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Sound
Listening room reality mostly confirms it. Spendor's 84dB S3/5 couldn't generate sufficient SPLs in my 25²m room but Quadral's Rondo played significantly louder already. While outright raves were out, anything lower was in. Audium's Comp 5 specifies an additional 3dB of sensitivity on paper but played no louder. Zu Audio's Druid did but that claims 100dB. That already covers three speakers I tested on the Trends, with a focus on the Audium and Quadral models. So how did the li'l box do? Whatever you think of blind listening tests, here it was quite à propos, not in the conventional sense of disguised component swaps but not being able to see the component in the first place. And then the shock that something this tiny played so big completely fogged up the brain. Rather than don a blind fold, your scribe followed the motto of "other puny boxes can pull the same stunt" and reached for certain competitors to level the playing field.

Round 1: Trends vs. KingRex
The Tripath-powered KingRex T20 clocks in at €270 to cost more than the Trends but fairly so, adding a D/A converter with USB input. Duplicating that with Trends reaches for the UD-10.1 to add €179 over the T-10.1. Differences between these bonsai amps are clear. The Trends plays louder than the KingRex. The specs wouldn't predict it, rather granting the "king" the edge. In my tests however, the Trends had some extra reserves. More pronounced was the overall gestalt. Moving from KingRex to Trends, there's noticeably better definition in the frequency extremes. Treble is open, free of hardness and clearer whereas the KingRex applies some rounding over. The Trends has air, the King Rex doesn't. In the bass too the mini from Hong Kong is fresher and drier than the comer from Taiwan. To my ears, the Trends sounds wider bandwidth and more neutral while the KingRex is more bassy and emphasizes the midband. So is the TA-10.1 better? Yup. In one way.
In another, the KingRex is defined by its very fetching vocal band. Well-recorded voices, be they male or female, seem less colorful and more subdued over the Trends. This tendency is reinforced by speakers of similar bend. While Quadral's Rondo sits fat with positive traits, ultimate sexiness in the vocal range isn't one of them. Hence the KingRex complements her better. The Trends gets a little rough and hoarse. For vocals, I prefer the KingRex T20. Although, cough, I did wonder why I fancied guitar and piano more over the Trends. Don't those instruments occupy the midrange mostly?
My suspicion that the Trends had superior impulse response to better capture the hammer falls or string picks was validated by Nik Bärtsch's Ronin check. For this specialized fare, a system must be at the ready to properly track its wild fluctuations of dynamics and tempi. The KingRex failed, at least to sophisticated ears. The Trends however was truly fleet of foot and unexpectedly dynamic. While 'real' high-end amps for wads o' cash are capable of more altogether, the Trends manages to convey the essence in a very lively manner. For the money asked, it's first class in fact. Besides good definition in the extremes, exact brisk timing and good dynamic contrast ratio are further strengths. Call it rhythmic vitality. The Trends has it and that's addictive.


Both amps stage well but more so in width. Depth is mostly forgotten (and true also for the next two candidates). Where the Trends outdoes the KingRex is in sorting within the shallow stage. It seems better structured since sounds are more defined and localization focus is higher. There's more body and plasticity. This makes peace with the Trends' somewhat paler rendering of voices which sound more believable with that added body.
Round 2: Trends vs. Scythe Kama Bay Amp From Japan hails the €49.95 Scythe Kama Bay. And what do such wimpy smackers buy you? Where Trends' cosmetics are fine, the Kama Amp's are better. The business ends are equivalent though the binding posts aren't fully compliant with bananas. But there's a mini headphone jack and mute switch on the front. Included also are RCA leads and speaker cables (which high-enders will instantly ditch) and a second fascia to allow black and silver. Quite
trick for the price. Sonically though, it rather trails the Trends but goes about its job with verve which is sympathetic. Bass isn't articulate but pronounced, the mids are okay as long as you don't listen too loud and the treble exists but is far from as finely resolved as the Trends does it. There's soundstage confusion and tonal body is completely missing. Higher volumes sound outright hollow at times. This reads worse than it actually is. For 50 clams, it's actually bloody okay and more than sufficient for the office. For serious hifi use however, the Kama Amp is clearly limited.
Round 3: Trends vs. Sonic Impact T-Amp
This perhaps was the most exciting bout between identical chip sets. Should it end in a draw and one didn't mind the T-Amp's plastic case, one could even save €100. Sonics quite diverged however. The T-Amps borrowed from KingRex and Trends alike. Its midrange is more grounded and fulsome than the Trends (whose tendency to be leaner or trimmer was confirmed) to gravitate towards the KingRex yet the latter's resolution remains out of reach. The T-Amp redoubles with fresher dynamics to move closer to the Trends again but that one is even more immediate and, in a good way, sharper on attacks.


There similarities end. Trends bass is drier and more articulate, SI bass fatter but not as resolved. Ditto for the treble. The Trends is more illuminated, informative, open and airy. In my book, the definitive advantage of the Trends is its stronger focus on the musical action. Performers incarnate more precise placements and the soundstage gains in structure and clarity over the T-Amp.


Giant Killer?
Three rounds later, one might suspect that the deck remained stacked in favor of the Trends who, overall, came out ahead even if the T-Amp and KingRex clocked their own points. Perhaps the Trends needed a real bruiser to get cut down to size? Enter Myryad's MXI 2080. In general terms, I'd not call it a goliath but it is an integrated amplifier at 8 times the Trends' sticker and a good comparator that expounds similar virtues of "fast, rhythmic, dynamic, extended in both directions, no overt charms in the mids". Round 4 must be divided into two parts - to room levels and beyond.
At moderate/normal SPLs, it's a mostly subjective call which amp is preferable. The Myryad's clearly deeper, well-layered stage eludes the Trends. But the rest is all taste. The Trends is somewhat more lit up and moves the action a bit more upfront. One either fancies its greater directness or calls the Myryad's more distanced perspective more
relaxed and appealing. But it's not about better or worse. Thus, it's a great compliment to the mini particularly when price reenters the equation. Make no mistake though. As soon as the volume control progresses right, the advantages of the dearer amp become more and more pronounced. Particularly stage stability and bass control are rather superior. That's no surprise, just a reminder which puts giant-killing comments into perspective. In my book, the Trends isn't a giant killer. It does however present an enormous price/performance return. Those willing to spend more will definitely get greater stability, more reserves, higher ability, period - never mind six further inputs, two tape loops, the ability to separate pre and power stages as for example the Myryad offers. But let's repeat that the Trends TA 10-1 is a mere €199. It milks its performance for all it's worth and gets astonishingly far.


Conclusion
The Trends TA-10.1 integrated -- or perhaps better, desk-top amp -- is far more capable than just a lowly office worker. Of course it is well-suited also to pipe music into the office. There's nothing wrong with a second, third or forth system after all. But obeying a few ground rules, it can also become ground central for a serious chain. This is predicated upon 1. using just one source (unless you don't mind swapping cables); 2. not needing a remote; 3. your self image not being troubled by a 500-gram amp monster; 4. most vitally, a handful of watts being sufficient. This means smaller spaces and speakers of higher efficiencies. Within its limitations then, the TA-10.1 offers screaming value for the money. Its general sonic attributes are as follows:
  • Agile, well-defined and springy bass without upper-bass lift. The midrange is lean and distinctly not lush but hardness is absent. The treble is very open and defined and clearly not short on air.
  • The soundstage is primarily defined by width. Depth is quite limited. Particularly good is image lock of discrete instruments and voices. This amp stages accurately and imbues sounds with bodily plasticity. Better is possible but let's remember the price.
  • This amp is very dynamic yet macro-dynamic impact on low-bass transients is obviously not on the menu.
  • The Trends has good timing which comes to the fore on percussion-heavy fare. Speed and impulse fidelity are high to turn this into one PRaT-ty little box.

Facts:

  • Model: Integrated amplifier Trends Audio TA-10.1
  • Dimension & weight: 76x46x150 mm WxHxD including sockets, 500 grams
  • Trim: Silver
  • Power: at <= 0,1% THD, 6/11 watts into 8/4 ohms
  • Other: external wall wart, single input, no remote
  • Website
redaktion @ fairaudio.de