PrimaLuna EVO 100 Tube Integrated Amplifier

DESCRIPTION

It has been nearly a decade since PrimaLuna has introduced an entirely refreshed product line of valve amplifiers and you will find the new EVO series shares the previous lines DNA. The new products feature upgraded transformers and internal components, improved aesthetics and an enhanced features set including true-balanced, transformer-coupled XLR inputs and outputs on upper-end models. Just as importantly is what hasnt changed, including the meticulous hand-assembly, point-to-point wiring, superlative build quality and cutting-edge Adaptive Auto-Bias (TM) circuitry upon which PrimaLuna has built its reputation.

The original PrimaLuna integrated amps, the ProLogue One and Two, have reached cult status and are now a collectible that will no doubt be iconic in the years to come. Some are going so far as to call them "The Marantz 8B of our time". The multi-award winning ProLogue One was in a recommended system called "Tube Nirvana" by The Absolute Sound's Robert Harley. Stereophile's Art Dudley stated "Lustily, heartily, and enthusiastically...recommended." The ProLogue Two was loved the world over in review after review.

If something works, don't fix it. But there were still improvements that could be made. PrimaLuna engineers in The Netherlands went to work to make this the new classic.

The EVO 100, also known as the ProLogue Classic Integrated brings you to a world of glorious tube sound and superior engineering and quality.

 

BAD TUBE INDICATOR

PrimaLuna engineers wanted to make owning a tube amp so simple you would have no excuse not to have your tube dreams come true.

If a tube fails, Adaptive AutoBias will instantly put the amplifier into protection mode so no parts can get damaged. A red LED will light up in front of the tube that needs replacing. (ProLogue Classic illuminates an LED on the front panel.) Simply plug in another tube, and listen. No guesswork. No smoking amp. No getting out the soldering iron or dropping your amp off at UPS.

TOROIDAL POWER TRANSFORMER

Power transformers generate two types of noise, magnetic and acoustic. That's why toroidal power transformers are used in the very best audio products. Compared to standard transformers, toroids radiate about 1/10 the magnetic field that pollutes music and obscures detail. Additionally, the absence of an air gap typically means toroids have an 8:1 reduction of acoustic noise. As transformers are the most expensive components in any audio product but PrimaLuna doesnt cut corners. All PrimaLuna products use massive, potted toroidal transformers. PrimaLuna transformers are enclosed in a metal housing and then potted in a non-microphonic resin to further reduce noise and to protect the windings from moisture and deterioration forever.

PROLOGUE CLASSIC OUTPUT TRANSFORMERS

Output transformers are the most important part of any tube amp. They determine how low the bass will reach and how high the top end goes. 250 watts of power will have no top and bottom extension if the output transformers don't have the bandwidth. We use lower power to extend tube life, and bandwidth to give you slam. Transformers are the most expensive components in an amplifier but again PrimaLuna doesn't cut corners. PrimaLuna output transformers are custom-designed, wound in-house, and massive. Our DiaLogue Class components feature the largest, widest-bandwidth output transformers weve ever made. One reason why no other brand sounds like a PrimaLuna. "The flat tops and bottoms of these squarewaves correlate with the amplifier's extended low-frequency response; PrimaLuna's output transformers are of excellent quality." -John Atkinson, Stereophile Magazine

ADAPTIVE AUTOBIAS

PrimaLuna's Adaptive AutoBias is a true, smart technology employing an array of sensors to monitor tubes and make adjustments seamlessly in real time. More important, it is the ONLY circuit of its kind that is truly "adaptive" by addressing "tube pinch off" at higher volumes, therefore reducing distortion by over 50% and greatly extending tube life. Adaptive AutoBias is completely passive and NOT in the signal path. The result is low to no maintenance, long tube life, and the lowest possible distortion for amazing sound.

POINT TO POINT WIRING

You spend a lot of money on interconnects. So why have the signal go right from the RCA jacks or speaker terminals into circuit boards with copper traces so thin you can hardly see them? Whats high-end about that?

PrimaLuna employs Point to Point Wiring on all products. The entire signal path, including resistors and capacitors, is painstakingly hand wired with heavy-gauge cable by craftsman.

NO INTERNAL DAC / NO INTERNAL PHONOSTAGE

Never buy an integrated amp with an internal DAC. Why? Because digital changes, and history shows that integrated amps with old digital become unwanted and have almost no resale value.

Built in phonostages are throw in and are rarely good quality because manufacturers assume 90% of buyers wont use them. The external phonostage market is very competitive. You can get something much better for as little as $200, and buy one that actually meets your cartridges needs and YOUR budget.

SMARTWATTS - EXTENDED TUBE LIFE

Tube life is simply a matter of how hard you run the tubes. Thats it. The only way to extend tube life is to run them as close to zero as you possible can, making sure it is not so low you go into crossover distortion. The life of a tube will depend on two things: Plate and screen voltage.

If the plate and screen voltage is high, you are more likely to get tube shorts when you turn the amp on and you get cathode stripping which greatly effects the cathodes ability to spit out electrons. We proudly tell you our tubes run at just about 417 volts for the plates and screens.

PrimaLuna runs their output tubes at a minimum dissipation without going into crossover distortion. When you look at our amps, they provide less power from each tube. With KT-120s as an example, a PrimaLuna will give you only 21 watts per tube. So running a pair of them you get 42 watts. Thats a lot of power, but the demands per tube are fractional. To get more power the right way is expensive. It requires bigger transformers, sockets, wiring, resistors, capacitors, and the tubes to do it. Which is exactly what PrimaLuna did. But we didnt stop there.

Read this carefully: Power has nothing to do with sound quality. Or bass slam. You can buy a 200 watt receiver for $299, and it will even have surround sound. Do you think for a minute it will sound better than a 50 or 100 watts high end amp costing $10,000? Of course not. Experienced audiophiles know that for the majority of listening sessions, you use maybe 10 watts of power.

OUR AMPS ARE PERFECT. BUT YOUR SYSTEM MAY NOT BE

Ask any seasoned tube-head what the most musical output tube is and they will most certainly declare it the EL34. Other amp manufacturers would love to use it. Only PrimaLuna, through our proprietary output transformer designs, can give you EL34 midrange beauty with top-end air that goes on forever. And, bass extension with so much slam, our amps are used to power subwoofers.

However, every system is different. What if you bought a speaker with bass that overloads the room? Or, that is too dark? Or, too bright? What if you just want to have fun trying the different colours of sound from a vast pallet of tubes? With PrimaLuna, you get to choose. Go for it. 6L6G, 6L6GC, 7581A, EL34, EL37, 6550, KT66, KT77, KT88, KT90, KT120 (ProLogue Classic is not KT150 compatible). A future-proof design, PrimaLuna is compatible with NEW tube types not even thought of today!

Power (8, 1% THD) - 40 watts x 2 (EL34), 41 watts x 2 (KT88)
Inputs - 4x Stereo RCA
Outputs - 4 & 8 , Stereo RCA Tape Out, 1/4" Headphone
Freq. Response - 10Hz-32kHz +/- 1dB, 10Hz-75Hz +/- 3dB
THD -
S/N Ratio - 90 dB (EL34)
Input Sensitivity - 260mV (EL34)
Standard Tube Compliment - 2 x 12AX7, 2 x 12AU7, 4 x EL34
Dimensions - 405 mm x 280 mm x 190 mm (L x W x H)
Weight - 18 kg.Variant: Black