as much, if not more, than the Convergence when sold through a retailer (all beautifully boxed and badged). The Paradise had much better focus - instruments were more clearly defined in space and existed more clearly in their own acoustic. The stereo image was also quite a bit wider and deeper. The overall dynamic range was greater and the whole character of the frequency spectrum was more linear - particularly in the bass and low bass.
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  9. #9
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    I'm Andrew.

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    Quote Originally Posted by YNWaN View Post
    Yes, the Paradise was actually quite different and remains my reference. However, to directly compare the two isn't really fair as the Paradise isn't a commercial design (as such) and to build one is as much, if not more, than the Convergence when sold through a retailer (all beautifully boxed and badged). The Paradise had much better focus - instruments were more clearly defined in space and existed more clearly in their own acoustic. The stereo image was also quite a bit wider and deeper. The overall dynamic range was greater and the whole character of the frequency spectrum was more linear - particularly in the bass and low bass.
    ok, thanks for that.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    The paradise is quickly becoming a bit o a mythical beast in my mind. Is it as good as I hope? Will one ever cross my ears?? It's a bit of a jump in class I suppose from the Tron but that probably is down to my lack of exposure to the High End.

    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
    Most of the ones that are going to be built have been by now so I don't think we will see very many more appearing. Whether you will hear one is difficult to say - certainly not at any commercial show and I've yet to see one at Scalford. In addition, the sheer amount of space one takes up is never going to endear it to many (mine even requires two mains leads) where the fashion seems to be toward minimising box count - the Convergence is a much more compact design.
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