BUGERA TRIREC INFINIUM Review (2023)

Build Quality:
Hardware:
Electronics:
Sound:
Value:
Average:

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Pros:

• Variable power output (from 1 to 100 watts)
• Three great-sounding channels
• Hand-wired, guaranteeing the great quality of the unit

Cons:

• Gets a bit hot during usage
• Has a slight click when switching between the channels (nothing to crazy)

We all know perfectly well why tube amplifiers are praised so much in the music industry. Their signature sounds and performance have captured the hearts of many musicians and it is hard to let go of them even now. As amazing as tube amplifiers are, they are rather problematic. Their circuitry requires high-tech materials in order to perform appropriately, which is sometimes neglected by some brands. Luckily, there are those who pay a lot of details to the quality of their products and Bugera is undoubtedly one of them. Their Trirec Infinium competes with the best amplifiers in this category and wins the name of a badass device. If you want to find out what makes it so amazing, keep on reading and this article will provide you with all the answers. Let’s commence this journey, shall we?

Features

Bugera Trirec Infinium features the best qualities of tube amplifiers. It has 5 dual triode type valves (1x12AX7A, 3x12AX7B, 1x12AX7C) in its preamp, 4 tetrode/pentode type valves (4x6L6GC) in the power amp and 2 rectifiers (5U4). Such kind of circuitry is what everything in this unit is based on. Trirec Infinium has adjustable wattage that varies from 1 to 100 watts, allowing you to utilize it at home or on stage. This bad boy has three channels: Channel 1 offers clean tones, while Channel 2 and 3 deliver three different types of distortion. Each channel has its own dedicated set of controls, guaranteeing maximum attention to detail.

Additionally, Tritec Infinium comes with onboard Boost and Reverb, as well as an effects loop for your pedals. This amp is compatible with various foot controllers, be it a single six-button unit that takes care of everything or a single-button specific device for Boost, FX Loop, Reverb and channel switching. Trirec Infinium can be connected with external speakers for rocking any stage (the outputs have selectable impedance). As for the jacks and sockets, here we have a single ¼” input for your instrument, 1/4” send and return jacks for the effects loop (with adjustable level), ¼” Line Out, ¼” dual jacks for external speakers, as well as six inputs for external controllers.  

Controls

At first glance, Trirec Infinium has an overwhelming amount of knobs. It has numerous controls on both front and rear panels, which might be confusing. However, their functionalities come down to the modification of simple parameters, which makes everything a bit easier. Luckily, all the controls are extremely intuitive and responsive, which is all we require when we look at the knobs of various devices. We have a lot to discuss, so let’s get right to the point.

The front panel starts with Power and Standby switches, which are quite self-explanatory. Then we have the Varipower, which is quite a handy feature in my book. It modifies the amount of output power and ranges from 1 to 100. Next to it you will see the Reverb control, which adjusts the parameters of the said effect. Below these two knobs, there are Master and Boost knobs. The former sets the overall output of the unit, while the latter amplifies your signal and makes it louder.

Then we have three similar sections, each dedicated for a specific channel. They are comprised with Treble, Mid, Bass (3-band EQ controlling all three ranges of frequency spectrum), Presence (accentuates the high end), Volume and Gain knobs that do the same thing for each channel. On all three channels, we have a Mode selector. In case of the CH3 and CH2, it shifts between Modern, Classic and Vintage styles, while on CH1, it selects between Clean and Drive settings.

Let’s move on to the rear panel. The Line Out sets the level of the output connected to the slave amp; Impedance allows you to choose between 4, 8 and 16 ohms; Assign has assignable functionalities: On (effects loop is always active), Channel (FX Loop on/off status is saved for each channel), Remote (enables the switching of the FX Loop with a footswitch) and Off (FX Loop is deactivated). Send and Level adjust the level of the send and return jacks respectively. Last but not least, the Rectifier allows you to choose between silicon diodes, valves or their combination.

BUGERA TRIREC Sound

We have already seen how much Trirec Infinium succeeds in terms of features and controls. It is only natural for us to assume that it shines in terms of sound. And it truly does. Not only does it offer a vast range of sonic possibilities, but it also offers a refined and scrupulous tone. The cleans on this bad boy are dynamic, round, and transparent, eliminating the chance of interfering with the sound of your guitar.

The drive mode of the clean channel adds a subtle overdrive or a slight crunch to your signal, accentuating its character and thickening it up. The second and third channels go from dark and heavy American distortion to distinctive and defined British overdrive. They can also bark up some crazy metal sounds that are not overly fuzzy or noisy. The onboard effects sound great as well, not to mention that this amp takes the pedals beautifully. All in all, Trirec Infinium can create almost any sound without losing that famous tube character we all admire.

Conclusion

And it is time for the final verdict: Trirec Infinium deserves the name of one of the best tube amplifiers out there (I bet you are surprised). It has everything one could ask for – an extensive package of features, controls that modify even the smallest details and the sound that can mesmerize even the pickiest listener. If you want to fully understand the qualities of this amplifier, start believing your eyes while reading this article and trusting your ears when listening to demos. That’s all you need. The rest is the job of Trirec Infinium. Good luck!

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