Rare Breed Factory Trip

As regular readers will know, Pioneer graciously flew my Fat Self all the way to Las Vegas for the SEMA show (Specialty {sic} Equipment Manufacturers’ Association – the car aftermarket show) but that also there is a dedicated consumer electronics show there in January too, the biggest in the world, called the Winter CES for Consumer Electronics Show.
Whereas there are some crucial exhibitors at SEMA and I had an utter blast – getting to interview Mad Mike of MTV’s Pimp My Ride fame and seeing a pickup truck with TWO 22 inch MTX Jackhammers inside, the sheer volume of brands and 12V product on show is awesome. That said, if you want full on feature-worthy show cars then SEMA has it beat nine ways from zero but if you are a New Toys hound like me, then not being at the CES gets you all wistful, which is darn spoilt as it is not a cheap trip.
I have never gambled, although I once worked a s Fruit machine humper and installer, so I know how to electronically cheat one when you have the back open for service and I know that the best way to win is to use a fourteen pound sledge hammer. I have deeply reactionary views about pensioners’ relationships with these machines as used in the UK and how they steal pensions but in the USA, they have totalisers and in utter truth can be a whole bunch of percentage points less usuriously thieving. In fact the downtown casinos – rather than those in the Strip itself – boast of how loose their lots are, which just keeps on giving as a lost in translation gag for me.

Anyway, so while I was brought up by an ex-nurse whose childhood was blighted by a boozing, gambling close family member so instilling this horror of gambling into me, I am mature enough to realise that there are masses of folks for whom it is simply adult fun, spend only to their limits or can at least afford the amount of time they do spend exposed to such Vegan temptations.
(With full intent to offend those of silly dietary persuasion. Complete aside but dietary Vegan’s babies fail to thrive. Medical fact from fifteen years direct O&G experience @ Northwick Park. Nowt against sensible veggies – they’ll outlive me and have the last laugh anyway)
Which is all explanation of why Chris Woods said he’d try to get around the show for me and take some snaps of new stuff but didn’t.
Chris is boss of Axis Distribution who bring in what he terms ‘Rare Breeds’ like Tru Technology and CDT as well as muscle brands Atomic and Massive. A very professional fellow who I gather has actually taken the Mensa test and wondered what the silly fuss was about, (He scares me sometimes, listening to his cranium tick at 156.) and is deeply afflicted with the same lifer’s condition of mobile electronic affliction as myself.
He spent the week in the Ice Hotel in Sweden with his babe, came home, flew to Vegas, stayed up all day, went out, went to the casino to play and some 40 hours after getting up in Loughborough, put his head down at breakfast time Vegas local time and slept the sleep of the truly knackered all through a CES show day. At least he felt good and guilty as he fell asleep. Git.
Trouble is, I can’t blame him. And I’m sure you don’t either&;
Chris got around the bits he needed to see in the remaining show time and yet more travelling was lined up as he had booked visits at all of his suppliers for while he was over there. As Tru Technology are so bonkers generally and so utterly high end, his account of their doings and the snaps he got proved so entertaining, I figured you should see them.
How cool would it be if all the UK’s distributors felt compelled to go to the factory of the products they sell and make a bit of the kit themselves? Talk about getting properly involved. I’ve never even heard of any other Briton doing anything of the kind.
Power to him. So here, in a TA first, a contribution from a distributor on the magazine pages. He starts with a bit of Philosophy, Grass Hopper..

TRU Philosophy Our goal is to design and build products that are TRU to the motto ‘Form follows function’
TRU Vision To become the innovative standard for all to reference.
TRU Process. All of our products are built in California. All amplifiers go through 110% quality control. The reason we state this factual 110% is that our products are hand built one at a time and tested one at a time. Then, an additional 10% are re-tested at random. Every one of our amps has been hand built in one way or another. They all have their own identity. Not to be confused with build quality, performance, or mass production.
TRU Mission Daring to create inspiring audio products that exceed expectations regardless of limits set by the masses. We are very proud of all our products because we feel that each and every one of our models is built with all the pride and joy that a product with this degree of quality should deserve. At the end of the day, we would like to be known for building quality products for good value for money.
TRU Values To always remember that it is all about the music.

TRU Visit – by Chris Woods
I arrived at TRU Technologies workshop in LA to be greeted by a very welcoming John Yi, the company owner. We had a busy day ahead, visiting the various local companies who supply all of the components that go into each product. As a bonus, TRU were in full production of the first of their new amplifiers, the Steel series, and their new audiophile line driver.
Our first visit was to see the raw PCBs being assembled. TRU source and supply all of the components to their exact specification, all US sources where possible. These are hand assembled onto the PCB before going onto the soldering bed. Larger components such as the power transformers are then hand soldered. The completed PCB is then passed to assembly, which takes place by hand back in their own workshop.

The heatsink and amp casings are made in another local machine shop to John’s own design. The attention to detail in these had to be studied to be appreciated fully. All of the components are CNC machined, as John is very particular about the finish, and doesn’t like the hard edges that aluminium stamping leaves. The Billet Series heat sinks are then hand finished to leave a perfect graining, before being anodised to protect them.
The assembly takes place by hand, each amp, one at a time. The amp is assembled then put onto the bench for testing for output, distortion and frequency response. Only when they are 100% satisfied is the final cover put on. Just to be sure, 10% of the amps then go back onto the test bench for 110% Quality Control before packing where even the packaging materials are locally sourced.
Once we had seen an amp at all of its stages it was my turn to take up the tools. With great care, and close supervision! I had the pleasure of assembling one of the first Steel Series amps due to ship to the UK in a few weeks, and then assembled my on line driver, which will make its way into my car very shortly. With me at the tools thermal grease got missed of one of the components, so apart it came. When I went to re-use the screws that had only just gone in, John stopped me, threw them away and telling me that was not perfect practice, put all new screws in. This truly is a production process where each and every amp is built one at a time with care and attention to detail second to none, currently working seven days per week to match demand.
Thoroughly interesting visit, and can’t wait to fully launch the product, and get one down to you for testing, you may need a new score, 11/10!

Well, that remains to be seen but hell, I’m impressed – Adam Ed.