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Post by nonuffin on Feb 11, 2024 20:23:51 GMT
Some 30 years ago now I bought a brand new Tresham DR102 power amp (it was a compact amp with a seperate power supply) and the sound that produced was simply magical as I recall. Deeply regretted selling it (as one does!) because I foolishly believed there was better out there to be had. Been keeping one eye out ever since, but the ones that have come up for sale were badly abused with many dents and scratches, or have been priced at far more than I could afford.
So, last week I saw one for sale in good condition and full working order as it had been sent to Tresham Audio's former Technical Director who has completely serviced it and replaced whatever needed replacing, so that has pleased me. It was great talking to the man over the phone for jolly near two hours and he has corrected me on many myths I had heard about Tresham's history.
It won't arrive here until Tuesday, so hopefully the missus will be out at work so I don't have to invent a feeble excuse for a heavy parcel arriving in my name
My current power amp is an ADA PF201 which is the closest I could get to that Tresham sound because it has MOSFET output devices, but I know it will be far away, so that will have to be sold.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,083
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 11, 2024 21:07:04 GMT
Keep us posted!
Looks a lovely anp
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 12, 2024 8:29:03 GMT
Good luck with the Tresham. Was Richard Dunn involved with those? Difficult character, but he made a lot of good kit!
I'm more of an onwards, ever onwards kind of audio geek. On the rare occasions when I return to a previously loved fave, it invariably fails to hold my attention.
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 12, 2024 10:21:06 GMT
Good luck with the Tresham. Was Richard Dunn involved with those? Difficult character, but he made a lot of good kit! I'm more of an onwards, ever onwards kind of audio geek. On the rare occasions when I return to a previously loved fave, it invariably fails to hold my attention. I learned from Mark Westley that Mr Dunn was nothing more than salesman and he didn't know which end of a soldering iron was hot, such was his technical knowledge. Just before they sold out to Tannoy, Tresham created a new design of amplifier which Dunn "purlioned" and used for NVA, using other people ro do the actual assembly work. I take my hat of to Richard as his bull was pretty convincing even so.
One person did a lot of the work and wasn't paid which he feels very badly about since the demise of his boss.
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Post by bencat on Feb 12, 2024 10:51:18 GMT
With regard to Richard Dunn have no knowledge of his involvement here or what went on before he left . By the time I met him and according to some who talked to him with decent electrical and design knowledge he knew his stuff . This may well be knowledge gained after he left Tresham but I was present at a couple of discussions over technical details concerning Quad ESL and amplifier requirements which were well over my head but talking to two of the others after involved and they both said Richard seemed to fully understand and have very valid electrical points to make . Richard was not an easy person to deal with and ego was often the main issue . I had quite a bit of advice and help which he gave freely I was never involved or had any insight to his business or what he did or did not do but he produced in my view some very decent sounding equipment which I still use today .
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Post by stevew on Feb 12, 2024 11:08:09 GMT
Good luck with the Tresham. Was Richard Dunn involved with those? Difficult character, but he made a lot of good kit! I'm more of an onwards, ever onwards kind of audio geek. On the rare occasions when I return to a previously loved fave, it invariably fails to hold my attention. I learned from Mark Westley that Mr Dunn was nothing more than salesman and he didn't know which end of a soldering iron was hot, such was his technical knowledge. Just before they sold out to Tannoy, Tresham created a new design of amplifier which Dunn "purlioned" and used for NVA, using other people ro do the actual assembly work. I take my hat of to Richard as his bull was pretty convincing even so.
One person did a lot of the work and wasn't paid which he feels very badly about since the demise of his boss. Wow.. given the amount of venom and bile he poured out, just amazing to hear a different version of his reality. Funny old world.
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 12, 2024 12:17:49 GMT
I learned from Mark Westley that Mr Dunn was nothing more than salesman and he didn't know which end of a soldering iron was hot, such was his technical knowledge. Just before they sold out to Tannoy, Tresham created a new design of amplifier which Dunn "purlioned" and used for NVA, using other people ro do the actual assembly work. I take my hat of to Richard as his bull was pretty convincing even so.
One person did a lot of the work and wasn't paid which he feels very badly about since the demise of his boss. Wow.. given the amount of venom and bile he poured out, just amazing to hear a different version of his reality. Funny old world. He was certainly a "character" that's for sure. To a degree I had no real issues with his views about the industry and the way he saw a lot of it being a huge rip off, but it was the way the sermon was delivered that annoyed me personally.
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Post by hifinutt on Feb 12, 2024 16:34:17 GMT
hows that leg now after the op? hope pain is improved
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 12, 2024 19:17:34 GMT
hows that leg now after the op? hope pain is improved Thanks for asking, although the leg pain itself is less now, my foot is swollen with an oedema and that is giving me some pain and numbness. It feels like I don't have a foot at all, just a stump. Off to see the cardiovascular consultant tomorrow so will discuss that with him to see if he has a suggestion to make it heal.
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Post by hifinutt on Feb 13, 2024 10:49:09 GMT
ah thanks for update , yes oedema is a not pleasant and not easy to manage . hope there is a way forward
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 15, 2024 12:47:14 GMT
The amp arrived on Tuesday, but when I plumbed it into mu system it was faulty. The mono/stereo switch had moved during transit so no wonder it failed when I connected it up as it was in mono mode. Have sent it back and if it cannot be fixed it will be refunded. Somewhat gutted.
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Post by macca on Feb 15, 2024 18:37:43 GMT
sounds like something that can be fixed though?
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Post by macca on Feb 15, 2024 18:41:01 GMT
The bloke who sent me that Sony pre-amp had rolled it up in about 20 feet of bubble wrap, put some more round that for good measure, and double boxed.
Took me ages to get it out. I swear it would probably have survived being dropped from the top of the Blackpool Tower.
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 15, 2024 20:01:06 GMT
sounds like something that can be fixed though? Hopefully yes Martn, it has been sent back to Mark Westley the former technical director of Tresham Audio. He has said that if it isn't a quick simple fix he will send his own personal amp as replacement.
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 21, 2024 19:13:34 GMT
Spoke to Mr Westley and the amp has been damaged during the return back to him. Speaker bindings posts are badly bent and the stereo/mono switch is also damaged. so they will need sorting before he can even test to see if there is any other damage not immediately apparent.
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Post by pete on Feb 21, 2024 19:32:14 GMT
Spoke to Mr Westley and the amp has been damaged during the return back to him. Speaker bindings posts are badly bent and the stereo/mono switch is also damaged. so they will need sorting before he can even test to see if there is any other damage not immediately apparent. How disappointing, fingers crossed no more damage.
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Post by nonuffin on Mar 5, 2024 21:14:37 GMT
Well it has all gone tits up now
Mr Westley has repaired the amp and wants £65 plus another £20 for redelivery. I don't have any extra cash to throw at it right now, plus I am furious that he told the owner of the amp that it was ME that switched it into mono mode when installing it. After 54 years of interest in hi-fi, plus being a reviewer, I am VERY careful whenever I put anything into my rack. I managed to get a refund less £65.00 but even so I could have claimed off the courier for trashing it on the return journey, but he never sent the damage photos until last night.
Ah well, I will stick with my Audio Design Associates power amp for a while longer yet.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,083
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 6, 2024 7:05:34 GMT
Well it has all gone tits up now
Mr Westley has repaired the amp and wants £65 plus another £20 for redelivery. I don't have any extra cash to throw at it right now, plus I am furious that he told the owner of the amp that it was ME that switched it into mono mode when installing it. After 54 years of interest in hi-fi, plus being a reviewer, I am VERY careful whenever I put anything into my rack. I managed to get a refund less £65.00 but even so I could have claimed off the courier for trashing it on the return journey, but he never sent the damage photos until last night.
Ah well, I will stick with my Audio Design Associates power amp for a while longer yet.
Don't let it get you down. It happens sometimes.
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Post by nonuffin on Mar 6, 2024 14:29:34 GMT
Well it has all gone tits up now
Mr Westley has repaired the amp and wants £65 plus another £20 for redelivery. I don't have any extra cash to throw at it right now, plus I am furious that he told the owner of the amp that it was ME that switched it into mono mode when installing it. After 54 years of interest in hi-fi, plus being a reviewer, I am VERY careful whenever I put anything into my rack. I managed to get a refund less £65.00 but even so I could have claimed off the courier for trashing it on the return journey, but he never sent the damage photos until last night.
Ah well, I will stick with my Audio Design Associates power amp for a while longer yet.
Don't let it get you down. It happens sometimes. Thanks Oli.
I am not going to let it get to me. but I won't be dealing with these people any more.
Spent the money already on another power amp now, which has helped me calm down.
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Post by donmarrese on Apr 27, 2024 0:28:18 GMT
Hi all, my name is Don Marrese, and I played a part in selling the SR 202 to nonuffin. I'd like to be given the opportunity to give my 2 pence worth the above scenario involving Mark Westley and nonuffin.
The reason for replying to this thread was that I am unhappy with nonuffin's comment "I won't be dealing with these people any more." I think an explanation from the otherside of the coin is necessary.
The Tresham SR 202 was sent to Nonuffin in a solid working state. On unpacking and installing the unit, it was noted that nonuffin installed the amp by slotting it in situ in his hifi rack then feeding cables from the rear, without visually looking at the back panel. If he had of connected all cables in front of him, he would have noticed the Mono/Stereo switch and it's placement. The mono switch set near the pre inputs on this particular early model does not have a "catch" to stop movement from Stereo/mono. On switching on the amp, nonuffin didn't realise that the Mono red light on the front panel was on. With both sets of speaker cables connected to the rear panel in usual stereo mode; having the mono switch on causes damage to the amplifier. The amp was left on for at least 30 minutes until he was told by Mark Westley to switch it off. Mark tried to give nonuffin support over the phone but it was too late. Setting the switch in stereo mode didn't help either, as the damage was done. Mark asked nonuffin to send back the amp, and Mark would get to the bottom of it. Nonuffin packed the amp back in the same box, but not in the same way (there are rack handles on these, and the packaging was configured to support the amp in a certain way, to avoid damage).
When Mark got he parcel back, the rear panel had taken a beating...all four speaker terminals were damaged. Mark did notice that the amp was badly repackaged.
Off came the lid, and Mark found the faults, bought parts and rectified them. New terminals were bought and replaced. After discussing the situation of return and repair, Mark and I felt it was only just that the "blame" of amplifier failure was down to a poor install. Yes, it was bad luck, but none the less, the parts came to £65, and labour, all of over 2 hours was not applied to the £65 adjustment. I put this forward to nouffin, that if he wanted the amp back, the £65 would include the courier costs as well, at Mark's expense. Nonuffin declined to take up the offer stating that it was beyond his budget, so a refund of the total amount was made minus £65. Mark and I both felt this was very fair offer as the amplifier was sent to nonuffin in good working order and in good faith.
It's an unfortunate situation, but at the end of the day, we tried to find the most cost effective solution as a way forward. I'm sorry nonuffin felt the way he does, but Mark and I felt that if a bit more due diligence was applied in installing the amp, he would have been made up with his Tresham.
On a final note, I've known Mark Westley for 8 years now; he is of good character and very honest. I sell hifi on behalf of Mark as he's an eBay/marketplace ludite and is not good at adverts and selling his hifi bits. Hence my involvement with this transaction. I'm a big fan of Tresham/Tannoy amps and pre amps.....and I've had a wide range of amps in my time, but my all time end game amp is the Tannoy SR 840 which Mark Westley developed. If you ever get the chance to get one, don't hesitate...grab it. I hope I haven't left a negative with this post, but I felt it necessary to point the facts out in this situation on a fair basis. No offence intended to anyone. All the best.
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Post by bencat on Apr 27, 2024 9:02:41 GMT
Hi Don nice to see you here . Sad to read about the issues in the above sale as I have bought an amp off you in the past and met you at services to hand over a Tresham set you had bought I know you to be genuine and upfront in your dealings . As stated sometimes these things happen and it is better to have to full details . Have you any SR804 to sell ? Drop me a PM if you have .
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,083
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 27, 2024 20:42:45 GMT
donmarrese nonuffin Gentlemen, One of the great things about HiFi is shared experience via forums. This also extends to buyer/seller experience, and I am confident in saying that everyone here will have either bought or sold something that didn't go to plan! Don, to be clear, It's absolutely fine that you have shared your side of the unfortunate situation and I welcome the insight into it. However, I just want to ensure that we don't descend into a discussion about this subject that could become unpleasant. So, if any further discussion is required, please do it via PM. If you both decide it would be better to remove the both comments now some time has passed and time has healed any wounds, let me know and I'll remove them. As you were 🫡
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Post by donmarrese on Apr 27, 2024 22:29:28 GMT
donmarrese nonuffin Gentlemen, One of the great things about HiFi is shared experience via forums. This also extends to buyer/seller experience, and I am confident in saying that everyone here will have either bought or sold something that didn't go to plan! Don, to be clear, It's absolutely fine that you have shared your side of the unfortunate situation and I welcome the insight into it. However, I just want to ensure that we don't descend into a discussion about this subject that could become unpleasant. So, if any further discussion is required, please do it via PM. If you both decide it would be better to remove the both comments now some time has passed and time has healed any wounds, let me know and I'll remove them. As you were 🫡 Understood....I have no need to pursue this thread. 🙂
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,083
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 27, 2024 22:34:35 GMT
donmarrese nonuffin Gentlemen, One of the great things about HiFi is shared experience via forums. This also extends to buyer/seller experience, and I am confident in saying that everyone here will have either bought or sold something that didn't go to plan! Don, to be clear, It's absolutely fine that you have shared your side of the unfortunate situation and I welcome the insight into it. However, I just want to ensure that we don't descend into a discussion about this subject that could become unpleasant. So, if any further discussion is required, please do it via PM. If you both decide it would be better to remove the both comments now some time has passed and time has healed any wounds, let me know and I'll remove them. As you were 🫡 Understood....I have no need to pursue this thread. 🙂 Thanks Don 😊
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