Outstanding detail, powerful bass, and a realness to the highs like I have never heard before, with Gold Lion KT88's

No weakness I can find, a true audiophile bargain !

I have a Primaluna Prologue FOUR with the following setup that works GREAT for me. 2x Philips 12AT7WC JAN - USA 2x Tungsram 12AX7 Hungary -NOS 4x TUNG-SOL 7581A (Russian end tubes) It is really a budget-tube setup but it doesn't sound like one! I can highly recommend it! PS: I bought my tubes at www.tube-town.net

This amp deserves a hi-end quality sound set and good speakers. You need Hi-end speakers that are not deaf, like 86db or better.

Controlled warm up but not long.

None that I can find.

I bought the primaluna because I wanted to get back into tubes & the price was right.
I also needed an amp that had a 4 ohm output to match my 1.6 magnapans.
Having been an audio enthusiast in the late 50's with McIntosh amps I was also looking for quality. The advertised engineering specs were impressive and found to be correct.The autobiasing a real plus. The wiring & board layout was clean. When I first hooked up the Primaluna I tried to see if I could hear any difference from my Panasonic 100w solidstate amp. The warmth of tubes that I remember was there and it made my Magnapans sound even better, especially in the lower range.
Anyone who wants to experiance tubes for the first time could not do better for cost
& quality. Any good tube amp must be used with quality speakers, not the small ones that come with the all in one minisystems. Each listening session seems to sound better & better!

Similar Products Used:

Only quality tube sets made in the 50's & 60's
McIntosh, Citations,Etc.

Soundstage, smooth, good bass, pristine upper register, MUSICAL

what doesn't have one?

I won't cut into the usual "jargon" about soudstage, etc. It's simply musical. Whatever it's shortcomings, and I don't know of any, especially at it's price point, it is a piece of instrument that keeps me listening. It has something that many higher priced kits don't do...it keeps you emotionally glued. I have had numerous setups over my 30 plus years, and I am getting so much pleasure out of this amplifier. I can't recommend this product enough.

Anyone interested in extremely high fidelity owes it to themselves to explore the PrimaLuna line. You won't regret it! Of course never forget system matching. I seem to have found the right combination. My Setup as follows:

Audio Research SP16L, PrimaLuna Prologue Four, JMLab Cobalt 816S, Kimber Hero interconnect, 8tc/4tc in bi-wire configuration, Linn LP12 Valhalla, YBA integre (2nd generation) Marantz 8260 SACD

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity A3cr
Discrete Technology LS2 (formerly PAC)
Dynaco ST70

Midrange, build quality

Might depend on the system

The Primaluna Prologue Four does things very, very well. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already aware of its strengths and great value. So let’s cut to the chase- it’s a “ladies amp.” I don’t mean in the sense that it’s designed and built with female tastes in mind, though my wife and older daughter think it looks cool. The Primaluna Prologue Four does a mesmerizing job of conveying the beauty of the female voice. Take any reasonably recorded LP or CD, of any female vocalist performing any kind or music and hear what incredible music emerges. I don’t care who you pick- Nora Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Jane Monheit, Dawn Upshaw, Marianna Prevetti, Linda Ronstadt- it simple doesn’t matter. This amp let’s the subtle nuances of the female voice come through your system in away that’s almost three-dimensional. She’s there, so is her band and the space in which she was recorded. And from there, the music flows. This is one gem of an amp, in spite of any shortcomings. In my system the bass is a bit heavy, but I can look past that given what the Prologue Four ultimately does. It’s only 35 watts, but my speakers are fairly efficient and my listening style rarely calls for volumes capable of leveling a small town. All in all, a great amp!

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity A3cr