[Csericks]

I am curious as to why your numbers are so much different than the ones that I listed.

 

[AudioDoctor]

I am curious as to why your numbers are so much different than the ones that I listed.

If you want to email them and ask, here is the email address. I got this off of their website.

service@primaluna-usa.com

I am curious as well, however I think I am going a different direction now anyway, I would still like to know the truth here.

 

[Strayngs]

Sorry about the delay of this mini review of the Primaluna Evo 300 Integrated. I had broken the yokes on my Kennerton Thridi and I have been waiting for them to be sent to me from Russia because I wanted them to be included in my evaluation. I received the yokes on Thursday and had a weekend to evaluate. Now I have time to spell out my thoughts on this beautiful amp.

I was nervous about the purchase of my Primaluna because I sold my Wells Audio Milo to fund the purchase. The Wells Audio famously has a big power output with pleanty of power for my Audeze LCD-4. I once had a ampsandsound SE-84 which was magical, dead quiet and packed a big punch for what it was, but when I had plans to purchase the LCD4. 1/ I needed to sell it to buy the LCD-4 and 2/ I also knew that it would not be enough power to drive it. And so I purchased the Milo shortly there after. My fear is would the Primaluna have enough power.

The Milo is a respectable amp, but I had a magical amp in the ampsandsound and for 6 months I listened to what I considered a good sound, but it didnt have that 3d, remarkably separated sound that I had grown to love. I decided that I needed to get a tube amp again.

I went to the RMAF in September of last year where I first saw the Primaluna in person. I thought to myself that this might be the most beautiful tube amp that I have ever scene. I didnt look any further because I had purchased the Milo and I was concentrating on getting a DAC at the show. I also assumed that the Primaluna was for speakers and I have an all headphone setup.

When I decided to hunt for a tube amp, I discovered the Primaluna and found that they indeed do power headphones. The problem is that there isnt any published specs for the Evo series. I called Upscale Audio with the intent of maybe getting the Dialogue Premium HP as the specs are there and looked very promising that they would power my headphones well. I spoke with a guy named Evan and he told me that the Dialogue Premium HP has had some problems in headphone mode where it can lose transformers and that the Evo series had fixed this problem. I asked about the power output of the 300 as it is not specified. He told me that at 200 ohms the Evo 300 has a 1.5w output. I pulled the trigger.

The reason for this long introduction is that I am not sure that the power stated to me is indeed this 1.5w at 200 ohms. I acquired a used Trafomatic Head 2 the same week that I recieved the Primaluna. The Head 2 does specify that it drives 2w at 50 ohms. Theoretically, the Primaluna should be more powerful. Using the tape out from the Primaluna to the Trafomatic so that the 2 amps receive the same DAC signal, the Primaluna does need to be at a higher volume position to get the same volume out of my headphones as the Trafomatic. I dont have the equipment or know how to test the exact output, but I am doubting the claimed Evo output told to me in an email from Upscale Audio. This might annoy me, however, the LCD-4 does not seem to be underpowered at all. I am happy with the sound and that is all that counts. But I do believe that those purchasing this amp and wanted to use my thoughts as a tool in deciding needed to know this side note.

Now the comparison of sound. First of all in comparison to the Milo, it is no contest. Primaluna stomps the Milo to the ground and rubs its face in the mud. The Milo is dull and not exciting at all. It does have a warm sound for solid state but I didnt have a lot of wow moments even in my $4000 headphones. My Pathos Aurium sounded superior imo.

I am going to concentrate this comparison on the Trafomatic and the Primaluna as the Milo just couldnt keep up.

The Trafomatic is sooo quiet. Dead silent with all my headphones that I compared Including the LCD-4 but also with my Kennerton Thridi, Klipsh HP-3 and the Hylands Jupiter 1 that I have on loan. The Bass is good. Well polished and very tight. Very lovely on all the headphones. The mids are more present and upfront than the Evo. It is very fast, dynamic with great PRAT. Probably the best I have ever heard in a tube amp. It honestly does not feel like a tube amp. The treble is not offensive. I would describe this amp as very neutral. It really is a great amp. Is it better than the Primaluna? Well no...it is just different. I count myself lucky to have 2 amps of this quality that have such a different sound signature.

The Primaluna needed to be burned in. No doubt about it. It was a little dry and not as exciting as I had hoped out of the box. I played unattended about 4 hours a night for 2 weeks to help break it in and I had 2 days of maybe 8 hours of play which is when I actually listed to the music during this time.

The sound warmed up. The treble tamed down and the bass bloomed. The sonic quality that I loved about my ampsandsound is found in the Primaluna. It definately sounds like a tubeamp. It is more polite that the Trafomatic but in a authorative way. The bass is actually better in the Evo but it is not overpowering in any way. The sound stage and imaging is definately better in the Primaluna. The mids are further away than the Head 2 but it helps with the music separation. The instruments are separated as much as you would want without making the music sound artificial. The sound comes from everywhere in my head. The Trafomatic is intimate by comparison. The treble is a little more polite than the Trafomatic. This is especially true in triode mode. I believe that this is why the Trafomatic has the edge in detail. The only headphone that I did not like in the Primaluna was the Hylands (which is not mine anyways). I have never been a big fan of my Klipsh (but my wife loves the way they look and that is why I have them) but they actually sound really, really good in the Evo. By far the best I have heard them. I actually am beginning to love them too.

Triode vs Ultra Linear is cool too. I find myself swiching almost every song to hear the difference and decide which way I want to hear the given song. Triode makes the tube sound come out more polite. Ultra Linear gives that edge back to the music. It is more aggressive. I find myself in Ultra Linear about 70 percent of the time.

In closing the Primaluna is a great tube amp that does justify the price even as "just" a headphone amp. I am happy with my purchase.

 

[Strayngs]

Guys I couldn’t help myself and got a pair of Tannoy Autograph Mini. This amp is unbelievable. It is the ”my precious” (in a Lord of the rings way) of my music equipment collection.

 

[Strayngs]

Ok I cant decide if I love speakers or headphones more LOL. I have found that I would rather have headphones that were a little easier to drive than the LCD4. I had 3 or 4 occasions where the sound cut off almost completely (I could still hear it but it sounded terrible and far away) it only happened with the LCD4. I have used a lot of different headphones with it without any problem what so ever. I sent it back to Upscale Audio and they gave it a clean bill of health. I now have a couple pairs of Kennerton and a Verite which work very well with it.

I love the Tannoy with it so much. I was gifted a Magnepan 1.6qr and man I had no idea what I was missing out on....I am truly a Magnepan Fan Boy. I will be selling the 1.6qr (likely tonight) and I have a brand new 1.7i ordered.

My PrimaLuna is the crown jewell of my collection. It is worth every penny.

 

[Strayngs]

Sorry about the delay of this mini review of the Primaluna Evo 300 Integrated. I had broken the yokes on my Kennerton Thridi and I have been waiting for them to be sent to me from Russia because I wanted them to be included in my evaluation. I received the yokes on Thursday and had a weekend to evaluate. Now I have time to spell out my thoughts on this beautiful amp.

I was nervous about the purchase of my Primaluna because I sold my Wells Audio Milo to fund the purchase. The Wells Audio famously has a big power output with pleanty of power for my Audeze LCD-4. I once had a ampsandsound SE-84 which was magical, dead quiet and packed a big punch for what it was, but when I had plans to purchase the LCD4. 1/ I needed to sell it to buy the LCD-4 and 2/ I also knew that it would not be enough power to drive it. And so I purchased the Milo shortly there after. My fear is would the Primaluna have enough power.

The Milo is a respectable amp, but I had a magical amp in the ampsandsound and for 6 months I listened to what I considered a good sound, but it didnt have that 3d, remarkably separated sound that I had grown to love. I decided that I needed to get a tube amp again.

I went to the RMAF in September of last year where I first saw the Primaluna in person. I thought to myself that this might be the most beautiful tube amp that I have ever scene. I didnt look any further because I had purchased the Milo and I was concentrating on getting a DAC at the show. I also assumed that the Primaluna was for speakers and I have an all headphone setup.

When I decided to hunt for a tube amp, I discovered the Primaluna and found that they indeed do power headphones. The problem is that there isnt any published specs for the Evo series. I called Upscale Audio with the intent of maybe getting the Dialogue Premium HP as the specs are there and looked very promising that they would power my headphones well. I spoke with a guy named Evan and he told me that the Dialogue Premium HP has had some problems in headphone mode where it can lose transformers and that the Evo series had fixed this problem. I asked about the power output of the 300 as it is not specified. He told me that at 200 ohms the Evo 300 has a 1.5w output. I pulled the trigger.

The reason for this long introduction is that I am not sure that the power stated to me is indeed this 1.5w at 200 ohms. I acquired a used Trafomatic Head 2 the same week that I recieved the Primaluna. The Head 2 does specify that it drives 2w at 50 ohms. Theoretically, the Primaluna should be more powerful. Using the tape out from the Primaluna to the Trafomatic so that the 2 amps receive the same DAC signal, the Primaluna does need to be at a higher volume position to get the same volume out of my headphones as the Trafomatic. I dont have the equipment or know how to test the exact output, but I am doubting the claimed Evo output told to me in an email from Upscale Audio. This might annoy me, however, the LCD-4 does not seem to be underpowered at all. I am happy with the sound and that is all that counts. But I do believe that those purchasing this amp and wanted to use my thoughts as a tool in deciding needed to know this side note.

Now the comparison of sound. First of all in comparison to the Milo, it is no contest. Primaluna stomps the Milo to the ground and rubs its face in the mud. The Milo is dull and not exciting at all. It does have a warm sound for solid state but I didnt have a lot of wow moments even in my $4000 headphones. My Pathos Aurium sounded superior imo.

I am going to concentrate this comparison on the Trafomatic and the Primaluna as the Milo just couldnt keep up.

The Trafomatic is sooo quiet. Dead silent with all my headphones that I compared Including the LCD-4 but also with my Kennerton Thridi, Klipsh HP-3 and the Hylands Jupiter 1 that I have on loan. The Bass is good. Well polished and very tight. Very lovely on all the headphones. The mids are more present and upfront than the Evo. It is very fast, dynamic with great PRAT. Probably the best I have ever heard in a tube amp. It honestly does not feel like a tube amp. The treble is not offensive. I would describe this amp as very neutral. It really is a great amp. Is it better than the Primaluna? Well no...it is just different. I count myself lucky to have 2 amps of this quality that have such a different sound signature.

The Primaluna needed to be burned in. No doubt about it. It was a little dry and not as exciting as I had hoped out of the box. I played unattended about 4 hours a night for 2 weeks to help break it in and I had 2 days of maybe 8 hours of play which is when I actually listed to the music during this time.

The sound warmed up. The treble tamed down and the bass bloomed. The sonic quality that I loved about my ampsandsound is found in the Primaluna. It definately sounds like a tubeamp. It is more polite that the Trafomatic but in a authorative way. The bass is actually better in the Evo but it is not overpowering in any way. The sound stage and imaging is definately better in the Primaluna. The mids are further away than the Head 2 but it helps with the music separation. The instruments are separated as much as you would want without making the music sound artificial. The sound comes from everywhere in my head. The Trafomatic is intimate by comparison. The treble is a little more polite than the Trafomatic. This is especially true in triode mode. I believe that this is why the Trafomatic has the edge in detail. The only headphone that I did not like in the Primaluna was the Hylands (which is not mine anyways). I have never been a big fan of my Klipsh (but my wife loves the way they look and that is why I have them) but they actually sound really, really good in the Evo. By far the best I have heard them. I actually am beginning to love them too.

Triode vs Ultra Linear is cool too. I find myself swiching almost every song to hear the difference and decide which way I want to hear the given song. Triode makes the tube sound come out more polite. Ultra Linear gives that edge back to the music. It is more aggressive. I find myself in Ultra Linear about 70 percent of the time.

In closing the Primaluna is a great tube amp that does justify the price even as "just" a headphone amp. I am happy with my purchase.

@Tumyum

 

[Relaxasaurus]

Guys I couldn’t help myself and got a pair of Tannoy Autograph Mini. This amp is unbelievable. It is the ”my precious” (in a Lord of the rings way) of my music equipment collection.

Whenever I see a Prima Luna pop up in the classifieds I get the itch to pull the trigger but I simply listen to headphones more. That could be because my tube HP amp is better than my integrated.

Maybe getting just one single good Prima Luna will get me out of my HP comfort zone

Thanks for the detailed write-up. I'm currently comparing the HP out on my Cayin vs a budget Muzishare X7 integrated, and it is indeed intriguing how different they sound.

 

[Bonddam]

Just check what's in the amp other amps are scarce on parts and charge hi prices not prima. Just got EVO 400 amp for my Double Impacts and EVO 100 tube dac. Love Prima knows what they are doing and don't charge some rip off price for actual quality. Wish they made deicated HP amp for Abyss. EVO 400 has way more tubes then my WA33 better parts ways even more and they don't tell people lies each thing is explained. No that's secret thing. The tube dac is ridiculously built big transformers 4 drivers and 2 rectification tubes weighs 30lbs and cost 3k.

 

[Zurv]

@Bonddam - oh just wait till you put some KT150s in that EVO 400.. yummy

 

[Bonddam]

@Bonddam - oh just wait till you put some KT150s in that EVO 400.. yummy

Which brand?

 

[Zurv]

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/tung-sol-kt-150

they really make the PL shine. (also $$$ because the EVO 400 would need 8 of them)

 

[ThanatosVI]

Which brand?

KR Audio if you want to go Broke.
Tung Sol if you want to stay in an affordable realm

I use Tung Sol KT150 right now

 

[Zurv]

haha.. yeah.. 8 KR Audio KT150s would be painful to ones bank account.

 

[Bonddam]

I'd want to put the money towards my incoming wa5 Le.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I'd want to put the money towards my incoming wa5 Le.

That's the sane thing to do imo.