TRICHORD DINO MK.3 PHONO AMPLIFIER & UPGRADES: CLOSE UP SECTION, PROS AND CONS PLUS A FINAL RATING!

Trichord Research has a structured upgrade path to steadily improve the sound quality of its famed Dino Mk.3 phono stage. Paul Rigby reviews the entire chain of upgradable components to see what it offers including: the Dino Mk.3 itself, the Dino+ upgraded power supply, High Performance Lead and Never Connected upgraded power supply

VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 - Introduction
3:12 - Prices
4:49 - Trichord Talk
8:53 - Closer Look
14:29 - Sound Quality
17:50 - vs Dino+
19:44 - vs High Performance Lead
20:37 - vs Never Connected Power Supply
21:53 - Final Thoughts & Rating

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#phono #amplifier #upgrade #review #paulrigby #theaudiophileman

PATREON
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OTHER CREDITS
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[secretsquirel]

Hi Paul and thanks for a very comprehensive may review. I bought my mk2 version of the Dino/DinoPlus/special lead about 20 years ago and about 7yrs ago I met Graham and told him I'd been using it without any issues, to which he replied - "I hate it when I meet people like you". I know what he means because when you've got a Dino you are cured of up-grade-tist. Well that's been my experience. After chatting to Graham he mentioned I could upgrade my Mk2 to a Mk3 which I did especially as he offered to take Mk2 in part- ex. When I got the Mk3 to be honest I wasn't expecting much of difference because the Mk2 was already very good. I remember asking Graham about the differences between the Mk2 and the Mk3 and he said it was quieter but did he mean. Well to me the spaces between notes was better defined which improves overall listener engagement with the music. It's also such a versatile little phono stage because you can run anything from an AT95 well up to Dynavector XX2 which only outputs a measley 350uV. Definitely 10/10 Groovy from me

[barneyrubble]

Trichord still going!!!
I've had their Delphini for a decade or more.

[warrenraye]

I purchased this phono stage to trial a while back, purely based on the written review on your website Paul. I love it! I've also gone down the upgrade path fully and am not disappointed.

[jeremiahchamberlin]

Great review, as we have come to expect. I’ve seen reviews of this product before, but never with so much detail. Your ‘patter’ was also packed with nonstop information, chatty style (which I once criticized) redeemed by ‘easy’ detail, that is, easy to listen to. I didn’t miss a moment while getting the clothes out of the dryer and putting them on. Now it is coffee and off to work, thank you for the great start to my day.
Edit: Great shots of the interior as well.

[Achim]

Well, I'm always very impressed by the fairy dust coming into play, when it comes to phono preamps ;-).

[Fizzy]

Paul, you remind me of someone I went to college with back in middle 80s. Any chance you where in Ealing back then?

[nazaholicable]

Hi Paul
Forgive me for asking you a question unrelated to this video. You were kind enough to answer my previous question regarding the suitability of the Soundeck mini damping feet in terms of being placed under speakers. You quoted from the Soundeck company literature attesting to their weight bearing strength. But the problem remains that it is hard to lift heavy speakers onto the mini discs waiting below, because the speaker spikes slide off them, and flip them. So, my question involves whether this can be solved by anything other than trial and error and a lot of heavy lifting. And given that you have these discs under your speakers (floorstanders presumably) without you using spikes, I'd like to ask if you simply put the mini discs in the four corners directly under your speakers (IE it's the carpet, then, the 3 mm damping feet, then the weight of the speakers on top - with little to no distance from speaker-bottom to carpeted floor).

[melvlnleese]

Hi Paul,

Great review as always. I didn't get the chance to demo the Dino so went for the Lehmann black cube se instead which I am really impressed by. Just wondered how you think they compare.

[tonyhodgkinson]

How do you think this compares to the Chord Huei?

[onlyswatchgroupwatches]

I tried to order a Dino Mk3 together with the Dino+ PSU here in Germany. Wasn‘t successful: they are sold out everywhere and no supply anymore. Is there a Mk4 coming?

[miguelcaraujo]

Thanks for the detailed info. I use one old NAD pp2 phono stage and was planning to upgrade to the rega aria. This video make me question my plans. May I ask your thoughts about Dino compare to Aria?

[attrktmarketing]

I have the Dino Mk2 and used it as an upgrade for my built in my phono stage. I really love the sound but I have one gripe. It appears to be very prone to static and pops. I have switched between the two stages and it goes away when swapping. Any recommendations for reducing the static from the signal path?

[robertsills]

Very interesting as ever review and a upgrade is definitely on the cards how about Music Fidelity M6 x Vynal as similar priced one box solution if you can afford to take the financial plunge in one go i would love to see a proper uk review of this project is that a maybe? Hope so :-)

[farquell]

I find my trichord dino MK2 to be harsh and hard sounding.
For the people who heard noise, it has to be isolated by a meter from other electronics. Then it's totally silent.