PrimaLuna Preamp Upgrade Question

j-wall-

The PL is in a league to present great sources in their best light. Consider your sources and speakers/setup and room in the equation.

Cables,PLC, fuses and gizmos.....plenty of thread in the archives to drive your audionervosa

Their will be someone who will contradict my comment and say..YES!  it will be night and day, best upgrade I ever did!

Get the preamp with definite intentions of going separate amp later.
Subjective sonic upgrade. Lateral upgrade IMHO. You have a great integrated amp. The sonic presentation is the sum of components/room.
PL user for many years. I’ve heard the proposed "upgrade" It will sound different, but as mentioned subjective. "Better" is in the ears of the listener.

j-wall-

I use an ancient model with good results.
https://www.stereophile.com/powerlineaccessories/ps_audio_power_plant_premier_ac_regenerator/index.html

Got it here, for cheap. Yet another polarizing subject. It's actually getting refreshed at PS Audio as we speak. Soon as I took it out and turned the system on....the "veil" came back. Few days later my ears adjust, and it sounds fine, but I'm anxious to get it back in a couple of weeks.

I plug EVERYTHING into it with no problems. Opinions on plugging the amp into it is divided. The Audioquest Niagra has good reviews.

I would recommend the dedicated line and tweaky outlet also. Clean power seems to be a solid upgrade to my ears.

P300? I have the PP Premier. It was long discontinued, but powerful enough to handle a modest system. I have the HP-essentially the same amp.

Check the listings for a P3/5. They are becoming cheap on the used market. They will handle an modest system with amp.

As mentioned, you might want to look into the dedicated line first. It's an inexpensive(relatively speaking) Just find a legit electrician.

"Brand new Focal Aria 936’s. Pleased with them, but they’re not the end all be all’s."

Positioning and room. The 936’s are nice speakers. If that doesn’t work-Kanta or Sopra...and better sources-the madness doesn’t end.

I use a  PS Audio Power Plant-it does its thing in my system.YMMV

j-wall.

As stereo5 mentions,you may want to consider addressing the overall sonic concerns first before blowing cash here and there.

I'm in the speaker placement/room acoustics camp. I've head those 936's sound great with the PL. Optimal placement of your speakers is a game changer. Spending time with the speaker placement archives may be helpful. What's going on the room is very influential to the speakers presentation.

The speakers should sound close to great out of the box, but they may sound better after a few hours of playtime. Setup is paramount. Are you able to get them out in the room?(4-6ft from the front, 3-4 from the sides)

Since the you're in a rental, the PP or PLC(AQ Niagara)may be a good "finishing touch" for your setup. Not until your ears determine you've placed the speakers in their best position, relative to your situation. 

There are more knowledgeable members with speaker/room interaction you may want to pose speaker  positioning  questions later. 

Trust your ears.

j-wall,

Check this out. There isn't no "one size fits all"  for speaker placement but this guide gets my speaks in the zone for them to sound good. As always, YMMV
http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_calculators.php

"Pulled the trigger on 6 12au7's,"
The 2 innermost tube are responsible for sonic changes as mentioned on the PL site. They are the gain tubes. Like many PL owners, I've played with all of them. I didn't experience anything with the others.